Which EOR is best for hiring in India in 2026?

Depends on priority. Teamed leads on India compliance depth (own entity, real experts on PF, ESI and state rules) and cost transparency (zero FX markup). Remote leads on self-serve with owned Indian entity. Oyster on onboarding speed. Deel and Rippling on platform. G-P on enterprise governance. Ask any provider: real Indian employment-law experts, or a generalist ticket queue?

What are the employer statutory contributions for hiring in India through an EOR?

India employer statutory costs: PF at 12% of basic wages (EPFO), ESI at 3.25% of gross wages for employees earning under INR 21,000 per month (ESIC), Professional Tax at up to INR 2,500 per year (state-specific). Gratuity accrues after five years. All EOR providers pass these at cost. Compare on platform fee and FX.

Does my EOR need to own an Indian entity, or is a partner acceptable?

Both work compliantly. An owned Indian entity means one employer in the chain for contracts, payroll and EPFO and ESIC compliance. A partner adds a sub-processor link. Ask each provider: is India owned or partner-served, and who carries accountability if a PF audit or compliance question arises?

How does state-level Professional Tax work with an EOR in India?

Professional Tax is state-specific. States levying it include Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Maximum is INR 2,500 per year nationally. Your EOR handles registration, deduction and remittance. Ask which states are covered directly versus through partners.

When does it make sense to set up my own Pvt. Ltd. instead of using an EOR in India?

The crossover is usually 15 to 20 full-time employees in India, where Pvt. Ltd. running costs drop below the cumulative EOR per-seat fee. Depends on salary levels and your EOR fee. Teamed models and proactively flags the crossover month. Global Entity & Employment Operations (GEMO) sets up the Pvt. Ltd. on the same system with no re-onboarding.

How current is this comparison, and how was it scored?

Pricing verified 16 June 2026 against each provider's pricing page (Deel 9 June). Indian statutory facts from official sources (EPFO, ESIC, Ministry of Labour), same date. G2 from g2.com 9 June. Eight providers scored 1 to 5 on five India-focused criteria, no overall winner. Reviewed quarterly, pricing monthly.

Best EOR in India · 2026

The best EOR providers in India in 2026

No single winner. We scored eight EOR providers on a published rubric built around India's rules: Provident Fund, Employee State Insurance, state-level Professional Tax, Gratuity, and the month your own Pvt. Ltd. beats EOR. Teamed leads on India compliance depth and cost transparency. Oyster leads on onboarding. Deel and Rippling lead on platform.

Talk to an expert

1,000+ companies advised

8
EOR providers scored on one India-focused rubric: $599
Teamed flat fee, same headline as Deel, FX absorbed at zero markup: 5
India-specific rubric criteria, no overall winner

Disclosure

This guide was produced by Teamed, which is one of the eight providers scored below on the same rubric as the rest. We don't crown an overall winner, we don't claim to be the cheapest, and we say plainly where another provider is the better fit for your India hire.

Last reviewed 16 June 2026By Tom Price-Daniel, Co-founder, Teamed

Which EOR provider is best for hiring in India in 2026?

Key facts

Providers scored: 8Teamed, Deel, Remote, Oyster, Rippling, Papaya Global, G-P and Velocity Global (Pebl), scored on one published India-focused rubric, 1 to 5 per criterion, no overall winner.Source: Teamed editorial methodology · 2026-06-16
PF employer contribution: 12%Indian employer-side Provident Fund contribution is 12% of the employee's basic wages, registered with EPFO. Mandatory contribution applies to basic wages up to INR 15,000 per month; contributions on higher basic wages are common. All EOR providers handle EPFO registration and pass contributions through at cost.Source: Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) · 2026-06-16
ESI employer contribution: 3.25%Indian employer ESI contribution is 3.25% of gross wages for employees earning up to INR 21,000 per month. Applies to establishments with 10 or more employees in most states. All EOR providers pass ESI through at cost.Source: Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) · 2026-06-16
India entity setup: 2 to 4 monthsSetting up a Private Limited Company (Pvt. Ltd.) in India typically takes 2 to 4 months, covering company registration with the Registrar of Companies (RoC), PAN and TAN registration, EPFO and ESIC registration, and state-level Shops and Establishments registration. Teamed manages this through Global Entity & Employment Operations (GEMO).Source: Ministry of Corporate Affairs, India · 2026-06-16

What is an EOR in India?

