What Services Can Be Outsourced to India?

What services can be outsourced to India? Almost any business function that doesn't require a physical US presence. From our experience helping 300+ global companies build India teams, the most common are IT and software development, finance and accounting, back-office operations, customer support, and digital marketing, though the full list is much wider than most people realize.

This guide breaks down every major service category you can outsource to India, with the sub-functions, cost context, and the right hiring model for each.

What IT and software services can you outsource to India?[toc= IT and software services]

IT is India's largest outsourcing category, and the scope goes well beyond basic coding.

India commands nearly 18% of the global software outsourcing market, serving companies from early-stage startups to enterprises like Microsoft.

Here's what that covers:

Software development and engineering

Indian software developers handle custom software, web and mobile app development, SaaS platforms, full-stack and backend engineering, QA, and testing. A mid-level developer in the US costs approximately $158,000 annually; the same role in India runs around $79,000 fully loaded,  a 50% cost saving without trading down on quality.

Read more: Software development outsourcing to India

IT infrastructure, cloud, and technical support

Indian teams handle cloud migration (AWS, GCP, Azure), DevOps, cybersecurity, IT helpdesk, network engineering, and 24/7 system monitoring. The time zone difference means your India team covers overnight tickets while your US team is offline,  built-in 24/7 coverage at no extra cost.

Read more: Top 10 IT Outsourcing Companies in India

AI, data analytics, and emerging tech

This is India's fastest-growing outsourcing segment in 2026. NASSCOM estimates AI revenues in India's tech industry at $10-12 billion in FY26, with demand for ML engineers, data pipelines, RPA, and data annotation growing rapidly. An AI engineer in India costs $20,000-$30,000 annually versus $100,000–$150,000 in the US, specialized expertise most companies can't hire domestically at scale.

IT is where India built its reputation. The back-office and business process side is just as wide, and often the faster win for companies that aren't primarily in tech.

Read more: Outsourcing to India: Expert Guide for Global Companies

What Back-Office and Business Process Services can be outsourced to India?[toc=Back-Office and Business Process Services]

Back-office work is India's second-largest outsourcing category, and the range is wider than most companies realize.

India has evolved from a basic BPO destination into a global hub for shared services, with deep specialization in finance, HR, payroll, and compliance.

Here's what falls under this category:

Finance, accounting, and tax preparation

Bookkeeping, accounts payable and receivable, tax preparation (US Forms 1040, 1065, 1120), financial reporting, payroll processing, and audit support. Indian accounting teams work to US GAAP standards and handle the full finance function, not just data entry. Companies typically save 60–70% on operating costs by outsourcing finance and accounting to India.

Read more: Accounting Outsourcing to India 2026: A Complete Guide & Outsource Bookkeeping to India: A Complete Guide (2025)

Data, research, and administrative operations

Data entry and processing, document digitization, market and business research, medical coding, patient data entry, ecommerce catalog management, and virtual assistant support. India delivers 99.9% accuracy on data entry at a fraction of US costs.

Human resources and compliance management

Recruitment, onboarding, payroll admin, benefits administration, employment compliance filings, background verification, and HR reporting. Indian HR professionals are trained across multiple regulatory frameworks, including US and UK employment standards.

Read more: List of Top HR Outsourcing Companies in India

Other back-office services

Legal process outsourcing, insurance BPO (claims processing, policy administration), healthcare BPO (medical billing, transcription, revenue cycle management), mortgage processing, and transcription services.

Back-office work delivers fast returns because the tasks are structured and repeatable, and India's talent pool is deep across every category here.

If you want to understand what this costs before committing, our cost of outsourcing to India guide breaks down real numbers by function.

Customer support and digital marketing are next, and India's strength in both has grown significantly.

What Customer Support and Digital Marketing services can be outsourced to India?[toc=Customer Support & Digital Marketing Services]

These two categories are where India's large English-speaking workforce makes the biggest difference for US companies.

Customer support and call center operations

India handles inbound and outbound support across phone, email, live chat, and social media. Support agents in India cost $7-$16 per hour, compared to $29-$42 per hour for US-based agents, a 60-70% saving on the same function. Beyond basic tickets, teams cover technical support, order processing, complaint resolution, and escalation management. The 10.5-13.5 hour time zone gap also gives your US customers overnight coverage without US overnight rates.

Read more: 10 Top Customer Support Outsourcing Companies for 2026 & Call Center in India: A Complete US Guide (2025)

Content writing and SEO

India has a deep pool of English-fluent writers, SEO specialists, and technical writers. Common work includes blog writing, website copy, whitepapers, and SEO content at scale. SEO specialists in India earn ₹3-8 lakh per year, roughly $3,500–$9,500 annually, compared to $60,000-$80,000 for equivalent US roles.

Read more: SEO Outsourcing India: A Complete Guide (2026)

Social media and performance marketing

Indian teams manage brand accounts, run paid campaigns on Google and Meta, handle community management, and deliver performance reports. They work across the same tools your US team uses, Google Ads, Meta Business Suite, HubSpot, Semrush, and manage campaigns for US audiences every day.

Read more: Outsourcing Marketing Services: What You Need to Know?

Graphic design and video production

Brand design, social creatives, explainer videos, and motion graphics are widely outsourced to India. Work is typically delivered overnight due to the time zone difference, ready when your US team starts the next morning.

Read more: Hire Graphic Designers in India

The hesitation around outsourcing customer-facing work usually comes down to language and quality. Both are non-issues at scale in India today. The next question is how to actually structure the engagement, and that depends on which hiring model you choose.

What are the available options to outsource work to India?[toc=Outsourcing to India Options]

The model you choose determines how much control you keep, how fast you can start, and what your compliance exposure looks like.

Here is a clear breakdown.

For a step-by-step walkthrough on getting started, our guide on how to outsource work from the US to India covers everything from picking the right model to running your first pilot.

If you want to compare the cost difference between EOR and setting up your own entity, use our EOR vs. entity calculator to get a quick side-by-side breakdown.

Companies planning larger long-term operations in India should also look at our guides on setting up a captive center in India, building your offshore team in India, and offshore development centers , both are viable paths once you're ready to move beyond EOR.

For enterprise-scale operations, our GCC setup service covers end-to-end office and team build-out in India.

Before committing to any model, it's worth understanding the legal considerations around outsourcing to India, especially around compliance, contracts, and IP protection.

From our experience helping hundreds of global companies expand to India, most US startups and mid-size companies start with EOR, which gives you the control of a direct hire without the time and cost of entity setup. Managed services work when you want outcomes, not overhead.

Read more: How to start outsourcing to India as a US company?

Get Started with Wisemonk EOR to Build Your India Team[toc=Wisemonk EOR]

Wisemonk is the leading Employer of Record in India for global companies that want to hire, pay, and manage employees without setting up a legal entity. We onboard your first employee in 48 hours, handle all payroll, taxes, and compliance end-to-end, and assign a dedicated HR manager to every client, no ticket queues, no chatbots. Over 300 global companies across the US, UK, and beyond trust us to run their India operations compliantly from day one.

Beyond EOR, we cover everything your India expansion needs, managed payroll, contractor payments, equipment procurement, recruitment, and GCC setup, all under one roof.

Talk to our India hiring experts to figure out the right model for your team.