- The India talent model centralises back-office work, finance, HR, IT and procurement, into one team you own in India, instead of handing it to a BPO.
- India runs 2,117 GCCs employing 2.36 million people, and a large share of that work is finance, HR and process operations.
- A first shared services team usually starts as a pilot pod of 5 to 20, often at 50 to 70% below US cost.
- Stand the team up at the pace you need, on an EOR or your own entity, and scale once it is proven and past the cost crossover.
- Document the processes first, start with a pilot, and own 100% of the entity from day one with no nominee holding your shares.
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Ready to centralise your back-office into a shared services team, and weighing India for the first one? Start with the scale: India runs 2,117 global capability centers employing 2.36 million people, and a large share of that work is finance, HR and process operations.
This guide is for US companies, and other global firms, standing up their first shared services team, and the CFOs and finance-operations leads who own it. Most guides pitch outsourcing. This one is about the talent model where you own the team, rather than handing your processes to a BPO. Let's start with what that model is.
What is a shared services team, and why India?
A shared services team centralises repeatable back-office work, finance, HR, IT and procurement, into one place that serves the whole company. Put it in India as your own team and you get deep talent at a fraction of US cost, run under your direction rather than an outsourcer's. Wisemonk builds these teams for global companies, and a first shared services center usually starts small and grows.
That is the model. So what work moves first?
What functions go into a first shared services team?
Start with process-driven work that is well documented and easy to measure, then add judgement-heavy roles as the team matures.
| Function | Typical first roles |
|---|---|
| Finance and accounting | Accounts payable, accounts receivable, general ledger, payroll support |
| HR operations | Onboarding, HR coordination, benefits administration |
| IT and operations | IT helpdesk, system administration, data analysts |
| Admin and compliance | Executive support, documentation, compliance operations |
Many teams lead with finance, since it is the most standardised. For function-specific depth, see HR shared services and the finance shared services cities guide.
Functions picked, the next call is how you employ the team.
Scope your first shared services team
We will map the functions, roles and location for your first India team in one call.
Should your first shared services team be on an EOR or a GCC?
There is no single right answer, only the one that fits your stage. The three routes are an EOR or staff-hosting model, a managed captive or build-operate-transfer, and a direct subsidiary from day one. The EOR vs BPO vs GCC comparison for back-office work lays out the trade-offs.
- EOR or staff-hosting: fastest start. An Employer of Record handles payroll and compliance while you direct the work.
- Managed captive or BOT: a partner builds and runs the team, then transfers it. See build-operate-transfer, and check who holds the entity in the meantime.
- Direct subsidiary: incorporate from day one via company registration in India. Most control, heaviest upfront setup.
The key difference from outsourcing: in all three you own the team and the process knowledge. Hand the work to a BPO and both rotate out of your control. The GBS vs GCC vs SSC guide untangles the terms.
Model chosen, here is how you actually build it.
How do you build your first shared services team in India, step by step?
The teams that succeed document the work before they offshore it. Our guide to building a shared services center covers the full sequence; here is the short version.
- Scope and document: pick the processes to move and write them into clear standard operating procedures first.
- Choose location and model: pick a hub and the employment model that matches your timeline.
- Run a pilot: stand up a small pod, test output quality and the time-zone rhythm before you scale.
- Lock governance and security: set data-privacy, access and compliance controls to your standards, such as SOC 2 and ISO, from the start.
- Scale and graduate: grow the team, then move onto your own entity once it is proven and past the cost crossover.
Built right, here is what it costs to run.
Run a shared services pilot in weeks
Stand up a first pod, prove it, then scale. We will plan the pilot with you.
What does it cost to run a shared services team in India?
The headline is labor arbitrage: shared-services roles in India commonly run 50 to 70% below US cost, so a first team usually pays for itself quickly. On an EOR you avoid upfront entity cost and pay per employee per month; on your own entity the per-head cost drops further once you are past the crossover of 25 to 40 people. Model your employee cost to see the fully loaded number.
If you are comparing destinations, the India versus Philippines comparison for finance shared services weighs cost against talent depth and attrition.
Numbers aside, weigh the upside against the risks honestly.