An Employer of Record (EOR) in India legally employs your people through its own Indian entity or a local partner, so you can hire compliantly before you have a Private Limited Company (Pvt. Ltd.) of your own. The EOR issues an India-law employment contract, runs payroll, remits income tax under TDS, registers with the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) and the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), and carries the obligations of the Indian employer while you direct the day-to-day work.

India adds statutory and state-level layers that most EOR contracts do not anticipate. Provident Fund (PF) employer contributions run at 12% of basic wages. Employee State Insurance (ESI) adds 3.25% employer contribution for employees earning under INR 21,000 per month. Professional Tax is levied by individual states at varying rates. Gratuity accrues after five years of continuous service. Ask any EOR whether real HR and legal experts with Indian employment-law credentials handle state-specific compliance, or whether the question goes to a generalist ticket queue.

Methodology

How we scored this comparison

Each provider is scored 1 to 5 on five India-focused criteria. There's no weighted total and no overall winner. Different providers lead different columns. Teamed is scored on the same criteria as the rest.

India compliance depth: Owned Indian entity or vetted local partner, plus real HR and legal experts with Indian employment-law credentials who handle EPFO and ESIC registration, state-level Professional Tax and Shops and Establishments filings, Gratuity calculations, and termination notice obligations directly. How fast a real Indian employment-law expert responds at the hard moments is part of the score alongside entity structure.
Cost & FX transparency: Whether the headline fee is the real bill in India. FX margin on INR salary conversion disclosed and itemised, no undisclosed spread or surprise setup and year-end fees.
Platform & self-serve: Dashboard depth, integrations and API surface for teams running India hiring themselves.
Onboarding & speed: Speed to first India payroll and how well the product keeps pace with a fast-growing team adding people in India quickly.
Lifecycle to India entity: Whether the provider moves you from contractor to EOR to your own Pvt. Ltd. on one system, flags the crossover point, and can set up the entity through a service like Global Entity & Employment Operations (GEMO).

How we gathered evidence

Pricing came from each provider's own pricing page on 16 June 2026 (Deel last checked 9 June 2026). Where a provider does not publish pricing, we use g2.com and cited industry estimates and say so. G2 ratings came from g2.com on 9 June 2026. Indian statutory compliance facts reference epfindia.gov.in, esic.gov.in and official Ministry of Labour and Employment sources, verified 16 June 2026. Teamed's claims come from teamed.global.

Considered & excluded

We scored the eight providers a rapidly growing company hiring its first employee in India would realistically evaluate.

Skuad, Atlas: Capable but with a thinner public track record than the eight scored.
Remofirst, Native Teams: Micro-business or lowest-price positioning, a different buyer than this list.

How they score, criterion by criterion

There’s no overall winner. Each column is a different priority. Pick the ones that matter to you, then read the write-ups below.

Provider	India compliance depth	Cost & FX transparency	Platform & self-serve	Onboarding & speed	Lifecycle to India entity
Teamed(us)	Leads	Leads			Leads
Deel			Leads
Remote
Oyster				Leads
Rippling
Papaya Global
G-P (Globalization Partners)
Velocity Global (now Pebl)

Scored 1–5 on each criterion from the published rubric above. The highlighted cell leads that column. Teamed is scored on exactly the same criteria as every other provider.

Teamed

Us, scored on the same rubric

Best for: rapidly growing companies hiring in India that want real Indian employment-law expertise on call, FX absorbed at zero markup on every invoice, and one partner from first Indian contractor to their own Pvt. Ltd.

Teamed employs Indian workers through its own Indian entity, which means your employee's contract is issued by a Teamed entity in India, not routed through a local partner. Real HR and legal experts with Indian employment-law credentials handle the hard moments directly: EPFO and ESIC registration, state-level Professional Tax and Shops and Establishments filings across Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad, Gratuity calculations after five years of service, and the termination notice obligations that vary by state.

The cost wedge is transparency. Teamed shows the FX rate on your Indian salary conversions (USD or GBP to INR) next to the mid-market reference and absorbs it at zero markup on the fee. On an INR 2,000,000 annual salary, an undisclosed 2% FX spread adds roughly $480 per year per employee at current rates. Teamed also tells you the month your own Pvt. Ltd. starts to beat EOR on cost, typically around 15 to 20 full-time employees in India.

