Country fileININRVerified 2026-09-26
IN
Best Employer of Record in India, by case
India, Asia. One software engineer at $30,000 gross per year, priced through 12 providers with a published fee, on the ECB reference rates of 30 Oct 2026. Change the salary and headcount below.
- Employer on-cost
- at least +3.8%
- statutory charges on top of gross
- All-in per month
- $2,793 – $3,293
- salary + charges + published fee, cheapest to dearest listed provider
Hiring one software engineer in India at $30,000 gross a year costs at least $94 a month in statutory employer charges (at least +3.8%), plus an EOR fee of $199 to $699 per month depending on the provider: $2,793 to $3,293 all-in, before deposits, FX margins and add-ons. Prices checked 2 Oct–3 Nov 2026.
Disclosure Some provider links on this page are affiliate links: if you become a customer after clicking, the provider may pay us a referral fee. It never changes the price you pay, and it never changes the numbers on this page, which come from official sources and are dated. How we are paid
Cost engine · preset to India
Price your own hire, line by line.
employee inatgross / year
≈ INR 2,848,657 gross / year · INR at ECB reference rate, 30 Oct 2026
| Per employee | Rate | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | $2,500 | |
| EPF employer contribution (Employees' Provident Fund) capped | 3.67% | $10 |
| EPS employer contribution (Employees' Pension Scheme) capped | 8.33% | $22 |
| EDLI employer contribution (Employees' Deposit Linked Insurance) capped | 0.50% | $1 |
| EPF administrative charges (employer-borne) capped | 0.50% | $1 |
| ESIC employer contribution (Employees' State Insurance) n/a | — | — |
| Gratuity accrual (Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 / Code on Social Security, 2020) of basic | 4.81% | $60 |
| Employer on-cost | at least +3.8% | $94 |
| Cost of employment, before EOR fee | $2,594 |
RemoFirstLowest total
$2,793/ month · 1 employee
- Fee / mo
- from $199
- Per year
- $33,520
- Fee share
- 7.1%
Checked 3 Nov 2026
Get a RemoFirst quotePapaya Global
$3,093/ month · 1 employee
- Fee / mo
- from $499
- Per year
- $37,120
- Fee share
- 16.1%
Checked 3 Nov 2026
Get a Papaya quoteDeel
$3,193/ month · 1 employee
- Fee / mo
- from $599
- Per year
- $38,320
- Fee share
- 18.8%
Checked 3 Nov 2026
Get a Deel quoteEmployer charges from official sources; provider fees are list prices on the dates shown; deposits, FX margins and add-ons are not included. Not legal or tax advice. Methodology
Best EOR in India by case
| Criterion | Provider | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest published EOR fee | RemoFirst | from $199 fee; at least $2,793 a month all-in | Read 3 Nov 2026 |
| Lowest fixed list price (not a "from" price) | Borderless AI | $579 fee; at least $3,173 a month all-in | Read 3 Nov 2026 |
| No deposit, stated on the pricing page | Remote | from $599 ('We don't charge a standard deposit or deposit fee'; a refundable reserve payment may be required in certain circumstances, the amount confirmed during onboarding) | Read 3 Nov 2026 |
| Billed monthly, no minimum term | Borderless AI, Playroll, RemoFirst | Borderless AI: $579; Playroll: from $399; RemoFirst: from $199 | Read 3 Nov 2026 |
| Lowest published contractor-of-record price | Rivermate | from $149 per contractor a month | Read 3 Nov 2026 |
14 providers compared, 12 with a published price.
| Provider | EOR fee / employee / mo | All-in / mo, 1 hire | Countries | Checked | Quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RemoFirst | from $199 | $2,793 | 185+ | 3 Nov 2026 | Get a quote from RemoFirst· $2,793/mo |
| Rivermate | from $349 | $2,943 | 180+ | 3 Nov 2026 | Get a quote from Rivermate· $2,943/mo |
| Pebl | from $399 | $2,993 | 185+ | 3 Nov 2026 | Get a quote from Pebl· $2,993/mo |
| Playroll | from $399 | $2,993 | 180+ | 3 Nov 2026 | Get a quote from Playroll· $2,993/mo |
| Multiplier | from $499 $459 billed annually | $3,093 | 150+ | 3 Nov 2026 | Get a quote from Multiplier· $3,093/mo |
| Papaya Global | from $499 | $3,093 | 160+ | 3 Nov 2026 | Get a quote from Papaya Global· $3,093/mo |
| Borderless AI | $579 | $3,173 | — | 3 Nov 2026 | Get a quote from Borderless AI· $3,173/mo |
| Atlas HXM | from $599 | $3,193 | 160+ | 3 Nov 2026 | Get a quote from Atlas HXM· $3,193/mo |
| Deel | from $599 | $3,193 | 130+ | 3 Nov 2026 | Get a quote from Deel· $3,193/mo |
| G-P | from $599 | $3,193 | 180+ | 3 Nov 2026 | Get a quote from G-P· $3,193/mo |
| Remote | from $599 | $3,193 | 90+ | 3 Nov 2026 | Get a quote from Remote· $3,193/mo |
| Oyster | $699 | $3,293 | 120+ | 3 Nov 2026 | Get a quote from Oyster· $3,293/mo |
| Rippling | Quote only | — | — | 3 Nov 2026 | Get a quote from Rippling |
| Safeguard Global | Quote only | — | 187+ | 3 Nov 2026 | Get a quote from Safeguard Global |
Deposit, FX and contract terms: open a provider's name for its file, or see every provider's terms side by side.
