Contractor Management
Engage Indian freelancers and consultants — legally
Hiring someone as a "contractor" in India isn't as simple as sending a PayPal transfer. Get it wrong and you face tax penalties, misclassification risk, and unpaid statutory dues.
India's tax and labour laws treat contractors differently depending on how they're engaged, what work they do, and how long the engagement runs. The rules around Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) alone have multiple rates, thresholds, and filing deadlines.
Here's how we make it simple: Peple's entity engages the contractor directly. The contractor is hired by us — not by you. That means all the compliance obligations, TDS deductions, filings, and legal exposure sit with us, not with your company. You get the output. We carry the paperwork.
Peple's Entity Engages the Contractor
The contractor is hired by us — not by you. All compliance obligations, TDS deductions, filings, and legal exposure sit with us, not with your company.
You Get the Output
You manage the day-to-day work directly with the contractor. We stay out of your way and let you focus on results while we carry the paperwork.
Full Lifecycle Managed
We manage everything from onboarding with a proper service agreement to monthly TDS deductions, annual returns, and clean offboarding.
What's included
Contractor Agreements
Legally sound service agreements drafted between Peple and the contractor — correctly defining scope of work, IP ownership, confidentiality, and termination terms under Indian law. Your company stays at arm's length.
Full TDS Compliance
We calculate, deduct, and deposit the correct Tax Deducted at Source on every contractor payment — and file the quarterly returns on your behalf. No missed deadlines, no penalties.
Payment Processing
We handle all contractor payments in INR from our entity. You pay us one consolidated USD invoice. No cross-border payment complexity, no RBI reporting obligations on your side.
Records & Certificates
Year-end TDS certificates (Form 16A) issued to every contractor. Clean records maintained for your audit trail and theirs.
Why does this matter?
When a foreign company directly engages an Indian contractor, it can inadvertently create a tax presence in India — called a Permanent Establishment — which triggers Indian corporate tax obligations on your global income. By routing the engagement through Peple's Indian entity, that risk is eliminated entirely. Read our PE risk guide →
Transparent EOR Pricing
Estimate your costs instantly. No hidden fees.
Related reading
Contractor vs Employee in India — Misclassification Risks
ReadPermanent Establishment Risk in India for US Companies
ReadThe Complete Guide to Hiring Engineers in India in 2026
ReadTDS in India — What US Companies Need to Know
ReadRegulatory resources
Trusted by US & UK tech teams hiring in India
"The 48-hour onboarding is real. We had our first Pune-based engineer live in our system before the week was out. Peple handled everything — contract, PF registration, the works."
"We tried three other EOR vendors before Peple. None of them understood the compliance side the way Peple does — TDS, PF, gratuity, labour codes. One invoice, zero surprises."
"The BOT model is what sold us. We knew we'd want our own Indian entity eventually, and Peple had that transition built in from day one. When we hit 40 engineers, the handover was seamless."
"Hardware management was the game-changer. No customs headache, no tracking spreadsheets. Laptops arrive configured. When someone leaves, Peple recovers it. Simple."
"We onboarded 12 engineers in three months. The Peple dashboard gives us payroll visibility and compliance status that rivals our US HR system. I didn't expect that from an India EOR."
"Peple aren't just a vendor — they genuinely understand the challenges of a US startup hiring in India for the first time. They guided us through every step without overwhelming us."
Talk to a Peple expert
Tell us about your team, your timeline, and what you've tried before. We'll give you a straight answer on whether we're the right fit — and what it'll cost.