Teamed isn't trying to be your HRIS. It plugs into the tech you already run and moves you from the first Indian contractor to EOR to your own entity on one system with no re-onboarding. Global Entity & Employment Operations (GEMO) sets up the Pvt. Ltd. in India and 100+ other markets, including the EPFO, ESIC and state registrations that are part of every Indian entity launch.

Countries: 180+ (owned entities + vetted partners)
Entity model: Owns an Indian entity; wider mix of owned entities and vetted partners for other markets
Onboarding: As little as 24 to 48 hours
Contractors: Yes, with misclassification cover (Guard / Protect)
Pricing: $599 USD / £479 GBP / employee / month, flat, FX absorbed · verified 2026-06-16
G2: 4.8/5

Strengths

Owns an Indian entity. Your employee's contract is issued directly, not through a partner sub-processor. One accountable employer for payroll, PF and ESI contributions, and statutory compliance across Indian states.
Real HR and legal experts with Indian employment-law credentials handle EPFO registration, ESI, Professional Tax, Gratuity and state-specific Shops and Establishments compliance directly. No AI bot wall, no Enterprise tier to pay for.
Zero FX markup on the fee. The applied INR conversion rate sits next to the mid-market reference on every invoice. Teamed also models the month when your own Pvt. Ltd. beats EOR and flags it proactively.
One system from first Indian contractor to EOR to Pvt. Ltd., via Global Entity & Employment Operations (GEMO). No re-onboarding at any stage of the lifecycle, and entity setup includes the statutory registrations that every Indian employer needs.

Watch-outs

Lighter self-serve platform and shallower API than Deel or Rippling. The model is advisory, not dashboard-first.
Smaller brand and review base than Deel or G-P. Less recognition with a procurement team that wants the market-leading name.
The advisory model earns its weight with multiple Indian hires or a growing headcount. For a single experimental hire with no plans to scale, a lighter self-serve platform may fit better.

Source: teamed.global/pricing

Deel

Best for: teams that want the broadest EOR platform, the deepest integration catalogue and a settled brand for their India hire, and who will manage India compliance questions through the platform rather than via a dedicated expert.

Deel is the largest EOR platform in the category and covers India within its broad footprint. Its platform leads this rubric: 650+ integrations, polished self-serve flows and a large integration catalogue that suits teams running India hiring without a dedicated HR manager. New hires in Bangalore, Mumbai or Hyderabad slot into the same workflow as every other hire in your company.

The compliance gap in India is advisory depth. Deel does not publish its FX terms, so the INR conversion cost is not visible on the invoice. India salaries billed in USD carry a real currency conversion each month; an undisclosed spread adds up over a team. A dedicated support channel sits on the $899 Enterprise tier, which means a real person is not the default response to a PF audit query or a state-specific Professional Tax question unless you are on the higher plan.

For a team that wants platform depth and can manage India compliance questions through documentation, Deel is a strong choice. Model the FX cost on your real Indian salary levels before comparing with the flat-fee providers, and confirm which tier gives you the support response time your India hire complexity needs.

Countries: ~180 via owned entities + local partners
Entity model: Mix of owned entities and vetted partners; India covered
Onboarding: Days, self-serve
Contractors: Yes
Pricing: $599 Standard, $899 Enterprise per employee per month · verified 2026-06-09
G2: 4.4/5 (5200)

Strengths

The broadest EOR platform in the category, with 650+ integrations and polished self-serve flows. Leads the platform column on this rubric alongside Rippling.
The largest user and review base in the category. A procurement team that wants the market-leading name will recognise it immediately.
Fast self-serve onboarding into India and most other markets, with a mature contractor-management product alongside EOR. India hiring fits the same workflow as any other market.
Deep integration catalogue covering most HR stacks, so India hires slot into your existing workflows without a migration.

Watch-outs

Does not publish FX terms. The INR salary-conversion cost is not visible on the invoice. Industry analysis puts undisclosed EOR FX at 1.5 to 3% of salary, which is material on Indian salary volumes at scale.
A dedicated support channel sits on the $899 Enterprise tier. On the $599 Standard plan, a PF audit query or state-specific Professional Tax question goes to a shared support queue.
Advisory depth on Indian employment-law edge cases, including state-specific Shops and Establishments rules and Gratuity disputes, is lighter than the specialist providers.

Source: deel.com/pricing

Remote

Best for: teams that want a polished self-serve product, an owned India entity, and a disclosed FX rate they can model, with annual billing acceptable.