What are the advantages and risks?
| Advantage | Risk to manage |
|---|---|
| Cost often 50 to 70% below US | Attrition in competitive hubs; retain with a real mandate |
| Deep, English-speaking talent pool | Time-zone overlap needs deliberate sync windows |
| Fast, flexible scaling | Vague processes fail offshore; document SOPs first |
| You own the team and the knowledge | Multi-state compliance; bring in expertise early |
One more thing worth getting right the first time: ownership.
Who owns the entity, and why it matters for a first team?
Even for a back-office team, ownership is worth getting right the first time. In a classic build-operate-transfer a partner holds your entity and transfers it later, so their name sits on your share register until then.
Ask whose name is on the register and what it takes to get the director seat and bank mandate back. The clean arrangement is to own 100% from day one, which the guide to establish a captive center walks through.
Get that right and India is a genuine advantage. Here is how we help.
Want to go deeper? See how to set up a GCC, the global captive centers in India, the GCC setup cost, the GCC hubs, and the reasons to expand in India.
How does Wisemonk help you build a shared services team?
Wisemonk is an India-specialist employer of record and capability center partner. From the first shared services teams we have built in India, the ones that scale cleanly all did the same unglamorous thing first: they wrote their processes down before they moved them.
Whatever your India plan needs, we deliver it:
- Employer of Record: stand up finance, HR and ops hires from $99 per employee per month, with equipment shipped for you.
- Capability center setup: stand up and staff your India shared services center end to end.
- Entity setup: our Build, Operate, Graduate, Own model, so your India company is 100% yours from day one, on a custom quote.
- Build-Operate-Transfer: we build and run the team, then hand it over to you.
- Managed payroll: the India pay run and statutory filings for your own entity.
- PEO and HR services: payroll, PF, ESI and benefits under your entity's registrations.
- India recruiters: source and screen finance, HR and operations talent with Mira AI.
- Contractor of Record: engage Indian contractors compliantly, with IP assignment built in.
- Freelancer payments: pay Indian freelancers and agencies through compliant channels.
- Background verification: screen every hire before their start date.
Across 300-plus global companies we have onboarded 2,000-plus employees, process $20M-plus in annual payroll, and hold 4.8 out of 5 on G2.
The Wisemonk team played a key role in helping us hire for specialized B2B SaaS marketing skills. We were able to build the team within four months, and hire experienced professionals from Tier 1/major B2B SaaS brands. This includes SEO, digital marketing, business development, product marketing, content marketing, and GTM roles. They are a great partner providing integrated services for EOR and recruitment/hiring and I'd recommend them to any B2B SaaS vendor.
- Saurabh Sharma, Co-founder & CEO at Onereach, USA. Read the full case study.
Build your first India shared services team
Own the team and the processes, start with a pilot, and own the entity from day one.
Frequently asked questions
What is a shared services team?
A shared services team centralises repeatable back-office work, such as finance, HR, IT and procurement, into one team that serves the whole company. Built in India as your own team, it gives you control and cost savings a BPO cannot.
Which functions should go into a first shared services team?
Start with standardised, process-driven work: finance and accounting such as AP, AR and general ledger, HR operations, IT helpdesk and data analysis. Add judgement-heavy roles once the processes are documented and stable.
How much does a shared services team in India cost?
Shared-services roles commonly run 50 to 70% below US cost. On an EOR you pay per employee per month with no upfront entity cost; on your own entity the per-head cost falls further once you pass the 25 to 40 person crossover.
Should a first shared services team use an EOR or set up an entity?
Start on an EOR or staff-hosting model to stand the pilot up in weeks without entity overhead. Graduate to your own entity once the team is proven and large enough that an entity costs less per head, usually past 25 to 40 people.
How is a shared services team different from outsourcing to a BPO?
With a shared services team you own the people and the process knowledge and direct the work. With a BPO you hand the process to a vendor, and both the team and the know-how sit outside your control and rotate across clients.
What is the key to making an offshore shared services team work?
Document the processes before you move them. Vague workflows fail offshore, while clear standard operating procedures transfer cleanly. Run a small pilot first, set security controls early, and keep deliberate overlap hours with your US team.
Where should a first shared services team be based in India?
Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and NCR all have deep finance and operations talent, and tier-2 cities offer lower cost and attrition. Match the city to the functions you are hiring and the talent depth each hub offers.
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