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Why Employer of Record (EOR) is the Secret Weapon for Singapore Companies Expanding into India
- Saransh Garg
- Oct 1
- 8 min read
Expanding into India looks exciting for many Singapore-based companies, but if you’ve ever tried hiring in India without a local business entity, you already know how complicated and slow the process can become. What sounds simple “Let’s hire a few engineers or build a small team”quickly turns into weeks or even months of dealing with compliance rules, payroll requirements, entity setup documents, and endless tax registrations.
And this is precisely the problem most Singapore founders, HR teams, and business leaders face. You want speed. You want cost efficiency. You want to tap into India’s incredible talent pool. But the process makes everything feel like an uphill climb.
This is where the Employer of Record (EOR) model becomes your biggest advantage-your secret weapon because it allows you to start hiring in India immediately, without an entity, without legal stress, and without slowing your expansion roadmap.
In this article, I’ll walk you through exactly why an EOR is the most powerful tool Singapore companies can use when entering India, how global businesses (from 10 to 10,000 employees) use our EOR model, and what it practically looks like when Singaporean IT companies, GCCs, SaaS firms, and growing teams scale in India through AnjuSmriti Global Employer of Record (EOR) Service.
India: The Opportunity Singapore Companies Can’t Ignore
Before we talk about the EOR model, let’s first acknowledge the reason Singapore companies are looking toward India.
Singapore’s tech ecosystem is strong, but talent supply is limited and extremely expensive.On the other hand, India offers:
The world’s largest tech talent pool
A mature base of software developers, architects, data analysts, DevOps engineers
Deep expertise in technologies Singapore companies need:Java, .NET, Python, Node.js, React, Angular, AWS, Azure, GCP, DevOps, Kubernetes, AI/ML
Strong leadership talent for positions like CTO, CIO, VP Engineering
Cost-effective hiring (40–60% lower without compromising skill)
English-speaking workforce
Remote-friendly culture
Growing GCC hotspots in Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, and Gurugram
So the talent is ready.The market is ready.But the entity and employment laws are not friendly for fast hiring.
Singapore Companies Can’t Hire in India Without a Local Entity
This is the most searched question by Singapore HR teams:
“Why can’t I hire in India without an entity?”
Short answer: India requires a legal employer on record for payroll, taxes, PF, gratuity, compliance, and employment contracts.
Long answer:
To legally hire even one full-time employee in India, you need to:
Register an Indian entity
Apply for GST
Open multiple tax accounts
Enroll into PF/ESI systems
Maintain local compliance registers
Appoint authorized signatories
Manage local labor laws, bonus acts, minimum wages, Shops & Establishment registrations
File monthly and annual returns
For a Singapore company, this typically takes 4–6 months, plus thousands of dollars in legal fees, registration fees, documentation, payroll setup costs, and ongoing compliance.
And if you only want to hire 2, 5, or even 20 people this becomes impractical.
This is where the EOR model becomes your most strategic choice.
Why an Employer of Record (EOR) Is the Secret Weapon for Singapore Companies in India
Let’s start with the simplest definition:
An Employer of Record (EOR) legally employs your team in India on your behalf so you can hire instantly without setting up a legal entity.
You still manage the employee’s work. You still manage performance, deliverables, project work, communication. We simply take over all the legal, payroll, compliance, and HR responsibilities.
This allows you to:
Hire employees in India within days, not months
Compliantly run payroll from day one
Protect yourself from legal risks
Scale up or down anytime
Expand into new cities instantly
Focus fully on operations not compliance
Why Singapore Companies Use EOR to Expand Into India
You want speed, but compliance slows you down
Most Singapore founders and HR heads tell me the same thing:
“We don’t want to wait 6 months just to hire 5 developers.”
Delays kill market momentum.
Competitors move faster.
Projects fall behind.
Clients get frustrated.
You feel the pressure of rising hiring costs in Singapore
Hiring in Singapore is becoming expensive.Local tech talent availability is shrinking.And competition is intense.
The solution: hire in India through a trusted EOR partner
With an EOR, you can build your India team in a matter of days, not months without spending a dollar on entity setup.
Real Example 1: A Singapore SaaS Startup Hiring 15 Developers in Bengaluru-
A Singapore-based B2B SaaS company needed:
They didn’t have an entity, and Singapore hiring was too expensive.
What we did:
Sourced and recruited all 15 roles in 32 days
Hired them under AnjuSmriti Global Employer of Record (EOR)
Managed payroll, PF, compliance, onboarding
Set up everything in Bengaluru and Hyderabad
They retained full control over the team’s daily work
They avoided:
Entity setup
4–6 months delay
Legal registrations
Compliance filings
The company scaled to 45 engineers within 10 months still without a legal entity.
Ready to build your India team without entity hassles? Get started now ➤
How EOR Benefits Different Singapore Business Types
1. IT Companies Hiring Developers in India
Most Singapore-based IT companies hire:
The EOR model lets them:
Hire fast
Build remote teams
Expand across cities
Scale to 3 → 10 → 50 engineers gradually
We act as the legal employer.You manage day-to-day engineering work.
2. Global Capability Centers (GCCs)
Singapore companies building GCCs in India require hundreds of employees across tech, operations, shared services, and analytics.
But GCC setup takes time.
Using EOR, they can:
Hire the first 10–200 people immediately
Start operations while the GCC is being legally established
Avoid compliance penalties
Reduce risk during the initial transition phase
3. Companies Hiring in Bulk
Bulk hiring becomes extremely cost-effective with an EOR.
For example:A Singapore fintech needed 120 customer support representatives in Hyderabad, Noida, and Pune.
