Why India's talent pool is deeper than most UK businesses assume

India's technology sector is expected to employ around 6 million people in FY26. Yet many UK businesses still think of Indian hiring in terms of just Developers and customer support.

That picture leaves out Finance Managers, Data Analysts, Performance Marketers, Designers, Content creators and Operations specialists. These are people who can take ownership of ongoing work as part of a UK team. The question is whether you're looking for them.

There's good reason to widen the search. In the UK, 68% of priority digital and technology occupations face critical or elevated demand. A bigger search area means it can put more qualified people on your shortlist.

So, what does India's talent pool actually offer, and which roles could you hire for your business?

The short answer: What talent can UK businesses hire in India?

Far more than Developers. UK businesses can hire experienced professionals in artificial intelligence (AI), data engineering, finance, digital marketing, search engine optimisation (SEO), paid advertising, design, software development, testing, and various creative work.

India also offers talent in project delivery, business operations, sales, account management, customer service and IT support.

Here are the kinds of roles UK businesses can fill:

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Black Piano can help you search across these disciplines and build a shortlist around the work you need done. More on this later!

Why is India's talent pool deeper than the usual picture suggests?

A large, established professional market

India's technology workforce is only part of the story. In FY2026, the country's global capability centres employed 2.36 million professionals across 2,117 centres. These are teams set up by international businesses to carry out work from India. Their scale shows that India has an established market for people with experience working across borders.

A wider range of work

That work extends beyond coding and routine support. A Nasscom analysis of Indian capability centres identifies finance, human resources and IT among the functions handled by shared services teams, alongside engineering research and design.

For a UK business, that should prompt a broader look at its vacancies. The person you need might be a Finance Manager, Business Analyst or Operations specialist as readily as a Developer.

Experienced people, not just new graduates

India's talent market includes people who lead teams and make decisions for international businesses. A 2026 Nasscom–Zinnov report found that 64% of leaders running multinational companies' India-based centres also oversee a global business function. Their responsibilities can include areas such as cybersecurity and AI governance.

This makes one thing really clear - it's definitely worth looking beyond graduates when you search in India.

What roles can a UK business hire in India?

India offers people who can build your products, run specialist functions and work directly with your customers. Here's what those hires could do as part of a UK team.

1. AI and machine learning

A 2026 Nasscom–Zinnov report counted 250,000 AI professionals working in India's centres for international businesses. The job still needs a precise brief: "we need someone who knows AI" won't get you very far.

• An AI Engineer could build a tool that uses your business data or automates a defined task.

• A Machine Learning Engineer could develop and improve a model alongside your product team.

• An AI Consultant could help work out which idea is worth pursuing before you build it.

Related read - What does a Machine Learning Engineer do?

2. Software development

A dedicated Developer can learn your product, join planning calls and work through an ongoing list of priorities.

• A Front-end Developer could build the parts of a website or app that customers use.

• A Back-end Developer could work on the systems and connections behind it.

• A Full-stack or App Developer could help build and maintain a product across a wider range of tasks.

Related read - What is a Full Stack Developer? Skills, salary & hiring guide

3. Software testing

Testers can work alongside your Developers and product lead throughout a release.

• A Manual Tester could check how a product works for real users and document faults.

• An Automation Tester could build repeatable checks for features your team changes often.

• A Quality Assurance Engineer could plan testing with Developers and verify fixes before release.

4. Data

"Data role" can mean two quite different jobs. Work out whether you need to improve the information itself or the decisions made from it.

• A Data Engineer could bring information together and make it reliable.

• A Data Analyst could build reports and answer questions for your managers.

5. Finance and accounting

An India-based finance professional can work with your UK finance lead on both regular tasks and decisions that need closer attention.

• A Bookkeeper could keep everyday records up to date.

• An Accountant could prepare accounts and support reporting.

• A Finance Manager could oversee the work and coordinate with your UK finance lead.

6. Digital marketing and creative

These hires can join your campaign meetings, work to your brand guidelines and improve the next piece of work based on results.

• A Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Specialist could work on your site's search visibility.

• A Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Specialist or Performance Marketer could run and review paid campaigns.

• A Designer or Content Creator could produce the assets those campaigns need.