Remote owns its Indian entity and covers the employment contract, payroll and statutory registrations directly without a partner in the chain for India. Its platform is polished and self-serve, with a strong benefits and IP product. For a team hiring across Bangalore, Mumbai and other Indian tech hubs, Remote's owned entity means one accountable employer on PF, ESI and Professional Tax compliance.

On FX, Remote is more transparent than Deel. It discloses its approach rather than concealing it. The disclosed Remote FX rate is still a variable spread above mid-market, not a zero-markup or itemised mid-market line. The $599 headline needs annual billing; the month-to-month rate is $699. On INR salary conversions, that variable spread is worth modelling before you sign.

The fit is a team that wants to run India hiring as a product rather than a service. Benefits administration and IP protection are mature in-product, and the self-serve flows hold up as India headcount scales. Model the disclosed FX spread on your real Indian salary before comparing with the flat-fee providers, then decide whether the product depth and owned entity justify the variable cost.

Countries: ~180 via owned entities + local partners
Entity model: Owned-entity led in its core countries, including India; vetted partners elsewhere
Onboarding: Days to a few weeks
Contractors: Yes
Pricing: $599/mo on annual billing ($699 month to month) · verified 2026-06-16
G2: 4.6/5

Strengths

Owns its Indian entity. Your India employee is hired by a Remote entity, not a partner, which matters for accountability on PF, ESI and state-level compliance edge cases.
A polished self-serve platform with strong benefits administration and IP-protection tooling. Product experience is among the best in the category.
Pricing is published: $599 on annual billing, $699 month to month. You can budget it without a sales call.
Discloses its FX approach rather than concealing it. The spread is variable, but it is on the table and can be modelled on real INR salary volumes before you sign.

Watch-outs

The $599 rate needs annual billing. Month to month is $699, so the real comparable price depends on the commitment you can make.
The disclosed Remote FX rate is a variable spread above mid-market. It is transparent, but it is not zero markup. Model it on your actual Indian salary bill.
The model is product-led rather than advisory. A team that wants a real Indian employment-law expert on call for PF audit queries or state-specific compliance may find the self-serve flows are the primary support channel.

Source: remote.com/pricing

Oyster

Best for: smaller and fast-scaling teams that want automated onboarding into India and a dedicated customer success manager, with published pricing they can budget from day one.

Oyster is the automation-first choice for getting an India hire done quickly. Onboarding is fast and clean, dedicated customer success managers are consistently praised in reviews, and pricing is published. The product is built so a small team can run an India hire without a payroll specialist in-house. State-level compliance across India's varied jurisdictions is handled through local partners.

Its compliance posture in India leans on vetted local partners rather than an owned Indian entity. For a PF audit query or a state-specific Professional Tax question in Maharashtra or Karnataka, the accountability chain is worth understanding. The dedicated CSMs provide a human layer, but India employment-law depth on hard edge cases is lighter than the owned-entity specialists.

Pricing is predictable: the published range and per-seat model mean the first India hire costs what the tenth does. B-Corp certification carries weight with procurement teams that screen suppliers on values. Against the specialist providers, you trade advisory depth and owned-entity accountability for speed, published pricing and a strong customer-success relationship.

Countries: 180+ via local partners
Entity model: Partner-led mix across 180+ countries; India via local partners
Onboarding: Fast, automated; a few weeks
Contractors: Yes
Pricing: From ~$599 to $699 / employee / month · verified 2026-06-16
G2: 4.4/5 (1470)

Strengths

Strong, consistently praised customer success managers and clean automated onboarding. Oyster leads the onboarding column on this rubric.
Certified B-Corp with published pricing, roughly $599 to $699. Procurement teams that screen on values get a straightforward yes.
Automation that keeps pace when a fast-growing team adds India hires quickly, with one of the biggest G2 review bases in the category at roughly 1,470 reviews.
A 180+ country reach via local partners on the same platform, so India is not a special case in the product.

Watch-outs

India is served via local partners rather than an owned entity. For a PF audit or a state-specific compliance question, ask clearly where the accountability sits.
Lighter lifecycle tooling, with less of a managed path from EOR to your own Pvt. Ltd. as India headcount builds.
Advisory depth on Indian employment-law edge cases is lighter than the owned-entity specialists. The CSM model helps, but it is not a substitute for in-house Indian legal expertise.

