Is it worth hiring app developers in India?

If you have stopped at this write-up then you might have certain other doubts as well in your mind about app developers in India. About their behaviors, interests, habits, culture, skills, knowledge and so on. If you talk about the domain of software applications then we would like to share certain true and crisp facts with you. 

Indians have a thirst for new technologies and they are quite fast in adopting all the latest software trends. So, it’s not shocking to know that according to App Annie, an app market data and insight company, India is the leading market for app downloads!

Not only enthusiastic in fueling their lives with all the latest technologies, but they are also crazy about creating innovative software developments. In fact, India was once referred to as the “land of software developers” by a senior Microsoft official. 

India has a decent number of developers. Do you want to know how many developers are located in which part of the world? Here is a graph that shows the number of developers around the globe according to the number of GitHub accounts a country has. 

It clearly shows that India is not a country with the maximum number of mobile app developers as the USA beats India. Then, why India is famous for software outsourcing services? There are many reasons for this perception of millions of people around the globe. 

In this article, we are attempting to uncover some of the important facts related to Indian App developers. According to our research, we have shortlisted the top factors on the basis of which one should decide whether they should hire app developers in India or not.

Benefits of hiring app developers in India

#1 App developers in India are skilled in various software technologies

You can find software developers with varied skills and experience in India. It is estimated that around 42% of Indian developers have an experience of 2-5 years. The maximum number of Indian developers are skilled in Android development.

Below is a pie chart representing the percentage of developers possessing various mobile development skills according to belong.co report.  

According to this data, a majority of developers are skilled in Android and/or iOS app development in India. They have been a popular choice around the globe since the market of mobile applications is witnessing a constant rise.

This data can be viewed as a pro or as a con according to the requirement of an individual company. But, make sure to hire software developers in India according to their expertise in varied technologies because it is quite easy to find experts in a specific domain.  

#2 App developers in India are affordable 

What do you think about the cost-effectiveness of app developers in India? In comparison to the developed world, the Indian market has relatively cheaper rates for IT consulting services. This is one major reason behind India being a constantly flourishing market for web & mobile app development.

India is one the cheapest destination for mobile application development according to Statista.

Markets like North America, Australia, Singapore, UK, Eastern Europe, South America are relatively costlier. This motivates the businesses at these destinations to offshore their application development requirements to India.   

#3 India is an outsourcing hub

Outsourcing to emerging markets in the IT industry is becoming popular in western countries. More and more businesses are choosing to hire android app developers from the Indian market. 

India has emerged as the top country to deliver IT services. The export revenue of the IT industry is expected to grow 8-9 percent per year and reach 135-137 billion US dollars in the year 2019. 

The above graph is developed according to the Deloitte survey. The survey concluded that around 59% of the respondents are already outsourcing to India and 22% are planning to outsource.  

#4 Supportive government policies and infrastructure

There are various policies that are adopted by the Indian government to boost the Indian IT outsourcing industry. And probably this is the reason behind the above stats that clearly showed the success of the Indian outsourcing market. 

Some of the most important initiatives that decided the roadmap of Indian IT outsourcing are:

• Union cabinet passed a national policy on software products-2019 to make India a software product nation.
• The government of India announced in the interim budget 2019-20 that a national programme on AI and a national AI portal will be set up.
• A national level programme by NITI Aayog will be set up to enable efforts in AI and maximize the technology’s development work in the country. (as announced in Union Budget 2018-19)
• The government identified IT as one of the 12 champion service sectors and set up Rs. 5,000 crore fund for them.  
• The fiscal benefits offered by government can be taken by Indian IT firms. For instance, on technical services, about 25 to 10 percent reduction in the tax on fees and royalty is provided.
• The startup campaign by the Indian government supports technology startups and see them as critical for technology growth and development. 

#5 India has Abundance of talent

Every year, regional and national universities in India are introducing lakhs of software developers to the IT industry of India. According to a report by Statista, India ranked second in the number of Android App Developers in the first quarter of 2018.

Only USA beats India in the number of developers and all other nations like Germany, UK, Spain, Brazil, Russia, Canada etc. have relatively lesser number of developers. Moreover, the top cities where new tech talent is shifting are also located in India. 

Source: LinkedIn

The above graph shows the number of LinkedIn members that are shifting to different cities. Out of the ten cities, five cities are from India. They are Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai and Gurgaon.    

This clearly shows that the top choice for software developers are Indian cities. So, it is quite obvious that the businesses should also prioritize these locations to outsource their requirements. 

