India now ranks as the third-largest cross-border talent base globally, according to the State of Global Hiring Report 2025¹. The country is home to 1,700 to 1,900 Global Capability Centres (GCCs) employing more than two million professionals, with GCC revenues exceeding $64 billion in FY24 and projected to surpass $100 billion by 2030. Hiring global talent without a local entity has become a central strategic question for companies entering the India market².

For foreign companies moving quickly, using an EOR in India transfers the legal employer role, including statutory contributions, payroll, and termination obligations, to the provider, eliminating the need for a local subsidiary before the business case is proven.

The compliance dimension is where most companies underestimate India's complexity. Navigating India’s regulatory requirements demands specific compliance strategies³, and the consequences of getting it wrong are material. India’s Budget 2026-27 introduced what legal advisors are describing as the most significant tax and labour overhaul in 64 years.

What compliance actually looks like in India

India does not have a single employment law framework. It has a layered system, central legislation, state-level variation, and industry-specific rules, that governs different aspects of employment depending on where the worker is based and what they do.

The four consolidated labor codes covering wages, industrial relations, social security, and occupational safety represent a significant structural shift rolling out in stages. Budget 2026-27 layered on a rewritten Income Tax Act affecting how employee income is taxed and how employers calculate and remit withholdings. For a foreign company hiring in India without a dedicated local compliance team, keeping current with these changes is a substantial ongoing obligation.

The statutory contribution stack adds further complexity. An India payroll calculation typically includes Provident Fund (PF) contributions for employer and employee, Employees' State Insurance (ESI) where applicable, Professional Tax which varies by state, gratuity accrual for employees who have completed five or more years of service, and Labour Welfare Fund contributions that differ by state.

Termination is where the complexity compounds most sharply. India’s labour law does not follow the at-will employment model. Termination requires documentation, proper notice periods, calculation of all statutory dues, and in some cases government notification.

What an EOR does in this context

An Employer of Record becomes the legal employer in India on behalf of the foreign company. The EOR handles employment contracts compliant with Indian law, manages the statutory contribution stack, runs the payroll calculation in Indian Rupees, remits taxes and contributions to the relevant authorities, and manages the exit process when employment ends.

Companies such as Papaya Global run native payroll in India with local experts on the ground, meaning the company manages statutory contributions, including PF and ESI, and handles employment contracts in the local language aligned to Indian law. Workers receive payslips and tax documents through a localised digital platform. For foreign companies without an Indian subsidiary, this provides full compliance coverage without requiring them to build local payroll expertise or register separately with each state authority.

EOR vs. Entity: Which model fits

India’s talent market is large enough to justify early structural investment. India commands 16% of the global AI talent pool, with GCC headcount expected to grow by 120,000 to 140,000 additional workers in 2026 alone⁴. But headcount scale is exactly the variable that determines whether EOR or entity setup is the right model.

For the first one to fifteen employees in India, EOR is typically the right structure. Entity setup requires engagement with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, state-level Shops and Establishments Act registration, PAN and TAN registration, and ongoing audit and compliance obligations that persist regardless of team size. That overhead is justifiable at scale. For early hires where the company is still testing the market, it is disproportionate.

Beyond fifteen employees, the per-employee cost of EOR begins to compete with the annualised cost of a properly maintained Indian entity. The global EOR market is valued at $5.97 billion in 2026⁵, with India identified as the top destination with 5.4 million technology professionals, a market where EOR adoption is accelerating precisely because entity setup complexity is high.

Contractors and AOR in India

India’s updated labour codes include provisions that require contractors who work consistently for a single principal employer beyond 90 days to be employed under local regulations. For companies engaging Indian contractors, an Agent of Record (AOR) model handles compliant contractor engagement, managing the contract, the payment, and the classification in a way that is documented and defensible. India’s gig and freelance workforce is projected to reach 23.5 million by 2030, and project-based hiring has grown 38% year-on-year⁶.

Building India hiring on a stable foundation

India rewards companies that take its employment framework seriously. The talent quality is high, the cost structure is favourable relative to most other markets with comparable skills, and the tech and professional services infrastructure is mature. Whether through an EOR for employees or an AOR for contractors, the infrastructure decision made at the first India hire tends to define the compliance posture for every hire that follows.

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