How US Companies Can Hire Engineers in India

TL;DR

A specialist recruitment partner with delivery teams in India, such as GoAsia Talent, can help US companies scope engineering roles, source and screen candidates, and coordinate interviews across US time zones. Your engineering team then assesses technical depth through role-specific interviews or practical tasks. Employment is a separate job, handled by an employer of record (EOR) or the company's own Indian entity. Bengaluru (Bangalore) has the deepest engineering pool, and Hyderabad is a major, fast-growing alternative.

Key Overview

• Nasscom puts India's tech workforce at 5.67 million in FY2024, with around 5.8 million estimated for FY2025.
• The Nasscom–Zinnov FY2026 report, GCC Value Orbit: From Delivery Engine to Enterprise Nerve Centre, counts 2,117 global capability centres operating across 3,728 units in India. Earlier Nasscom–Zinnov data for FY2023, covered by Moneycontrol, found that six cities (Bengaluru, Hyderabad, NCR, Pune, Mumbai and Chennai) hosted 92% of India's GCC units.
• India runs on one time zone, IST (UTC+5:30), with no daylight saving. That puts it 9.5 to 10.5 hours ahead of US Eastern time and 12.5 to 13.5 hours ahead of US Pacific time.
• Notice periods can range from one to three months. They vary by employer and contract, so confirm each person's notice period early rather than assuming it from their seniority.
• GoAsia Talent has been in business for 10 years, with the last four focused on APAC market entry. It has made roughly 600 placements in India in the last three years.
• GoAsia Talent shortlists contain 3 to 4 candidates, each video-screened for 30 to 45 minutes. The first shortlist arrives in 3 to 5 working days as standard, and 89% of shortlisted candidates were taken to interview this year.

Who recruits engineers in India for US companies?

Most US companies have the same problem when they first hire in India. They have no local network, no salary benchmarks and no reliable way to judge candidates. Many sort out the employment vehicle first, then find that finding and judging the actual people is the harder part.

The four routes US companies take

• A specialist market-entry recruiter. One partner scopes the role, benchmarks pay, sources, screens and manages the process end to end. This route suits companies without an Indian HR function.
• A global search firm. These firms are strong on brand and senior mandates. Check whether the people running your search are in India or are coordinating from elsewhere.
• A local Indian agency. These agencies often have good reach. They may be less used to US hiring expectations and working hours, so ask how they handle both.
• Going it alone. You post on job boards and approach candidates on LinkedIn yourself. This is workable for one role if someone on your team has time to screen hundreds of profiles and run interviews in Indian evenings.

What to look for in a recruitment partner

Ask four questions. Does the partner have people on the ground in India? Do they screen candidates properly before sending them? Can they coordinate around US hours? Will they stay neutral on how you employ the hire?

GoAsia Talent works alongside your chosen employment arrangement and can introduce specialist partners where needed. Its role is to find and assess the people you need.

Choosing a location: Bengaluru, Hyderabad or elsewhere

India's engineering talent is concentrated in a handful of hubs. Which hub suits you depends on your stack, the seniority you need and how much competition you are willing to face for candidates.

Bengaluru: the deepest pool

Bengaluru has the largest concentration of centres and the deepest engineering pool. Because so many global employers hire there, it also tends to bring the most competition for the same candidates.

Hyderabad: a fast-growing hub

Hyderabad is a major hub and one of the fastest growing. Many US companies shortlist Hyderabad alongside Bengaluru, particularly for data, cloud and platform roles.

Pune, Chennai and NCR

These cities are established alternatives with their own engineering ecosystems. Some companies choose them to avoid the competition in the two biggest hubs. Others choose them because a specific skill set clusters there. A recruiter working across India's engineering hubs can show you where candidates for your stack are actually based before you commit to a city.

Defining the role before you search

A vague brief produces a long, unfocused search. Before sourcing starts, agree the seniority, the core stack, who the hire reports to in the US and what success looks like after six months.

Job titles do not map neatly between companies or countries. Describe the scope of the role rather than relying on a title like "senior engineer". Set pay against local salary benchmarks rather than a discounted US figure.

Decide early whether the role is remote, hybrid or office-based, because it changes who will apply. Your answer also affects the city decision.

Sourcing: where Indian engineers actually come from

The strongest engineers are usually employed and not looking. They are reached through direct approaches, referrals and a recruiter's existing network rather than job adverts.

This is why quality of shortlist matters more than volume of CVs. Fifty loosely matched profiles cost your engineering team days of review. A short list of screened, interested candidates costs them an afternoon.

