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Why Hire Remote Software Developers From India?

Why hire remote software developers from India? Explore cost savings, talent quality, time zone benefits, and the best hiring models for global teams.
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Introduction

India, as a country, has created quite a reputation for itself when it comes to technical resources. Given the excellent penetration of the internet, the adaptability of the workforce, and the zeal to do better, the country has been producing top notch developers every year. It is not for nothing that the average intellectual export of the country to the western world has seen a meteoric rise over the past decade. If we look at the stats, then the number of Indians pursuing either a Master’s or working offshore in the US and UK combined touched a percentage of 44% in 2020. 

The types of profiles that an average Indian can obtain in these countries and, of course, the better earning and growth prospects, further fuel this alleged export. 

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the working dynamics significantly. As is in nature, Indians were quick to adapt to working from home or in remote working environments. Multiple Indian firms saw an increase in productivity and profitability when the workforce worked from home, and that too at a time when the world was in a general glum phase.

These factors, along with a couple of other factors, resulted in several international firms looking at the Indian market for hiring remote software developers. In this blog, we will examine some key factors that resulted in a spike in the sentiment to hire remote developers in India.

Why Should One Hire Remote Developers in India?

Some of the best brains in the World

It goes without saying that the Indian education system puts a lot of emphasis on getting skilled and getting a good job. One may attribute this factor to the fact that India is still a developing nation with cut-throat competition for resources and an equally strong zeal to excel. Parallely, the Indian Government has also been focusing on promoting technical education in the country by setting up several flagship institutes, such as the IITs and NITs. Other than these as well, there are several Tier-1 and 2 colleges that produce lakhs of trained software engineers and developers every year. 

In addition to all this, there are multiple governmental, non-governmental, and private programs that boost the overall developmental skills and employability of the resources. Surviving in such a cut-throat environment required in-depth knowledge and continued upgradation, both of which make Indian developers much sought after. 

While this was all about the freshers, India’s indigenous IT industry itself is fairly strong. In-depth work is being done in the fields of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, RPA, and whatnot. Thus, the average Indian developer needs to upgrade their knowledge from time to time to bolster their career prospects.

Software development, as we all know, is not just about having the skill but also about creativity and an eye for detail. With the exposure that an average Indian developer gets, it makes sense why one should hire remote developers in India.

Economies of Hiring

Illustration of money savings from economics of hiring.

It is an established fact that outsourcing IT projects can help save huge sums of money for almost all development projects. While doing the same within the country may not make as much of a difference, the costs can be cut significantly if one has to hire remote developers in India. Take, for instance, the hourly rate for mid-level software programmers in the United States. The rate varies between $140 and $170. Against this, the hourly rate for mid-level Indian Software developers is barely $40. While this rate fluctuates depending on the specialization that is required, it has never gone above $60, which is still way less than what one would pay to developers in the US.

Add to this the concept of EOR, whereby the firm can hire an agency that does the entire employee management and documentation. We at Wisemonk, for instance, do that and ensure that not only are experienced professionals hired, but all the documentation, retention, and replacement (should the need be) are taken care of. Going through an EOR partner helps in saving not just the hiring and training costs, but also all the money that one would have had to spend on compliance and legalities.

Suitability of the Time Zones

It is fairly common for people in India to get hired to work US and UK shifts. Depending on the time zones that are being followed, the time difference can range anywhere from 9.5 hours to 12.5 hours. This time gap can be utilized to deliver round-the-clock support. While we are talking development here, it is because of this time gap only that multiple US and UK-based MNCs have their call centers in India to offer 24/7 services.

Favorable Hiring Policies and Benefits

The Indian government has been pushing the agenda for making in India and hiring Indian resources significantly. The country is currently the seventh-largest recipient of FDI. Almost all the Indian regulations and regulatory frameworks have been created with the intent of encouraging international IT development projects. Several SEZs have been set up, policies have been formulated to expand the markets, and policies have been enacted to promote the commercialization of the services and ensure sustainable IP growth.

