If you're a global SaaS founder considering hiring engineers in India, the market is more capable than it was five years ago and more competitive than it was last year. A few patterns from our seat.
The market, briefly
Senior engineers (8+ years, full-stack or specialist) in Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad, or remote: ₹40–80 LPA fixed for product companies, more for top-tier candidates. Add 15–30% ESOPs by face value.
USD-paying companies routinely pay 1.5–2x the local market for the same person. That premium buys you faster closes and lower attrition.
What good candidates actually want
- Interesting problems and a stack that won't bore them in a year.
- A say in how things are built, not a JIRA queue.
- Real promotion paths to staff/principal, not just 'senior engineer for life.'
- Predictable working hours—if you need 9pm IST overlap, say so up front.
What they don't talk about, but care about: a manager who shipped code recently, not someone who only attends meetings.
Sourcing, in order of effectiveness
- 01Referrals from your first hire. By a wide margin the best source.
- 02Outbound on LinkedIn. India has high LinkedIn penetration; warm, specific notes outperform recruiters.
- 03Hashnode, Dev.to, Twitter for ICs writing about their work. People who write are usually people who think.
- 04Specialized recruiters for very senior roles. Avoid generalist agencies—they spam.
A process that respects time
Three rounds, total ~6 hours of candidate time. A 45-min intro with you. A 90-min technical conversation on a real problem from your domain. A 2-hour paid take-home or paired build. References.
Decision within 5 business days. Ghosting senior engineers is how you build a bad reputation in a small market.
Retention is hired, not begged
Most attrition decisions are made within the first 90 days. Give the new hire a real project, not onboarding theater. Pair them with someone good. Promote based on impact, on a clock they can see.