Talent acquisition
Recruitment and
hiring in India
We source, screen and shortlist skilled, English-proficient professionals for your roles, then complete background checks and onboarding before day one.
How the search runs
A search starts with the role rather than with a résumé pile. We work out what the person actually has to do, what that profile costs in the Indian market, and which cities it is realistically found in — before anyone is contacted.
From there we source, screen and shortlist. What reaches you is a short list of candidates who have already been assessed for the skills the role needs and for the English proficiency the working relationship needs. You interview; the filtering happened before your calendar was involved.
Once you select someone, background checks and onboarding are completed before day one, so their first day is a first day of work rather than a first day of paperwork.
Hired and legally employed in one motion
Most companies hiring in India for the first time discover the two-step problem late: finding the person is one project, and being able to legally employ them is an entirely separate one. A signed offer is worth nothing without an entity, a payroll and a Provident Fund registration behind it.
Because we are also a registered Indian employer, those two steps collapse into one. The candidate we shortlist can be employed through our Employer of Record service on a compliant Indian contract, enrolled in EPF and ESI, and paid through a running payroll — without you registering anything.
You can also use the search on its own. If you already have an Indian entity, we recruit into it and stop there.
Why the India hire is worth making
The cost argument is the one most people arrive with: an equivalent role costs 60–70% less than it would in the US. It is real, and it is rarely the reason companies stay.
What keeps them is the rest of it. India has the world’s largest pool of English-speaking professionals, which is why screening for language is a filter rather than an obstacle. The time-zone difference that looks like a problem on a calendar turns into an advantage in practice — your India team works while you sleep, and work moves overnight rather than waiting for a shared hour. And the remote-work culture is mature, sitting on digital compliance infrastructure that makes employing people here administratively ordinary.
What it costs, and when
Recruitment is charged as a one-time fee, payable only on successful joining. We quote it against the role before a search begins, so you know the number in advance.
That structure is deliberate. Nothing is due while a search is running, and nothing is due if it does not produce a hire. The fee arrives when the person does.
Pricing
Contact us
for pricing
A one-time fee, quoted against the role and charged only on successful joining. Nothing is payable while a search is running.
Scope
What's included
Role scoping
Profile, market rate and realistic search locations
Included
Sourcing
Active search against the agreed profile
Included
Screening
Skills assessment and English proficiency
Included
Shortlist
Assessed candidates, ready to interview
Included
Background checks
Completed before the start date
Included
Onboarding
Contract, documentation and induction
Included
Fit
Who it's for
US startups making their first engineering or operations hire in India
Teams that need candidates screened for English before interviewing
Companies that want to hire and employ in one motion, without an entity
Employers with an Indian entity who need sourcing capacity, not administration
Do we need to register a company in India to hire through you?
No. Under the EOR model, Aether Blue is the legal employer in India. You need no Indian entity, bank account or registration.
Who controls the employees' day-to-day work?
You do. Employees work under your direction, on your projects and tools. We handle the legal employment, payroll and compliance layer.
Can you employ people anywhere in India?
Yes — we employ across all Indian states and major cities. State-specific items (Professional Tax schedules, Shops & Establishments rules, state holidays, and state Labour Code rules) are applied per each employee's work location, and our compliance calendar tracks them state-wise.
Further reading
Related guides
Guide
What an employee in India actually costs: EPF, ESI, gratuity and bonus explained
Learn more ➞
Guide
EOR vs. setting up a subsidiary in India: full cost and timeline comparison
Learn more ➞