#6 Indian IT companies follow Global quality standards

India is known for being a country that follows best international practices. Software development companies in India are adopting global quality certification standards. These include the following:

• Capability Maturity Model (CMM)
• International Standards Organization (ISO 9000)
•  Six Sigma Quality Certification 
• Total Quality Management (TQM)
• Customer operations performance centre (COPC)

Important facts:

• Out of the total CMM certified companies in the world, 75% are Indian.
• In the world, the highest number of ISO-9000 certified software companies are in India.  

#7 Multiple hotspots of software developers in India

Today, the country has basic infrastructure spread across the cities. The geographical spread of IT sector throughout the nation has reached to Tier II and Tier III cities as well. You can see on the map the details of established and emerging IT hubs of India.

If we talk about hotspots then there are top three cities, namely; Bengaluru, National Capital Region (NCR), and Hyderabad. According to the belong.co’s report, around 55% of the Android developers in India are located in these top hubs. 

The labor costs, the establishment of technology parks and affordable real estate has allowed the businesses to explore tier II & tier III cities as well. Although they maintain their high profile clientele in Tier I cities.  

#8 It’s the right time to invest in the Indian market

India being the cost-effective IT destination with abundant talent, is a top priority IT outsourcing location for businesses all over the world. The sector is in the middle of reaching an exciting point as new technologies are entering the mainstream. 

Today, Indian companies act as back-end support or maintenance providers. But, eventually, they will be able to compete with global MNCs. So, before the mobile app development companies in India reach to this level, it is the right time to invest in Indian market. 

India’s IT ecosystem is continuing to develop with associated education, training centres, and constant research and development. Foreign companies are exploring these benefits and getting an upper edge that they require to survive in the global market. 

#9 App developers in India are comfortable with all time zones

Most of the Indian IT companies have dedicated development teams that are trained to provide support 24*7 to their clients. They adjust according to the time zones of the country where the client is operating. 

This can be even more advantageous as difference in time zones can ultimately cut-down the cost as well as total delivery time for project. The mobile app developers in India will work round the clock for you. 

#10 India has the most hardworking force

Do you know Indians work for five days a week? And they are happy! In a study conducted by Kronos Incorporated (International  Human Resource Management Company), it was revealed that Indians are most satisfied with five days working.

Around 69% Indians expressed their satisfaction in working for five days a week. On the other hand, lesser percentage of people were considered satisfied with this policy in other countries. Some of them are- Mexico (43%), US (27%), France (17%), Australia (19%).

This clearly depicts the hardworking nature of Indians and proves that India has the most hardworking force!  

Challenges of hiring app developers in India:

1. Communication:

Communication is essentially vital between the client and web development company in India for the success of every project. When we outsource our projects on an international level, various communication barriers arises. 

Even if the partners speak the same language, a lot of issues like difference in pronunciation, vocabulary and accents can make communication a challenge. Although app developers in India are well-trained in their client’s language to provide hassle free communication. 

But as a smart business person, you need to make sure that the software developers you are hiring are proficient in your language. This will allow a smooth exchange of information at every level of the project. 

2. Testing application becomes tough:

Testing phase is more difficult when we hire an outsourcing company. In-house testing is quite easy in its comparison. This is because when your management will find a problem in an app developed by a company offering custom software development services in India, you will have to communicate that to them.

It will be quite easy if you can see the machine on which your app is developed. Again, with communication issues, the problem that you have found out may not be resolved until the end.

3. Not-so good for your employees: 

It is not just an issue with hiring mobile app developers in India. In fact it is a common problem that is faced by the companies after outsourcing their projects. This might bring down the morale of your employees.

It can result in making your employees think that their jobs are not secured. Therefore, whenever you hire developers offering hybrid app development services in India, communicate the outsourcing policy to your own employees. 

4. Disruptions caused by monsoon:

When monsoon in India is at its peak, it can cause adverse conditions. It can pose challenges for the infrastructure, power supplies, etc. The extreme weather conditions might hamper the working, increase costs, and create delay in project completion.

Although this is not unique to India. There is no country in the world which cannot experience adverse disruptive conditions. At least India’s monsoon is predictable, so you can hire a web development company who has a well-developed infrastructure according to it. 

Final words:

There are pros and cons of everything that you will analyse. The option of hiring mobile app developers in India is no different. According to your business requirements and status, you need to decide which side weighs more.

There are various benefits as well as challenges of hiring app developers in India. It is completely your decision whether you want to reap the benefits of skilled developers, honest policies, affordable rates and so on or want to backout because of few challenges.

At last we would just like to remind you that nothing is perfect, so go for an option that does not require much adjustments!

You might have had some good or bad experiences with app developers from India that you want to share with us. We welcome your opinions and suggestions in the comment section.