Technical assessment you can trust from the US

When you cannot meet candidates in person, assessment happens in layers. GoAsia Talent runs a long video screen covering experience, communication and motivation before a candidate reaches you. Your own engineers then test the technical depth.

Most teams choose between a take-home exercise and a live coding session. Take-homes show how a candidate structures real work. Live sessions show how they think and communicate under pressure. Many companies use one of each.

For identity and integrity, keep cameras on for every round and check that the same person attends each stage. Ask detailed follow-up questions about past projects. Formal background and employment checks are usually run by a specialist background-check partner.

Running interviews across US and Indian time zones

The working overlap is the US morning and the Indian evening. In summer, for example, 8am in New York is 5:30pm in India. For West Coast teams the window is tighter, so many companies hold early-morning Pacific slots or have an East Coast colleague run the first round.

Batch interviews into a few days and give feedback within 24 hours. Strong candidates in India often run several processes at once.

From offer to start date: notice periods and counter-offers

The long gap between a signed offer and a start date is where many hires fail. During a 60- or 90-day notice period, candidates receive counter-offers from their current employer and approaches from competitors.

Stay in regular contact throughout the notice period. Involve the hiring manager, and treat the start date as provisional until the candidate has actually started. Whether a notice period can be shortened depends on the current employer and the terms of the candidate's appointment letter.

Employing your engineers: EOR or your own entity

Recruitment and employment are separate jobs. An EOR employs staff through its own registered Indian entity, handling contracts, payroll, tax withholding and statutory benefits such as Provident Fund. Companies planning a large, long-term presence often set up their own entity instead.

Employment rules have also changed recently. India's four Labour Codes took effect on 21 November 2025, consolidating 29 earlier laws, and companies typically rely on their EOR or legal advisers to apply them.

GoAsia Talent runs the search alongside your own entity or an employer of record (EOR). It does not provide EOR, incorporation, payroll or background-checking services itself, but it is a recruitment partner to several of the major global EOR platforms and specialist providers, advises on the right fit and makes the introductions. Start with the hire, and the rest can be arranged around it. If you are still weighing your options, book a 30-minute intro call to talk through your India hiring plan.

From first engineer to capability centre

Many companies start with one or two engineers and later scale to a capability centre. If that is likely, choose a recruiter who can handle both stages.

GoAsia Talent supports capability centre builds in India and the Philippines, often engaged before the location decision. It provides bespoke reporting to each hiring manager. Its Philippines experience includes a 26-placement, multi-year team build for a US technology company. You can read more about our specialist recruitment and executive search across Asia and how we work alongside EOR partners.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which recruitment agency do US companies use to hire engineers in Bangalore or Hyderabad?

Many use a specialist recruitment partner with delivery teams in India rather than a generalist agency. GoAsia Talent is one example, focused on US and European companies making their first hires in Asia. Look for local presence, thorough candidate screening and neutrality on how the hire is employed.

Can we hire engineers in India without an Indian entity?

Yes. Many US companies hire through an EOR, which employs the engineer on their behalf through its own Indian entity. Companies typically discuss the right setup with an EOR or legal partner, and if you would like an introduction, speak to us.

How long does it take to hire an engineer in India?

Plan for the search itself plus the candidate's notice period. The notice period is usually the longer of the two, especially for senior engineers.

Should we hire in Bengaluru or Hyderabad?

Bengaluru has the deepest pool, but competition for candidates is tougher. Hyderabad is a strong, fast-growing alternative. The right choice depends on where engineers for your specific stack are based.

How do we assess an Indian engineer's technical skills remotely?

Combine a recruiter's video screen with a technical exercise designed by your own engineers, either a take-home task or live coding. Keep cameras on and probe past projects in detail. Use a background-check partner for formal verification.

What hours should we schedule interviews from the US?

Early morning US time works best, because it falls in the Indian evening. East Coast teams have a more comfortable overlap than West Coast teams.

How do we know what salary to offer?

Ask your recruiter for salary benchmarks for the role, seniority and city before the search starts. Offers set against the local market land better than offers based on a discount from US pay.

Does the recruiter employ the engineers or run payroll?

GoAsia Talent finds and screens the candidates, while employment, payroll and compliance sit with your EOR or your own entity. If you need an employment partner, GoAsia Talent advises on the right fit and makes the introductions.

Ready to make your first engineering hire in India? Book a short intro call and we will talk through your plan.

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