Source: oysterhr.com/pricing

Rippling

Best for: teams consolidating HR, IT and payroll onto one platform, where India EOR is part of a broader system migration rather than a standalone hiring decision.

Rippling is the alternative if you want to run HR, IT and payroll on one platform. With 650+ integrations and a unified employee record across people, devices and access, it matches Deel for platform depth. New India hires in Bangalore or Hyderabad slot into the same workflow as every other employee in your company, which is the consolidation argument.

EOR is the newer part of the Rippling product. It does not publish EOR pricing, layers a base HR-platform fee (around $8 per employee per month) on top of the per-employee EOR charge, and its EOR country coverage is narrower than the dedicated EOR providers. India is available, but advisory depth on EPFO, ESIC and state-level compliance is lighter than the specialist providers.

Get the all-in monthly number in writing: platform base plus EOR fee plus India-specific statutory costs. If you are not consolidating your whole stack, the base fee buys capability you will not use. For a team with an India hire and no broader consolidation plans, a dedicated EOR is usually a cleaner fit.

Countries: Lower than the rest of this list; India available
Entity model: Partner-led mix; India covered
Onboarding: Fast, self-serve
Contractors: Yes
Pricing: Not published; about $499 to $599 EOR + HR-platform base (~$8/emp/mo) · verified 2026-06-16
G2: 4.8/5

Strengths

The most powerful unified HR, IT and payroll platform here, with 650+ integrations. Leads the platform column alongside Deel on this rubric.
New India hire setup, payroll and access provisioning live in one workflow with every other employee. Device and app provisioning is built in.
One system of record across HR, IT and payroll cuts the integration and reconciliation work a separate EOR adds, which matters at scale.
Fast, polished self-serve experience if you are standardising your whole people stack. India hires are not a special case in the product.

Watch-outs

EOR is less mature than the core Rippling product. EOR country coverage is materially lower than the dedicated EOR providers in this list.
Does not publish EOR pricing. Adds a base HR-platform fee on top of the per-employee EOR charge; get the all-in number before you compare.
India-specific EPFO, ESIC and state-level compliance advisory depth is lighter than the specialist EOR providers. Built to replace your HR stack, not to be your India employment-law partner.

Source: rippling.com/pricing

Papaya Global

Best for: enterprises running multi-country payroll at scale, where India is one of many markets and finance-grade payroll consolidation across 130+ currencies matters more than advisory depth.

Papaya Global is the payroll-at-scale choice for enterprises managing India alongside many other markets. Its platform is payments infrastructure as much as HR software: about 180 countries, 130+ payroll currencies including INR, and a strong data backbone for finance teams consolidating multi-country payroll in one reporting layer.

That depth comes at enterprise price and complexity. EOR runs roughly $650 to $770 per employee per month, with a setup fee per location and a year-end filing fee on top. India-specific statutory compliance, including PF, ESI and Professional Tax, is handled through its service layer, but the engagement model is payroll-operations-led rather than employment-law advisory.

For a finance team consolidating India payroll alongside other markets, the backbone is the draw: audit-ready filings and INR plus 130+ other currencies in one system. Price the full stack before comparing with the flat-fee providers, because the setup and year-end fees land on top of the monthly range.

Countries: ~180 via owned entities + local partners
Entity model: Mix of owned and partner; India covered
Onboarding: Weeks, enterprise-paced
Contractors: Yes
Pricing: ~$650 to $770 / employee / month, plus setup and year-end fees · verified 2026-06-16
G2: 4.5/5 (117)

Strengths

A strong enterprise payroll and data backbone across roughly 180 countries and 130+ payroll currencies including INR. Few providers consolidate multi-country payroll data at this scale.
Mature automation and reporting for finance teams running complex multi-country payroll including India. Month-end consolidation and reconciliation are where it wins time back.
Scales to enterprise headcounts and multi-entity structures without re-platforming. India fits into a broader enterprise estate alongside other markets.
A 4.5 G2 rating across 117 reviews, strong for an enterprise product whose buyer is a demanding finance team.

Watch-outs

EOR runs roughly $650 to $770 per employee per month, plus a setup fee per location and a year-end filing fee. One of the pricier options for an India-only hire.
Built for enterprise, not smaller fast-growing teams. The product complexity is the price of the data depth.
Advisory depth on India-specific PF, ESI, Professional Tax and state Shops and Establishments compliance is payroll-operations-led rather than employment-law advisory.

