How to build an ODC team in India
Want to establish an innovative workplace with the best tech talent in the world? Then, you should consider building an offshore development centre or ODC.
These dedicated facilities have become quite popular among organisations looking for a place where specialised professionals — from engineers to data scientists — can collaborate closely.
From all the locations you can choose to set up an ODC, India might be your best bet. The country is known for its vast and high-quality talent pool.
And we say this from experience. For more than 10 years, we’ve helped companies like yours hire and onboard exceptional Indian talent who have made (and continue to make) an impact on business success.
In this article, we’ve taken everything we’ve learned helping our partners to write a step-by-step guide on how to build an ODC team in India.
Enjoy!
Why choose India as your ODC team location?
Although some countries have emerged as top-tier hubs in the software development industry, India emphasises English education and continual training in advanced fields like engineering.
This means that when you build an ODC team in India, you can access highly educated, qualified, and successful software developers nationwide. It’s also worth noting that when looking for developers in India, Bangalore is India’s most famous tech hub:
- Over one million people in Bangalore today are software developers.
- Over 10 million people in India work in IT, and 40% are based in Bangalore.
- The city is known as ‘The Silicon Valley of Asia’ because the startup scene is thriving.
- It’s also home to many multinational firms, such as Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, which are rapidly expanding R&D centres there.
4 steps to build your ODC team in India
1. Define your needs
The first step to building an offshore team is to know exactly what you are looking for, including the type of talent you want to hire and the team size.
Before making a decision, ask yourself the following questions:
- Do I need just 5 engineers or a larger team?
- Do I want to scale this team in the future?
- Do I require any specific niche skills?
How we helped a Legal SaaS company scale its Ruby on Rails team to deliver a groundbreaking product
DOWNLOAD CASE STUDYThis exercise will help you assess whether to build an initial small ODC team in India or establish your presence in the country with a group of hundreds of engineers and other professionals.
2. Choose the right location
Once you’re clear about your needs, it’s time to find the ideal destination for your team.
One of the pros of offshoring to India is that there are multiple states and cities where you can find the talent you’re looking for. The country produces millions of engineers yearly who work and live across the nation in metropolitan areas like Mumbai and Bangalore.
There’s top talent (almost) everywhere.
In its 10th edition, the India Skills Report — considered one of the most credible studies on talent demand and supply across India — has come to these findings:
- Uttar Pradesh boasts a youth employability rate of 72.7%, with a significant focus on computer skills and critical thinking. Additionally, it contributes over 8% to the country’s GDP and is expanding its IT infrastructure.
- Maharashtra is a top-ranking state for highly employable talent, especially in critical thinking and English proficiency. Mumbai, the state’s capital, leads the country in providing job opportunities for skilled professionals, particularly in areas like BE/BTech.
- Delhi is the second-most productive city in India, with a fluctuating GDP between $210 billion and $369 billion. The capital city has a youth employability rate of 68.9% and has significant investments in skill development initiatives.
- Andhra Pradesh ranks in the top five for English skills and numerical abilities. It’s also among the top states desired by job seekers and boasts a high demand for internships.
- Karnataka is undergoing rapid urbanisation and international investment. The state’s talent ranks very high in English proficiency and critical thinking. The best IT professionals in India come to its capital city, Bangalore, to work.
The illustration below shows how, despite the competition, Bangalore is regarded as India’s top tech hub.
3. Find a reliable offshore partner
You know what you need and have already decided where to build your ODC team in India. Now, you must find an offshore partner that helps you find, hire, onboard, and set up your team in the country.
Can’t find the skills you need at home? Stop searching and start scaling
LEARN MOREThere are several factors you should consider when choosing an offshore development company.
First, evaluate the talent pool they draw engineers from. For example, if you want to have the best Indian Quant developers in your team, look for partners known for hiring professionals with these skills. Ensure they demonstrate experience.
You may also want to examine their flexibility when growing your team. Consider how your business requirements today differ from those you’ll have in a few years. If you plan to expand and onboard engineers in the future, choose a partner that allows you to scale your team on demand.
Besides talent quality and scalability opportunities, you should consider cultural fit and communication. The engineers your partner sources for you must be culturally aligned with your business mission and vision.
Lastly, pick a partner that prioritises security and quality assurance. Companies with certifications like ISO/IEC 27001 comply with international information security management systems standards, meaning your data is protected.