Same salary and statutory charges in every row; only the fee segment changes.
What India adds on top of the salary, and where each rate comes from.
Rates apply to the base named in each line; capped lines stop growing above the ceiling. Engine assumptions: Basic wage as a share of gross = 0.5.
| Line | Employer rate | Base & ceiling | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| EPF employer contribution (Employees' Provident Fund)Applies to basic wage plus dearness allowance, capped at the statutory wage ceiling of Rs 25,000/month (in force since 17 September 2026) | 3.67% | Basic wage , capped at INR 300,000 / yr 3.67% is the residual of the 12% statutory employer EPF+EPS contribution after removing the 8.33% EPS share; EPFO's wage-ceiling FAQ (Q39) now states the split verbatim: 12% split as 3.67% towards EPF and 8.33% towards EPS, capped at the revised Rs 25,000 wage ceiling. The ceiling was raised from Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 per month by Gazette of India notification S.O. 5109(E) of 17 September 2026 (Code on Social Security, 2020, section 2(89), for the purposes of Chapter III), in force from its publication that day: https://egazette.gov.in/WriteReadData/2026/276299.pdf. Contributions on wages above the ceiling under an existing higher-wage arrangement may continue (FAQ Q22) and are not modelled here. | Employees' Provident Fund Organisation2026-10-10 |
| EPS employer contribution (Employees' Pension Scheme)Diverted from the same 12% employer EPF contribution; capped at the Rs 25,000/month wage ceiling (in force since 17 September 2026) | 8.33% | Basic wage , capped at INR 300,000 / yr The 8.33% EPS share was confirmed verbatim on two EPFO pages (epfo.gov.in and pmvbry.epfindia.gov.in) and again in EPFO's wage-ceiling FAQ (Q39). The same FAQ applies the revised ceiling to EPS as well as EPF and EDLI (Q5): from 17 September 2026 EPS wages count up to Rs 25,000 (Q9), under Gazette notification S.O. 5109(E) of 17 September 2026 (https://egazette.gov.in/WriteReadData/2026/276299.pdf). | Employees' Provident Fund Organisation2026-10-10 |
| EDLI employer contribution (Employees' Deposit Linked Insurance)Applies to the same capped basic wage as EPF/EPS; premium paid entirely by the employer, no deduction from the employee | 0.50% | Basic wage , capped at INR 300,000 / yr EDLI administrative charges (separate from this 0.5% insurance premium) were reduced to nil with effect from 1 April 2017 per EPFO circular. EPFO's wage-ceiling FAQ (Q5, Q7) applies the Rs 25,000 ceiling to EDLI from 17 September 2026 and computes the 0.50% EDLI contribution (A/c 21) on wages up to that ceiling. | Employees' Provident Fund Organisation2026-10-10 |
| EPF administrative charges (employer-borne)Charged on the same capped basic wage; funds EPFO scheme administration, borne solely by the employer | 0.50% | Basic wage , capped at INR 300,000 / yr The rate has remained unchanged since 1 June 2018; it was 0.65% from 1 April 2017 and 0.85% before that. No official revision of the rate was found when checked. EPFO's wage-ceiling FAQ (Q7) computes the 0.50% administrative charges (A/c 2) on wages up to the Rs 25,000 ceiling in force since 17 September 2026. Payroll-compliance sites commonly cite a minimum monthly charge of Rs 500, but that minimum was not confirmed on an EPFO web page and is not modelled here. | Employees' Provident Fund Organisation2026-10-10 |
| ESIC employer contribution (Employees' State Insurance)Applies only when the employee's monthly wages (section 2(88) of the Code on Social Security) are at or below Rs 21,000 (Rs 25,000/month for persons with disabilities) | 3.25% | Gross salary ; only when gross ≤ INR 252,000 / yr Since 21 November 2025 the Rs 21,000 threshold applies to wages as defined in section 2(88) of the Code on Social Security, not to gross pay (Ministry of Labour & Employment, Additional FAQs on Labour Codes, Q12): with wages at half of remuneration, gross pay up to about Rs 42,000 a month can be covered. The calculator tests the threshold on gross pay, so between those two levels it can leave out an ESIC contribution that is due; at this page's example salary neither test applies. The employee's own 0.75% share is separate and not an employer cost. Employees with an average daily wage up to Rs 176 are exempt from their own contribution, but the employer's 3.25% share remains payable for them. | Employees' State Insurance Corporation2026-09-02 |