Related read - How to hire an SEO Expert - A comprehensive guide

7. Delivery and business operations

These India-based colleagues can keep your projects organised and give recurring work a clear owner.

• A Project Manager or Scrum Master could track progress and keep people informed.

• A Business Analyst could turn business needs into clear requirements.

• An Operations Specialist or Virtual Assistant could own recurring processes, records and follow-ups.

8. Sales, customer service and IT support

India's talent pool includes the people who keep sales conversations moving, customers happy and colleagues supported.

• A Business Development Representative could research prospects and support outreach.

• An Account Manager could help look after client relationships.

• A Customer Service Representative could handle enquiries.

• A Service Desk Analyst could help colleagues resolve technical problems.

The range is the point. You can start with one role that would make a real difference to your UK team, then build from there.

If the Philippines is also on your shortlist, our India vs Philippines offshoring guide compares the talent available in each market and helps you choose based on the roles you need.

Is senior talent available, too?

Absolutely. India's talent pool includes experienced people who manage teams, work with international clients and lead important parts of a business.

In EY's survey of international companies with teams in India, 45% said their India-based teams handled global strategy leadership. That's a long way from the idea that hiring in India means hiring only junior staff.

For a senior hire, years in a role are a starting point. The more useful questions are what they have owned and who has relied on them. Look for someone who has:

• Led a process or team and made decisions about its work.

• Worked directly with clients and senior colleagues.

• Built knowledge of your sector and the systems you use.

• Guided less experienced colleagues.

A Finance Manager, for example, could oversee reporting and talk your UK leadership team through the figures. A Senior Performance Marketer could take charge of a channel, decide where to invest the budget and guide a growing team.

That is the opportunity: hire someone in India who brings experience to the table from day one.

Where should you look for the right talent in India?

India's major cities each bring different strengths to a search. Black Piano has helped UK businesses hire people across the country, so the search can start with the skills you need and reach well beyond one city.

Bengaluru

Bengaluru has a large mix of software, data, engineering and finance talent. It accounts for 34-39% of India's global capability centre activity, reflecting the range of international businesses with teams there.

Hyderabad

Hyderabad is home to growing technology and analytics teams, alongside healthcare, pharmaceutical and life sciences businesses. The city accounts for 20-23% of global capability centre activity.

Pune

Pune brings together experience in technology, engineering, automotive and financial services. It has attracted 15-20% of India's global capability centre activity over the past four years.

Black Piano's India office is here, though the people we hire for UK businesses live across the country.

Chennai

Chennai has strong roots in manufacturing and automotive work, as well as growing technology and engineering teams. It's a useful city to explore when a role calls for technical skills and knowledge of how products are made or delivered.

Delhi NCR

Across Delhi and the surrounding business centres, you'll find people with experience in professional services, technology, retail, healthcare and consulting. That breadth gives us plenty to work with when a role calls for a particular mix of skills.

Mumbai

Mumbai has a deep financial services market. For a finance or client-facing role, we can look for people who have worked with banks, financial institutions and other international businesses there.

Kolkata

EY's 2026 research highlights Kolkata's growing strengths in software, engineering and analytics, while another study also names Kolkata among the cities attracting more marketing roles.

Beyond the big cities

Keep the search open to cities such as Ahmedabad, Coimbatore, Kochi and Mysuru, too. A city can help you begin the search. The shortlist should come down to skills, experience and how the person will work with your UK team.

Which of your roles could work from India?

Start with the work, not the job title. Plenty of roles can be done from India as part of a UK team, including work that involves regular meetings, shared systems and direct responsibility for results.

Ask these questions when you write the brief:

• Can the person do the work through your systems with the right access and security?

• When do they need to be available to UK colleagues or customers?

• Does any part of the job require them to visit a UK site?

• Does the role need specific UK qualifications, permissions or market knowledge?

• Who will set priorities, answer questions and review their work?

Examples

Take a Performance Marketer. They could join your UK planning calls, run campaigns in your accounts and report on results. You would agree the working-hours overlap and give them the same campaign information as the rest of the team. That's a strong starting point for a dedicated remote hire.

A Field Engineer whose job involves visiting UK customer sites needs a closer look. The site visits require someone on the ground, but the planning, scheduling, reporting or technical support around that work could sit with a colleague in India.