We hired, onboarded, and placed all 120 employees legally under our entity.They managed operations; we managed everything else.
4. Companies Opening a New Office in India
When Singapore businesses open new offices in India, EOR becomes the perfect bridge solution.
It allows them to:
Start hiring before the office is physically ready
Employ people legally from day one
Transfer them to the company entity later when ready
5. Leadership Hiring Companies
This applies to Singapore companies needing:
CTO
CIO
VP Engineering
Head of DevOps
Country Head (India)
Delivery Head
Leadership roles require compliance, contracts, payroll accuracy, ESOP support, and cross-border benefits.
EOR ensures:
Leadership is employed legally
No risk of contractor misclassification
Smooth onboarding
Executive-level HR support
We often combine EOR + executive search for these companies.
6. Singapore Companies Hiring Remote Teams in India
You may hire a single:
Data analyst
Designer
Sales development representative
Or a remote IT team of 10–50.EOR supports every structure.
Employees can work from:Bengaluru, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Coimbatore, and Gurugram.
7. Companies Building Teams From Scratch in India
If you're building from zero zero office, zero employees EOR is the fastest way.
We help Singapore companies recruit the first:
Engineering team
Marketing team
HR team
Operations team
Then we act as the legal employer while you grow.
8. Companies Expanding a Newly Opened Office
Even after opening an office, you may not want to expand the payroll headcount immediately.
EOR provides a flexible way to:
Expand without increasing legal headcount
Manage probation hires
Build new teams quickly
How Does EOR Work in India for Singapore Companies?
Here’s the workflow in simple terms:
You choose the candidate.
We become the legal employer.
We run payroll, PF, taxes, compliance.
The employee works for you full-time.
You manage performance and reporting.
Everything stays compliant with Indian labor laws.
Is an Employer of Record Legal in India?
Yes. EOR is 100% legal and widely used by global companies in India.
It follows:
Indian payroll laws
Provident Fund (PF)
Professional Tax
Bonus Act
Gratuity Act
Shops & Establishment regulations
IT/ITES compliance
We handle all filings on behalf of the employee.
Need a one-stop solution for hiring, payroll, and compliance in India? Reach out now
What Roles Can Singapore Companies Hire Through EOR in India?
Pretty much everything:
Tech Roles
Leadership Roles
CTO
CIO
VP Engineering
Technical Architect
Country Head
Non-Tech & Business Roles
HR, Talent Acquisition
Operations
Sales & Lead Generation
Customer Support
GCC Roles
ML Engineers
Shared Services Teams
Business Intelligence
Real Example 2: A Singapore Fintech Expanding Into Hyderabad & Pune
A fintech startup from Singapore needed to scale customer support, onboarding, and product QA. Their target was 60 employees within 4 months.
They didn’t want an entity for the first year.
We did:
Recruited all 60 roles
Employed them under our EOR
Set up compliance across Hyderabad and Pune
Created salary benchmarking to fit both India and Singapore expectations
Helped with onboarding, attendance, payroll, statutory filings
They saved approx. 5–6 months of entity setup time.
Real Example 3: Singapore HealthTech Firm Needing a Hybrid Team in Bengaluru
A Singapore healthtech company needed:
5 AI/ML engineers
3 backend Python developers
2 devops engineers
1 product manager
They planned to open an India office but wanted to start hiring immediately.
We hired the team under our EOR, placed them in Bengaluru and Coimbatore, and moved them to the client’s new Indian entity after 11 months smoothly, without disruption.
Why EOR Is Better Than Hiring Contractors in India
Most Singapore companies try this: “Let’s hire freelancers or contractors in India.”
This leads to:
Misclassification risk
Tax & compliance gaps
No PF / statutory benefits
Employee insecurity
Legal issues if contractors work full-time hours
No protection for IP
No clear employment relationship
EOR eliminates these risks completely.
Why EOR Is Better Than Setting Up an Entity Too Early
Setting up too early forces you into:
Compliance complexity
Monthly filings
Registrations
Audits
Local office expenses
Dedicated admin and HR support
If you’re not sure of your India plan yet or want to validate your hiring strategy EOR is the smarter first step.
When Should a Singapore Company Move From EOR to Its Own Entity?
You should consider transitioning when:
Team size crosses 40–60 employees
You want to build long-term local HR infrastructure
You want a permanent India brand presence
We help companies transition seamlessly.
Why Partner with AnjuSmriti Global Employer of Record (EOR) Service
Here’s what Singapore companies value most when working with us:
1. Speed
We can onboard your employees in 3–5 days.
2. Compliance Expertise
We handle everything under Indian employment law.
3. Recruitment + EOR Combined
We source candidates + employ them for you. One partner. One workflow. No delays.
4. Pan-India Presence
We help you hire talent across:Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, Coimbatore.
5. Scalability
Whether you want 1 person or 500 we support it.
If you're a Singapore-based company planning to hire talent in India whether it’s your first engineer or your first 100 employees I can help you get started with a custom Employer of Record (EOR) hiring plan.
Share your team requirements : Connect with us
An Employer of Record isn’t just a service it’s a strategic expansion tool for Singapore companies entering India.
It gives you:
Speed
Legal safety
Scalability
Cost efficiency
Flexibility
Zero setup delays
And most importantly, it lets you build your India team immediately, without waiting for months of paperwork or navigating the complexity of Indian employment law.
When combined with recruitment support sourcing, shortlisting, screening, leadership hiring, bulk hiring, and tech hiring EOR becomes the perfect solution for any Singapore company that wants to expand fast and grow confidently in India.
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