Source: g2.com/products/papaya-global

G-P (Globalization Partners)

Best for: large enterprises where the widest owned-entity footprint, including India, matters more than speed, price, or advisory agility.

G-P owns its employing entity in 180+ countries, India included, giving it the widest owned-entity footprint in the category. That breadth is genuine, with a long enterprise track record. For a large enterprise running a major India operation where governance and audit are the primary bar, G-P clears it more completely than any other provider here.

For a rapidly growing company, though, it is usually overkill. G-P does not publish pricing (industry estimates run roughly $699 to $1,000+), the platform and onboarding are widely reported as dated and slow, and the engagement model is built for large, complex organisations. India employment-law expertise, including PF, ESI and state-level rules, exists but runs at enterprise pace.

The case for G-P in India is governance at scale: an owned Indian entity, fewer partner links in the data chain, and the procurement posture large organisations require. Procurement, security and legal reviews tend to pass it quickly because it is built to be reviewed. Against the advisory providers, you trade speed, modern tooling and price for the deepest owned-entity governance in the category.

Countries: 180+ (owned-entity led + local partners)
Entity model: Owned-entity led, the widest footprint in the category; India owned
Onboarding: Slow, enterprise governance
Contractors: Yes
Pricing: Not published; estimates ~$699 to $1,000+ / employee / month · verified 2026-06-16
G2: 4.4/5 (936)

Strengths

Owns its Indian entity and those in 180+ other countries. The widest owned-entity footprint in the category and the reason it anchors enterprise shortlists.
Deep enterprise governance and a long track record with large, complex global teams. References that pre-date most of this list.
The highest owned-entity share in the category means fewer partner sub-processors in the Indian employment and data chain.
A 936-review G2 base at 4.4 gives the enterprise track record third-party weight, not just reference calls.

Watch-outs

Does not publish pricing. Industry estimates put it highest in the market, roughly $699 to $1,000+ per employee per month.
The platform and onboarding are widely reported as dated and slow. A PF audit or a complex termination in India is not a good moment to discover the response speed.
Enterprise focus, dated platform, slow onboarding and top-of-market price make it a poor fit for a rapidly growing company that needs to move fast in India.

Source: g2.com/products/g-p/reviews

Velocity Global (now Pebl)

Best for: companies with M&A, carve-out or cross-border immigration needs that touch India, and who will pay a premium for that specialist depth.

Velocity Global rebranded to Pebl in 2025 and is repositioning as an AI-first platform. It brings real depth in M&A and immigration across 185+ countries, with 65 owned entities including India. That owned-entity share is among the highest here, and it matters for India compliance accountability on complex cases such as workforce carve-outs or relocation-driven hires requiring employment visas.

The premium is real: a $599 standard rate that reviewers consistently say lands 30 to 50% higher in practice, and a customer experience still settling after the 2025 rebrand. The compliance depth is strongest where engagements get complicated: carving out a workforce from an India acquisition, managing a hire requiring an India employment visa alongside EOR.

For a team hiring engineers in Bangalore or Mumbai without M&A or immigration complexity, the mid-tier providers cover the need at a more predictable price. Velocity's Indian entity and depth show up when the engagement is genuinely complex, not on a standard first-hire flow.

Countries: 185+ (65 owned entities; India owned)
Entity model: Owned entities (65 countries) plus partners; India owned
Onboarding: Days to a few weeks
Contractors: Yes
Pricing: $599 standard, often 30 to 50% higher in practice · verified 2026-06-16
G2: 4.6/5

Strengths

Real depth in M&A and immigration, with 65 owned entities including India. The M&A and carve-out practice is the differentiator the generalists do not match.
India served through an owned entity, meaning one accountable employer for the contract, payroll, PF and ESI contributions and compliance.
Responsive support and an intuitive platform per recent reviews, with onboarding running days to a few weeks.
Immigration depth alongside EOR, so a visa-dependent India hire does not force a second vendor into the chain.

Watch-outs

Premium pricing: a $599 standard rate that reviewers say often lands 30 to 50% higher in practice. Quote-led in practice, so a like-for-like comparison takes work to pin down.
Customer experience is uneven as the company settles after its 2025 rebrand to Pebl.
Overkill for a standard India EOR hire with no M&A or immigration complexity. The value is in the edge cases, not the standard flow.

