Comparison
In-House (Onshore) vs Remote India Team
Onshore hires sit in your timezone and culture but cost three to four times as much and take a quarter to recruit. A remote India team trades a few hours of overlap for 60–72% lower cost and a faster path to capacity. For most engineering work, the trade is worth making — and the two are not mutually exclusive.
| Dimension | In-House (Onshore) | Remote India Team |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per engineer | Highest | 60–72% lower |
| Time to hire | ~90 days | ~18 days |
| Timezone | Full overlap | 2–4 focused hours |
| Talent pool | Local market only | Large national pool |
| Scaling speed | Slow, expensive | Fast, flexible |
| Management style | In-person default | Async-first |
Choose In-House (Onshore) when
- Roles need constant real-time collaboration
- On-site presence is non-negotiable
Choose Remote India Team when
- You want more capacity per dollar
- The work can run async
- You need to hire fast
The verdict
Keep the roles that truly need full-timezone, in-person presence onshore. Move the rest — most engineering, data, and support — to a remote India team and reinvest the savings into more capacity or longer runway.