India Market Research - Business Deck Help

India Market Research: Data & AI Delivery Talent, Costs, and Competitive Landscape Category: Market Research & Competitive Analysis Type: Fixed price Experience level: Expert About the project We are a US-based consulting group planning to establish a small data and AI engineering team in India. We have a working internal plan and a set of cost and market assumptions. We want those assumptions independently validated and challenged by someone who knows the Indian market properly — not confirmed. This is research and analysis work. We are not asking for legal, tax, or accounting advice. What we need 1. Compensation benchmarking Current 2026 salary bands (CTC, in INR) for the following profiles, with your sources and sample sizes stated: Senior data engineer, 6–9 years — Python, SQL, Spark, dbt, Airflow, one cloud warehouse Principal-level data consultant / data architect, 9–13 years — still hands-on, client-facing, has designed and delivered end-to-end platforms AI / LLM application engineer, 4–7 years — production RAG, agents, evaluation, MLOps Senior AI engineer with client-facing delivery experience, 6–9 years Chief of staff / business operations generalist, 4–8 years For each: the band at IT services firms, at GCCs, and at product companies or funded startups, shown separately. We are specifically interested in how far apart those three markets are for the same experience level, because that gap determines where an unbranded new company has to position. Also: typical employer cost loading over CTC (PF, gratuity, insurance, statutory, equipment, workspace) as a percentage, for a remote-first company with no leased office. 2. City comparison Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai. For each: Depth of the senior data and senior AI talent pools — approximate numbers where you can support them Salary differential against Bangalore as the baseline Annual attrition rates at senior levels Operating cost: coworking desk, typical internet and utilities stipend, local salary inflation trend A recommendation at the end with your reasoning, for a company hiring two to five senior people remote-first. 3. Competitive landscape Profiles of 8–12 India-based firms delivering data engineering and AI work to US clients — the tier that a US consultancy would engage as a delivery partner, not the large IT services firms. For each: approximate headcount, positioning, service mix, named clients where public, and any publicly discoverable pricing or rate structure. Where rates are not public, tell us that rather than estimating. Then: how do these firms typically price — hourly, monthly per seat, fixed-scope — and what is the prevailing structure for a US client engaging India-based data and AI delivery in 2026? 4. Talent market mapping For the senior data and senior AI profiles above: Roughly how many people in India fit each profile, and where do they currently work Which companies are the realistic sourcing pools What actually moves senior people — compensation, scope, equity, remote flexibility, client exposure — based on evidence rather than opinion Typical notice periods at this level, and how often buyouts are needed Realistic time-to-hire for each profile 5. Vendor shortlist with quotes Three options each, with indicative pricing: Chartered accountant / company secretary firms handling incorporation and ongoing compliance for foreign-owned subsidiaries Employer of Record providers operating in India Payroll and HR platforms suitable for a company under 20 people Technical recruitment agencies specialising in data and AI Fee structures and what is included. Contact details where available. Deliverables A written report, 15–25 pages, structured to the five sections above A spreadsheet containing the underlying data — salary bands, city comparison, competitor list, vendor quotes — so we can work with it directly A source list. Every significant figure traceable to something we can check How we will judge the work Sources over assertions. A number without a source is not useful to us. Where the data is thin, say so — "I could not verify this" is a valid and valued answer. Ranges with distribution, not single averages. The 25th and 75th percentile matter more than the mean. Disagreement is welcome. We have internal assumptions. If your research contradicts them, say so plainly and show the evidence. We are paying for accuracy, not agreement. No AI-generated filler. We will notice, and it's an immediate end to the engagement. One to Two weeks Please propose your own fixed price with a brief breakdown by section. To apply Skip the generic cover letter. Answer these four questions directly: Name three India-based firms that deliver data or AI engineering to US clients, and describe how each structures its pricing. What is your estimate of the current CTC band for a senior data engineer with 7 years' experience at a product company in Bangalore, and what is that based on? Which of the five sections above is hardest to research reliably, and how would you approach it? Share one prior piece of market research you have produced. A redacted sample is fine. We will shortlist on these answers alone.