Hiring & paying talent in India — the 2026 guide
The operating playbook for US, UK and European companies — from your first Indian hire to a 100-person engineering hub. EOR vs. subsidiary, the statutory stack, salary benchmarks, ESOPs, exit handling.
Email me a copy
Single email with the PDF attached. No drip campaign.
What's inside
Eight chapters, ~18 pages, written by FastLegal's payroll consultants. Same source material as we use on real foreign-company engagements.
The four hiring models
EOR, subsidiary, contractor, branch — with cost-per-FTE and breakeven analysis.
EOR vs. subsidiary breakeven
Hard numbers from $1k to $10k/month at every headcount band.
The Indian statutory stack
PF, ESI, PT, TDS — what each does, what's owed, what we file for you.
Salary benchmarks 2026
By city, level and specialty. Tier-2 multipliers and LLM premiums included.
The 45-day subsidiary playbook
Day-by-day from engagement to first payroll under your own entity.
ESOPs for Indian employees
FEMA / LRS mechanics, perquisite tax at exercise, DPIIT 48-month deferral.
Contractor vs. employee test
The seven-factor framework that decides classification — and what's at stake.
Exit handling — termination + F&F
Notice, severance norms, gratuity, the documentation that holds up at tribunal.
Not another generic SEO guide
Written by CA-qualified consultants who actually run Indian payroll for foreign companies every day. Concrete numbers, real frameworks, no fluff. The same advice we give our clients on the phone.
Talk to a real FastLegal consultant
20 minutes with a CA-qualified payroll consultant — calibrated to your specific situation, no sales script.