When discussing quality assurance, verify that your partner implements processes to deliver detailed and regular performance reports. Your dedicated ODC in India should be formed by engineers with technical expertise to solve issues effectively.
4. Pick the right talent
Your offshore partner will assist you with the recruitment, but generally, you’ll have the final say in who will be part of your team.
These are the steps you’ll need to follow to pick talent if you collaborate with a company that follows a modern approach to offshoring like we do at The Scalers.
A high-value offshoring partner will take most of the heavy work off your hands, leaving you with final approval:
Sourcing the best of the bunch
Start by building your tech team from elite candidates. This begins with the first search, prescreening, and initial contact. An expert team builder on the ground in your chosen location will facilitate all of your sourcing based on scoped-out needs regarding programming languages and tech stacks.
Testing and assessing logic skills
Make sure to give candidates a variety of tests to see if they can tackle complicated problems. It is not always about knowing an answer but observing how they employ logic and analytical skills to work it out. Your offshoring partner will usually administer these tests on your behalf, based on your specific requirements.
Evaluating technical expertise
Candidates must also participate in a one-day, in-office assessment to measure their understanding of technical issues. They should be evaluated by a technical panel of experts from diverse backgrounds and expertise. Again, this should be arranged by your partner in the chosen offshore location.
Completing a mock assignment
Those who make it to the shortlist of candidates should take part in at least a three-day home project to assess their ability to architect a solution. This will show how well they would likely perform in their everyday activities.
Interviewing with HR
Hold an in-depth screening to understand your candidate’s personality better. You can find out what drives them, discover their strengths and weaknesses, and determine if they are a good fit. The engineers you hire aren’t external support but full-time employees. It’s important to ensure they’re an ideal match for a long-term ODC team rather than just a one-off project.
Learn more about our model – the smarter way to go offshore
LEARN MOREInterviewing with a manager
Have a conversation to find out whether the developer has the cultural compatibility needed for integrating into your business.
Conducting a final interview for your ODC team
The final interview is where you pick your chosen candidate from the list of final elite engineers that have been sourced and filtered by your chosen offshore partner.
The most common concerns about building an ODC team in India
Offshore development has gained much traction recently, but some companies are still uncertain if it’s the right choice.
That’s understandable. Over the last decade, companies have been outsourcing their development processes to save costs, leading to a credibility crisis for the model due to rushed and low-quality results.
When building an ODC team, an offshore partner emphasises a model centred on leveraging top talent, innovation, quality, and transparency instead of one centred around cost.
Here are a few concerns you may have when going offshore that a reliable partner can solve:
Cultural differences
Cultural gaps may exist when hiring offshore developers. However, many misconceptions exist about the working conditions and culture in countries like India.
In reality, offshore engineers in places such as Bangalore work in high-spec offices with the latest equipment and working conditions that mirror those in the company’s headquarters. An offshore partner builds your ODC team by making language and cultural compatibility a core factor in the recruitment process.
While organisations in Western regions like the US feel tempted to offshore to LATAM due to cultural similitudes, India remains a top choice due to its growing digital industry.
Quality issues
Quality concerns around offshoring are mainly caused by companies using the terms offshoring and (low-quality) outsourcing interchangeably, which is a mistake.
The best talent can only be found offshore. Why? If you decide to outsource, you’ll get short-term help but not a dedicated team that focuses 100% on your business and adds value to it.
If you opt to hire locally, you’ll struggle to find people with the specific skills you need, so you’ll spend a lot of time and money training them. ODC teams, though, already have the skills you’re looking for.
Building an ODC team isn’t just about saving costs but finding qualified people to do the job right.
Security risks
Cybersecurity is a top priority for the offshore partner responsible for building your team. They take the proper precautions on your behalf and are well aware of the risks that exist and how they can keep your data safe.
Partners often implement strict non-disclosure agreements, conduct routine checks of encrypted data, and mirror your local protocols in your ODC.
In summary
Building an ODC team in India will help your business access massive talent pools to scale your engineering operations quickly. This allows your business to recruit developers faster, change more dynamically, and scale without restrictions.
At The Scalers, we can help you build your ODC team and run your operations in Bangalore, India.
We ensure top talent by combining coding tests, analytical thinking, personality assessments, and multi-stage interviews in an effective seven-step recruitment process.
If you want to learn more about our unique and proven offshoring model, fill out this form, and one of our senior executives will contact you promptly.