Comfort with English Usage

One of the biggest factors that puts Indian developers ahead of other South Asian developers is their proficiency in English. India is a land of multiple cultures, multiple languages, and even more dialects. Fortunately or unfortunately, English has been the unifying language for many. Hence, knowing English and being proficient in it is something that is pursued right from the beginning. This makes the choice to hire remote developers in India an even easier one to make.

Hire Hassle-Free with Wisemonk

With Wisemonk’s EOR services, we guarantee a seamless, automated prochttps://www.wisemonk.io/blogs/how-to-find-the-right-remote-engineers-for-full-time-long-term-roles-in-indiaess that allows you to hire in India in complete compliance with Indian laws and policies. Some major benefits at offer include:

  • Direct salary remittance to the employees without any additional charges to be paid to the banks
  • 100% compliance to the local tax norms
  • Group health insurance coverage
  • Employee Provident Fund contributions as per government regulations
  • Compensation Insurance
  • Devices, IT and equipment support

Frequently asked questions

Why do companies hire remote software developers from India?

Because India offers a rare combination of scale, skill, and cost efficiency. The country produces over a million engineering graduates every year, many trained in modern tech stacks like JavaScript, Python, Java, cloud, AI, and data engineering. Global companies hire from India not just to save money, but to access talent that can ship production-grade code fast.

Is it cheaper to hire remote developers from India compared to the US or Europe?

Yes, significantly. On average, companies save 40 to 60 percent on total compensation when hiring from India compared to the US, UK, or Western Europe. This includes salary, benefits, and overhead.

What matters is not “cheap labor” but better cost-to-output ratio. You get comparable skill levels while preserving runway and hiring more engineers for the same budget.

Are Indian remote developers skilled enough for global companies?

Yes. Many Indian developers already work with US, UK, and EU companies on enterprise systems, SaaS products, and startups at scale. India has strong depth across frontend, backend, mobile, DevOps, and emerging areas like AI and Web3.

How do time zone differences affect working with developers in India?

Time zone differences are often an advantage when managed well. India overlaps for several working hours with Europe and offers partial overlap with the US. Many companies use this to enable faster turnaround, overnight progress, and extended development cycles.

With clear documentation and a few overlapping hours, productivity improves rather than slows down.

Do Indian developers communicate well in English?

Yes. English is the primary language of higher education and the tech industry in India. Most software developers are comfortable with written and spoken English, daily standups, documentation, and async communication tools.

What is the best way to hire remote developers from India?

Companies typically choose between freelancers, direct full-time hires, or hiring through an Employer of Record. Freelancers work for short-term needs but lack long-term reliability. Direct hiring gives control but adds legal and payroll complexity.

An EOR model allows companies to hire full-time Indian developers quickly while staying compliant with local laws, payroll, and benefits.

What are the common challenges when hiring remote developers from India?

The most common challenges are onboarding, alignment, and retention, not technical capability. Without clear role expectations, career paths, and performance feedback, teams struggle regardless of location.

Companies that treat Indian hires as long-term team members rather than temporary resources see better outcomes and lower attrition.

Aditya Nagpal, founder of Wisemonk.io, is a leading expert in Employer of Record (EOR) services in India. With over eight years of experience in HR and HRTech, he specializes in Indian payroll compliance and understanding the country's diverse talent landscape. Aditya has guided employee engagement programs for 50+ companies, including Amazon India and Novartis, and crafted India-specific policies for international organizations.

His approach to making Indian talent work for global companies focuses on cultural understanding, attracting the right talent, and compliance-first strategies. Aditya excels at building successful employment cultures where both talent and companies thrive. Through Wisemonk.io, he continues to help global companies unlock the potential of Indian talent, ensuring effective hiring and driving long-term success in this dynamic market.

NA
Aditya Nagpal
Founder

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