Effred Technologies builds software and supplies engineers from Gurugram, four and a half hours ahead of London in summer. Here is how the hours work, how we invoice in pounds, and what UK GDPR asks of you before a team in India sees personal data.
A partner in India helps when you need capacity: more engineers than you can hire this quarter, a skill the team lacks, or a build that needs doing while everyone else keeps the lights on. We have done this work from Gurugram since 2010, for clients in 14 countries, and our teams overlap with European working hours.
India runs on IST (UTC+5:30) all year. The UK runs on GMT in winter and British Summer Time (UTC+1) from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October. So India is four and a half hours ahead in summer and five and a half in winter.
On a standard 9-to-6 day in India, your team is with you for your morning. Shifted hours are available for Europe, so the overlap can grow to most or all of the UK day:
| India working hours (IST) | Summer (BST) | Winter (GMT) |
|---|---|---|
| 9 am – 6 pm (standard) | 4.5 h (9 am – 1:30 pm) | 3.5 h (9 am – 12:30 pm) |
| 11 am – 8 pm | 6.5 h (9 am – 3:30 pm) | 5.5 h (9 am – 2:30 pm) |
| 1:30 pm – 10:30 pm | 9 h (the whole day) | 8 h (9 am – 5 pm) |
Only the UK changes its clocks, so the gap moves by an hour twice a year: in 2026 on 29 March and 25 October, and in 2027 on 28 March and 31 October. Put those dates in the team calendar and move recurring meetings with them.
A pattern that works well: stand-up and reviews in your morning, a written handover at the end of the India day, and your afternoon for review and questions. Agree the hours in the contract, along with both countries’ public holidays.
| Model | How it works | Best for | Typical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Staff augmentation | One or more people join your team. You direct the work; we handle contracts, salaries, equipment and compliance. | Filling a skill gap fast | From 1 person, monthly |
| Dedicated team | A full squad of engineers, QA and a lead, working only on your product. | New products and long roadmaps | From 3 people, quarterly |
| Project delivery | We build an agreed scope. A short paid discovery ends in a written plan and a fixed estimate; then you see working software every two weeks. | A product or system with a clear scope | Discovery in 1–2 weeks, then two-week sprints |
| Contract-to-hire | Work together first, then move the person to your own payroll on terms agreed upfront. | Key hires with less risk | 3–6 month trial |
You interview everyone on the shortlist yourself, and if someone is not a fit we replace them at no extra cost and manage the handover. Our guide to staff augmentation, dedicated teams and outsourcing compares the models in more depth.
If people in India will receive or see personal data that UK GDPR covers, you are making a restricted transfer. The ICO is clear that access counts, not just sending files: its own example is a UK business letting an Indian customer-services provider into its systems.
The ICO plans to update the IDTA and the Addendum during 2026. Until it does, keep using the current versions.
For your risk assessment, the Indian side helps. India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 switches off most of its duties for personal data of people outside India that an Indian company processes under a contract with a client abroad, but keeps the duty to protect it with reasonable security safeguards (sections 17(1)(d) and 8(5)). Those provisions take effect on 13 May 2027. In practice, your UK obligations and your contract set the rules.
This is a plain-language summary, not legal advice. Check the ICO’s current guidance, or ask your data protection officer, before personal data goes to India.
Comparing vendors? Our guide on how to choose a software development company in India lists the questions to ask each one.
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On a standard 9-to-6 day in India: four and a half hours in British Summer Time (9 am to 1:30 pm UK) and three and a half in winter (9 am to 12:30 pm). Shifted hours are available: an India day of 1:30 pm to 10:30 pm covers the whole UK day in summer.
Yes. We invoice in GBP, or in EUR, USD, AED or INR. Staff augmentation is one monthly invoice at a fixed rate per person, with no placement fee.
If the team will receive or access personal data covered by UK GDPR, yes, or the UK Addendum if you already use the EU standard contractual clauses. India has no UK adequacy regulations. Do a transfer risk assessment as well, and sign an Article 28 processor contract.
Yes. You get three to five vetted profiles with test results in about three working days, and you interview the shortlist before anyone starts. The person you choose usually starts within one to two weeks.
You do. Code, designs and documentation are yours, in your repositories, from day one. The NDA and IP assignment are signed before anyone has access.
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