Black Piano can help you shape the role around what needs doing and find the person with the experience to own it.

How do you assess candidates, rather than just browse a large pool?

A bigger talent pool gives you more choice. A good hiring process helps you make sense of it. Before reading CVs, write down what the person will own, which skills they'll use and what a successful first few months would look like.

Then assess candidates against the work:

• Ask for relevant examples. If you're hiring a Designer, look at work similar to what you need, not just the most impressive portfolio piece.

• Use a short practical task where it helps. A Data Analyst could explain how they would approach a reporting problem; a Marketer could talk through a campaign decision.

• Ask the same core questions in each interview so you can compare answers fairly.

• Check references for evidence of the responsibilities the candidate says they've held.

• Discuss written communication and the UK-hours overlap the role needs.

Employers interviewed for ACCA's 2026 India talent report raised concerns that automated CV screening can miss good candidates. Human judgement is crucial in the process. It's also central to how we work at Black Piano. We get to know the role, speak with candidates and look beyond CV keywords before we put together your shortlist.

Employee, freelancer or outsourced team: Which route fits the work?

The right setup depends on how closely you want the person to work with your business and who will manage the work.

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For a role you'll need month after month, a dedicated employee can learn your systems, build relationships and grow with the business. Black Piano's end-to-end Employer of Record (EOR) service helps you find and employ that person in India. We can also support freelance needs or take on delivery of an outsourced function when that suits the work.

Interesting read - Outsourcing to India: Pros and cons for UK businesses in 2026

How Black Piano helps you build the best remote team in India

You've seen the range of talent available in India. Tell us the role you need to fill, and we'll help turn that search into a person working as part of your business. Black Piano's end-to-end Employer of Record (EOR) service covers the whole journey, with real people to help at each stage.

Here's what the journey looks like -

Find

We start by getting clear on the work, the experience you need and how the person will fit into your team. Our recruiters search across India, speak with candidates and put together a shortlist. You meet the people you want to interview and choose who to hire.

Hire

Once you've chosen someone, we handle the local employment process. We become their legal employer in India, arrange the contract and onboarding, and make sure they have the equipment they need to start work. They work exclusively for your business, and you direct their day-to-day priorities.

Manage

We run payroll, benefits and the employment administration. Our team also provides ongoing HR support to your hire, so there's someone on the ground to help after their first day. You keep building the working relationship; we take care of the employment responsibilities around it.

That's what makes our EOR service end to end - and truly unique: we help you find the person as well as employ and support them. Guess what – the cost benefits of hiring with us in India are equally great at 50-70% compared to a UK hire!

A real case: Building a 23-person SEO and copywriting team

A UK digital marketing agency came to us to build an SEO and copywriting team in India. We hired an experienced SEO Lead first, giving the new team someone who could help shape it. We then added senior SEO and copywriting talent as the work grew.

Six months in, the agency had a 23-person team serving its UK clients. It's a good example of how one well-chosen hire can become the start of something bigger.

Ready to see who we could find for your team? Contact Black Piano and tell us about the role.

FAQs

Can a UK company hire someone in India without setting up a company there?

Yes. An Employer of Record can legally employ the person in India while they work as part of your UK team. With Black Piano's end-to-end service, we also find candidates, arrange onboarding and handle payroll and ongoing HR support. You choose the person and direct their day-to-day work.

How do UK and India working hours fit together?

The two countries have several hours of overlap during a normal working day. India is five and a half hours ahead of the UK in winter and four and a half hours ahead during British Summer Time. Agree meeting times and any customer-facing hours when you define the role. We can then look for someone happy to work that schedule.

How much does it cost to hire an employee in India?

The price depends on the role, experience and compensation package, but the saving can be substantial. Hiring through us can cost up to 70% less than an equivalent UK hire. We show you the employee's compensation and our monthly management fee, which covers recruitment, equipment, payroll and HR support.

Can an India-based hire access UK customer data?

Yes, provided the right data protection arrangements are in place. The Information Commissioner's Office says access by a separate organisation in India can count as an international transfer, even if the data remains on UK servers. Check the applicable transfer rules, contracts and access controls before the person starts work.