India expansion guide

The cost case. The terrain. Then call us.

Where the real savings come from when you move engineering to India, and field guides on the two things that trip up most first-time entrants.

Cost·01

Why the savings go beyond salaries

Labor cost is the headline, but it's only one line of the total picture. Here's where the rest of the advantage actually comes from.

60–75%

Labor & Engineering

A senior full-stack engineer runs $120K–$180K/yr in North America or Western Europe, versus $25K–$45K/yr for equivalent senior talent in India.

40–50%

Capex Efficiency

Fit-out, cabling, and IT infrastructure cost per workstation runs 40–50% lower than in Western markets.

3–4x

Opex Runway

Lower HR admin, accounting, compliance, utilities, and vendor support costs extend operational runway 3 to 4 times over.

SEZ / STPI

Tax & Duty Incentives

GST exemption on export of services, duty-free capital goods import, and single-window regulatory clearances.

Office setup · Tier-1 vs Tier-2

The real numbers, seat for seat

Based on a mid-sized team of 30–50 seats. USD figures converted at approximately 1 USD = 83 INR.

Expense categoryTier-1 (Hyderabad, Bengaluru)Tier-2 (Vizag, Kochi)Difference

Commercial rent (fully fitted)$1.20–$2.00 / sq ft / mo$0.55–$0.90 / sq ft / mo50–60% lower

Warm shell rent$0.60–$1.00 / sq ft / mo$0.25–$0.45 / sq ft / mo55–60% lower

Fit-out cost (one-time)$35–$55 / sq ft$22–$35 / sq ft35% lower

Avg. senior dev salary$30K–$50K / yr$20K–$35K / yr25–35% lower

Attrition rateHigh (20–30% annually)Low–Moderate (8–12% annually)Lower re-hiring cost

Deposit / lease terms6 months' security deposit3–4 months' security depositLower lock-in capital

Tier-1 (Hyderabad, Bengaluru)

Best for access to niche enterprise talent, established tech ecosystems, and direct international connectivity.

Tier-2 (Visakhapatnam, Kochi)

Best for fast scaling, lower burn rates, higher employee retention, and Grade-A developer space at roughly half the real estate cost.

Execution model

Plug-and-Play vs Complete Build — which route fits your timeline

For a 30-seat office (~3,000 sq ft), the operational route you choose shapes upfront cash flow as much as long-term cost.

Plug-and-Play

Fastest path to occupancy

Move into furnished, managed space with shared facilities — near-zero upfront capital.

$0 upfront capex — only 6 months' deposit
Occupied in 15–45 days
$120–$220 per seat / month
Lock-in 12–36 months (depending on fit-out)
Best for teams under 30, or testing the market

Complete Build

Fully custom, lower long-term cost

A custom warm-shell build-out — higher upfront cost, but lower cost per seat once operational.

$75,000–$120,000 upfront (interior, cabling, HVAC, furniture)
6 months' deposit, in addition to build-out costs
90–180 days to operational
$60–$100 per seat / month, post-build
Long-term lock-in (3–5 years)
Best for teams of 50+, or custom IP security needs

Figures above are indicative ranges for planning purposes, not a quote — actuals vary by exact location, building grade, and negotiated terms. Book a call for numbers scoped to your team.

Field guides

Read the terrain before you land

Two guides built from live client engagements, not generic regulatory summaries.

GDE·02

Navigating SEZ Approvals for Software Exporters

7 min readSTPISEZCompliance

What actually slows down SEZ and STPI approvals for software exporters, which documents to prepare before you file, and how to sequence approvals against your incorporation timeline.

Read the guide →

GDE·03

Grade A Real Estate Trends in Tier 2 Cities

6 min readKochiVisakhapatnamReal Estate

How Grade A supply, rent, and lease terms in Visakhapatnam and Kochi compare to Tier-1 hubs, and where a Tier-2 base genuinely lowers total cost versus where it just looks that way.

Read the guide →

Chk·04

The India Setup Checklist

Every registration, approval, and account you need before you can legally hire, invoice, or lease in India — in the order to do them.

Entity type decision matrix (Pvt Ltd vs. LLP vs. Branch Office)
STPI / SEZ pre-filing document list
Statutory registration sequence (PAN, TAN, GST, PF, ESI)
First-90-days hiring & compliance timeline