| Gratuity accrual (Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 / Code on Social Security, 2020) | 4.81% | Basic wage, added to the annual costSection 53(2) of the Code on Social Security, 2020, in force since 21 November 2025, sets gratuity at fifteen days' wages for every completed year of service, on the rate of wages last drawn. Wages here is the section 2(88) definition: basic pay, dearness allowance and retaining allowance, and never less than half of all remuneration. Explanation 3 to section 53 divides the monthly wage by 26 for a monthly rated employee, so fifteen days is 15/26 of a month a year, 4.81% of annual wages. The engine applies the 4.81% to the basic share chosen above: at the 50% default that is 2.405% of gross, and since wages is at least half of remuneration a compliant structure costs at least that. Gratuity is payable after five years of continuous service but is commonly accrued as an ongoing employer provision. Secondary sources commonly cite a Rs 20 lakh private-sector ceiling. A 2024 circular raised the ceiling to Rs 25 lakh for central government employees; no official confirmation was found that this increase extends to private-sector or EOR employees. | Ministry of Labour & Employment2026-10-10 |
| Statutory bonus (Payment of Bonus Act, 1965) not in total | — | The official minimum statutory bonus is 8.33% of wages and the maximum is 20%. It applies to employees earning up to Rs 21,000 per month in basic pay plus dearness allowance; this exact threshold was corroborated by secondary payroll-compliance sources but was not found verbatim on the official pages checked. The calculation uses a Rs 7,000 monthly wage ceiling or the applicable minimum wage if higher, as described in secondary coverage of the 2015 amendment. The item is excluded from this example because its USD 30,000 annual salary is above the eligibility threshold. | Ministry of Labour & Employment2026-09-02 |
| Employer on-cost at $30,000 | at least +3.8% | $1,132 a year, $94 a month |
EOR or your own entity
Fees scale with headcount. An entity does not.
For one to five employees, an EOR is generally faster and can be cheaper than setting up an entity in India. A private limited entity through the SPICe+ process becomes worth comparing when headcount is expected to grow substantially over several years or the business needs direct GST, import-export registration, and full payroll control. Incorporation timelines and costs vary and no single official source checked established a national benchmark, so this is qualitative decision guidance rather than a quoted threshold.
Fees grow with every hire; the charges line is owed under an entity too.
| Headcount | RemoFirst fees / yr | Borderless AI fees / yr | Statutory charges / yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2,388 | $6,948 | $1,132 |
| 3 | $7,164 | $20,844 | $3,397 |
| 5 | $11,940 | $34,740 | $5,661 |
| 10 | $23,880 | $69,480 | $11,322 |
| 20 | $47,760 | $138,960 | $22,644 |
Statutory charges are owed either way; the provider fee is the only line an entity removes, against the cost of incorporating and running local payroll.
Employment terms that move the cost
- Paid leave
- 15 days
- Public holidays
- 12
- 13th month
- Not mandatory
- Probation
- up to 6 months
- Notice
- 30 days minimum by law (Industrial Disputes Act); commonly 30-90 days in practice depending on seniority, especially in IT/tech roles
- Reviewed
- 2026-09-26
Get a quote for India.
The lowest published total here, next to the two providers searched for most often (the rule). Totals for 1 hire at $30,000. Ask each provider about deposits, FX margins and mandatory add-ons for India: those are the lines that move.
Get a RemoFirst quote· $2,793/mo Get a Papaya quote· $3,093/mo Get a Deel quote· $3,193/mo
Disclosure Some provider links are affiliate links; they never change the numbers on this page. Details
Questions people ask before booking a demo
- How much does an EOR cost to hire an employee in India?
- Published EOR fees run from $199 to $699 per employee per month on top of gross salary and India's statutory employer contributions. Those contributions are 12% EPF/EPS plus 0.5% EDLI and 0.5% administration charges, but only on the basic wage up to the statutory ceiling of Rs 25,000 a month (raised from Rs 15,000 on 17 September 2026), so for a $30,000 salary they come to about $34 a month; the gratuity accrual (about 4.81% of basic pay) is the larger line, and ESIC (3.25%) applies only when wages under section 2(88) are at or below Rs 21,000 a month. Because the law sets wages at no less than half of remuneration and the model uses exactly half, these charges are a floor: all-in, one engineer at $30,000 costs at least about $2,793 to $3,293 a month through the providers that publish a price.
- Is EPF mandatory for employees in India?
- Employees earning up to the statutory wage ceiling of Rs 25,000/month in basic pay (Rs 15,000 before 17 September 2026) must be enrolled in the EPF scheme, with the employer contributing 12% of basic wage (3.67% EPF plus 8.33% EPS), plus 0.5% EDLI and 0.5% EPF administration charges, all computed on the same capped basic wage.
- When does ESIC apply to an employee in India?
- The employer owes a 3.25% ESIC contribution only when the employee's monthly wages, as defined in section 2(88) of the Code on Social Security, are at or below Rs 21,000 (or Rs 25,000/month for persons with disabilities); above that, no ESIC contribution is due. Wages are not gross pay: since they can be as low as half of remuneration, an employee with gross pay up to about Rs 42,000 a month can still be covered.