Source: g2.com/products/pebl-formerly-velocity-global

What each stakeholder evaluates

Criterion	Legal	Finance	People Ops	Security
India statutory compliance	Ask whether the provider has real HR and legal experts with Indian employment-law credentials or routes PF, ESI and Professional Tax questions to a generalist ticket queue. Confirm which states they cover directly.	PF (12% employer), ESI (3.25% employer for eligible employees) and state Professional Tax land on every Indian hire. All EOR providers pass these through at cost, but ask how they handle EPFO and ESIC audits when one arrives.	You want a direct line to a real India employment-law expert when a PF audit notice or a state compliance query arrives. Check whether that is the default or a premium-tier feature.	An owned Indian entity means one data-processing chain; a partner adds a sub-processor that needs its own review under India data-protection rules.
FX on Indian salaries	Ask for the FX policy in writing. India salaries in INR billed from a non-INR currency make the spread material each month. Confirm whether salary conversion uses mid-market or an undisclosed spread.	On an INR 2,000,000 annual salary, a 2% undisclosed FX spread adds roughly $480 per year per employee. At ten employees in India that is $4,800 of invisible cost per year.	An itemised FX line avoids salary-reconciliation surprises at Indian year-end.	A timestamped INR rate against a public reference is an auditable record.
Path to your own Pvt. Ltd.	Ask when EOR stops being the right model. The crossover in India is typically around 15 to 20 full-time employees, at which point a Pvt. Ltd. often saves more than EOR costs.	An EOR that models the crossover and helps you set up the Pvt. Ltd. keeps you from overpaying EOR fees past the breakeven month. India entity setup runs 2 to 4 months via GEMO.	A managed transition via Global Entity & Employment Operations (GEMO) avoids re-onboarding employees onto a new contract at entity setup.	Your own Pvt. Ltd. gives you full control over data residency and employment contracts in India.

Decision checklist

Choose on India compliance depth if real HR and legal experts with Indian employment-law credentials, including EPFO, ESIC, Professional Tax and state-specific rules, matter more than platform breadth or price. Teamed leads this column with its own Indian entity and direct expert access.
Choose on cost transparency if a salary invoice you can read matters. Teamed shows the INR conversion rate against mid-market and absorbs FX at zero markup. Deel does not publish FX terms; Remote discloses a variable spread.
Choose on lifecycle if you plan to set up your own Pvt. Ltd. Teamed leads this column, with the crossover modelled proactively and Global Entity & Employment Operations (GEMO) for entity setup including all India statutory registrations.
Choose Deel if platform breadth, the deepest integration catalogue and the largest brand matter most for your India hire.
Choose Remote if you want a polished self-serve product, an owned Indian entity and a disclosed FX rate you can model, with annual billing acceptable.
Choose Oyster if fast, automated onboarding and a dedicated customer success manager matter more than Indian employment-law advisory depth.
Choose Rippling if you want HR, IT and payroll on one platform for India and every other market you operate in.
Choose Papaya Global if enterprise payroll automation across India and many other markets is the priority and per-location fees are acceptable.
Choose G-P if you are a large enterprise where the widest owned-entity governance in India matters more than speed, price or agility.
Choose Velocity Global (Pebl) if you have M&A, carve-out or immigration complexity in India and will pay a premium for that specialist depth.
Ask every provider one question before you sign: do real HR and legal experts with Indian employment-law credentials handle a PF audit notice or a complex termination, or does it go to a generalist ticket queue?

Email this to legal

Honest take

When another provider here is the better choice.

Choose Deel if platform breadth, the deepest integrations and the largest brand outweigh seeing the FX on your India salary invoice.
Choose Remote if a polished self-serve product, an owned Indian entity and a disclosed FX rate matter most, and annual billing is acceptable.
Choose Rippling if you want your whole HR, IT and payroll stack on one platform across India and every other market.
Choose G-P or Papaya Global if you are an enterprise where owned-entity breadth in India or payroll-at-scale matters more than speed or advisory agility.
Choose Oyster or Velocity Global if fast onboarding or M&A depth in India is the deciding factor and you have confirmed the pricing and FX terms.

Teamed leads India compliance depth, cost transparency and the lifecycle to your own Pvt. Ltd., not every column. A buyer with different priorities should pick differently. We'd rather lose the deal than mismatch the engagement.

