It’s no secret that remote work has boomed over the last half-decade — nor is the reason why… But while the early days of the pandemic painted the trend as an emergency stopgap, the remote working environment continues to enjoy a lasting appeal to employers and employees around the world.
India is no exception — in 2024, Forbes noted that around 41% of Indian workers perform their roles via remote or hybrid work models. Demand is set to rise further, too — it’s projected that by the end of this year approximately 10-15% of India will be working exclusively remotely.
Now consider that India is the second-largest producer of STEM graduates, and it’s easy to see why it’s one of the most popular talent pools for globally-minded businesses to pull from.
If you’re seeking an injection of Indian talent for your business, there’s quite literally never been a better time to do so, but before you start drafting a job ad, you’ll need to pick out an Employer of Record (EOR) platform that enables you to hire internationally without legal hassle.
In this guide, we’ll highlight the Top 5 EOR Solutions for scaling your business with talent from India (or anywhere else, for that matter).
What is an EOR?
Before we jump into our run down, let’s establish what we mean when we say Employer of Record.
EORs essentially act as the international arm of your HR department. Instead of going through the hassle of setting up a local entity (read: business) in another country, you partner with an EOR that’s already established there. They then become the legal employer on paper, while you remain the day-to-day manager of your team often supported by platform like Remote Employee Monitoring Software to help you oversee productivity, attendance, and performance across your distributed workforce.
They’ll take care of:
- Payroll & tax compliance (so you don’t accidentally fall foul of India’s labor laws)
- Employee benefits (healthcare, insurance, retirement, perks — all handled locally)
- Employment contracts & documentation (in line with local regulations)
- HR administration (so you don’t have to spend your nights Googling “How to file TDS in India”)
Put simply, EORs are the fastest, safest, and most efficient way to expand internationally.
List of Top EOR Solutions in India
1. Remote
Remote is one of the best-known names in the EOR space, and for good reason. The company has its own legal entities in India (and support for employment in over 100 countries).
They don’t rely on third-party partners, and they cover the full package — payroll, tax compliance, benefits, and employment contracts. It’s all controlled through a clean, easy-to-use UI, so you don’t need to be a tech wizard to figure things out.
Another nice touch: Remote also supports contractor management. If you’re not ready to hire full-time employees, you can still pay freelancers in India quickly and compliantly.
Pricing: $599 per employee per month. Contractor management starts at $29 per contractor per month.
2. Deel
Deel has become a favorite for startups and fast-growing companies. Their big strength is speed — you can spin up a compliant contract in just a few clicks, and everything from onboarding to payroll happens inside one dashboard.
They’ve also leaned hard into contractor management, with cool features like paying in local currency (or even crypto), plus auto-generated invoices. For full-time hires in India, Deel offers localized benefits, stock options, and handles all the tricky tax stuff behind the scenes.
On top of that, Deel plugs into popular tools like QuickBooks, Xero, and Workday, which makes life a lot easier if you’ve already got systems running.
Pricing: $599 per employee per month. Contractors start at $49 per month.
3. Oyster
Oyster markets itself as the platform for truly “distributed” teams, and it shows. Their focus isn’t just on compliance — it’s on making sure your employees actually feel supported. In India, that means access to solid healthcare packages, parental leave, and even learning stipends.
The platform itself is highly automated, so you spend less time on paperwork and more time running your business. They also give you hiring insights, like salary benchmarks and benefits trends, so you know what a competitive offer looks like in the Indian market.
If equity is part of your package, Oyster can help you roll that out globally in a compliant way too.
Pricing: From $499 per employee per month. Contractor pricing is custom.
4. Papaya
Papaya takes a more tech-heavy approach to EOR. Their platform is built for scale and comes loaded with automation features. Payroll in particular is a standout — it’s AI-powered, runs in over 160 countries, and helps ensure your team in India gets paid on time, every time.
One of Papaya’s strengths is how it centralizes everything: full-time employees, contractors, and even outside payroll providers can all be managed in one place. Their compliance coverage in India is thorough too — from taxes like TDS to statutory benefits like EPF and ESIC.
For larger teams, the analytics dashboards are a big plus. They give you real-time insights into labor costs, workforce distribution, and compliance health.
Pricing: Starts at $650 per employee per month. Contractor pricing is custom.
5. Multiplier
Multiplier is actually headquartered in Asia, so it has a strong presence in India compared to some of the more Western-focused providers. They offer the usual EOR package — contracts, payroll, benefits — but at a slightly more affordable price point.
Their platform is straightforward and beginner-friendly, which makes it appealing to smaller companies or first-timers in the EOR space. Like others on this list, Multiplier also handles contractor management, and they make it easy to pay in INR or USD.
Because of their regional focus, they also tend to have a better pulse on local benefits packages and compliance quirks, which is handy if you’re hiring multiple roles in India.
Pricing: From $400 per employee per month. Contractor management from $40 per contractor per month.
So there you have it — five platforms to help you recruit and onboard some of the world’s finest talent. For more on the world of remote work, Check our blog index to view all our past articles.
Conclusion
Remote work has transformed from a short-term solution into a global standard, and India stands out as one of the most attractive destinations for businesses seeking skilled talent. With a vast STEM workforce and a growing remote work culture, the country offers unmatched opportunities to grow.
Employer of Record (EOR) platforms like Remote, Deel, Oyster, Papaya, and Multiplier simplify the process, allowing companies to hire seamlessly and compliantly. By choosing the right EOR partner, businesses can confidently scale their global teams while tapping into India’s immense talent potential.