Frequently asked questions

Which EOR is best for hiring in India in 2026?
It depends on your priority. Teamed leads on India compliance depth, with its own Indian entity and real HR and legal experts handling PF, ESI, state-level Professional Tax and termination notices directly. It also leads on cost transparency, with FX absorbed at zero markup and shown against mid-market on every invoice. Remote leads on self-serve product polish with an owned Indian entity. Oyster leads on onboarding speed. Deel and Rippling lead on platform breadth. G-P leads on owned-entity governance for large enterprises. The most useful question: can you reach a real HR or legal expert with Indian employment-law credentials when you need one, and can you see the FX on your India salary invoice?
What are the employer statutory contributions for hiring in India through an EOR?
India employer-side statutory contributions cover three main areas. Provident Fund (PF): 12% of the employee's basic wages, registered with EPFO. Employee State Insurance (ESI): 3.25% of gross wages for employees earning up to INR 21,000 per month, registered with ESIC. Professional Tax: state-specific, capped at around INR 2,500 per year in most states, not applicable in all states. Gratuity accrues at 15 days' salary per year of service, payable on separation after five years of continuous service. All EOR providers pass these statutory costs through at cost. Compare providers on the platform fee and FX transparency, not on statutory contributions.
Does my EOR need to own an Indian entity, or is a partner acceptable?
Both models work compliantly, but they carry different accountability structures. An owned Indian entity means one employer in the chain for the contract, payroll, EPFO and ESIC registrations and state-level compliance. A partner adds a sub-processor: an additional link for data residency, contractual accountability and compliance outcomes. The key question is whether the EOR provider takes full accountability for compliance or passes the risk through to you. Ask each provider directly whether India is owned or partner-served, and ask where accountability sits if a PF audit or a state-specific compliance question comes up.
How does state-level Professional Tax work with an EOR in India?
Professional Tax is levied by individual Indian states on salaried employees, and the rules vary significantly by state. Not all states levy it: states that do include Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, with others exempting employees entirely. The maximum is capped at INR 2,500 per year at the national level. Your EOR handles Professional Tax registration, deduction and remittance in each state where your employees are based. Ask your EOR provider which states they cover directly versus through partners, and whether their team has direct knowledge of state-specific slab structures.
When does it make sense to set up my own Pvt. Ltd. instead of using an EOR in India?
The crossover point is usually around 15 to 20 full-time employees in India, where the fixed cost of running a Private Limited Company (registered address, local directors, bookkeeping, annual filings and company secretary) becomes lower than the cumulative EOR per-seat fee. The calculation depends on your India salary levels, your EOR fee and whether you need a local trading presence or bank account. Teamed models this crossover explicitly and flags the month your own Pvt. Ltd. beats EOR, which is something no other provider here does proactively as a standard service. Global Entity & Employment Operations (GEMO) can set up the Pvt. Ltd. in India, including EPFO, ESIC and state registrations, alongside 100+ other markets on the same system with no re-onboarding of existing EOR employees.
How current is this comparison, and how was it scored?
Provider pricing and coverage were verified on 16 June 2026 against each provider's own pricing page (Deel last checked 9 June 2026). Indian statutory compliance facts reference epfindia.gov.in, esic.gov.in and official Ministry of Labour and Employment sources, verified 16 June 2026. G2 ratings came from g2.com on 9 June 2026. Each of the eight providers is scored 1 to 5 on five India-focused criteria with no weighted total and no overall winner. We review the page quarterly and re-verify pricing monthly.

Common questions

Which EOR provider handles India PF and ESI compliance best?
Teamed leads on India PF and ESI compliance: own Indian entity, real HR and legal experts with EPFO and ESIC credentials for registration, contributions and audit responses. Remote also owns an Indian entity. G-P and Velocity Global have owned entities with enterprise governance. Oyster, Papaya, Rippling and Deel are lighter on India employment-law advisory depth.
What is the real cost of hiring in India through an EOR?
Four layers: the headline EOR fee ($599 to $699 for most; higher for G-P and Papaya), Indian employer statutory costs (PF 12%, ESI 3.25%, state Professional Tax, all at cost), FX on the salary conversion for providers that don't disclose their rate (1.5 to 3%, roughly $480 per year on an INR 2M salary), and Gratuity accrual after five years. Teamed absorbs FX at zero markup.

For the buying committee

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