Myths and Facts about Launching Corporate Office in India

With the growing number of customers in a particular country or region you couldn’t but think of launching a corporate office there. The benefits of having your local team, especially in APAC countries, are obvious: the mentality of people differs from country to country, and if you want to maintain the standards of your service and support this question becomes critical. But speaking from the firsthand experience of running such an office in India for more than a year, we can say that it can turn out pretty great.

Since Affise launched an Indian office in the beginning of 2017 we see the uprising interest to our product. The numbers speak for themselves: we have witnessed a 1500% increase in our business partnerships in India over the last 12 months. What’s more, the leading Indian digital journals, such as Techpcvipers.com, regularly include Affise in the lists of TOP affiliate marketing platforms in India. All these indicate Affise’s leadership position as the preferred partner for marketers and ad networks in India.

The number of Affise’s clients increased by 1500% over the last 12 months

How it all began

Seeing the interest to our product among Indian clients, we decided to test the waters first. That’s why in September 2016, we came to Gurgaon to attend India Affiliate Summit in order to check things out. The market was quite new to us, that’s why we didn’t expect so much out of this trip. But eventually, the conference was a real blast for us. We never saw such interest anywhere else and we got back home with the biggest number of contacts than we ever gathered at any other conference. And by the way, we attend more than 30 conferences yearly.

Hack №1

Whenever you’re asked at the Indian conferences whether you have an office in India or not, always say “Yes”. It will result in higher conversion rate of your potential customers.

In December 2016, we had a regular strategic session, when we came to the conclusion that India is a key market for Affise. Local mentality and rules left no choice but to open an office in India. Besides, Indian customers really love personal approach and communication. And as Affise has always been proud of our high service standards, we’ve decided that it’s critical for us to provide local and personalized Support and Customer Success teams in the same time zone to help our clients scale much faster.

Myth 1: There are no qualified professionals in India

First things first, this is probably the most popular myth there is about Indian labour market. Along with the growth of the market is increasing the professionalism of people who want to work in the industry. For example, when you are communicating with our team, you will never hear any accent, and their background in the industry helps them to support our clients efficiently, and advise on the latest affiliate trends.

As for us, it took one month to open the office in Gurgaon and find a great Head of office who started to assemble the team. And in just seven months we managed to put together a rockstar team of professionals with solid background in affiliate marketing.

Hack №2

The sign “We are hiring!” at your booth space at the affiliate conferences is a very efficient way to get a big pool of potential employees from the industry.

Affise at India Affiliate Summit 2016

Myth 2: Indian people are lazy and don’t want to work

Like in every country, the answer is case-specific and highly depends on the industry you are working in. As performance marketing is the industry where you just need to work hard to make success, the probability that someone unmotivated will come to the interview is very low.

Myth 3: India is teaming with Fraud, bots and low-quality traffic

With the growth of the market and the industry, the share of fraudulent traffic is getting down. More and more companies and services are coming to India aspiring to work with huge advertisers and professionals. That is why the quality of services delivered and the traffic itself is on the rise.

Instead of Conclusion

The Indian market is still developing and developing very fast. It’s without any doubts the fastest growing region in terms of digital and affiliate industry. And we’re so glad that we entered this market and are now able to serve the needs of the Indian market and help it grow.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is it true that companies only open corporate offices in India for cheap labor?

This is one of the most widespread myths regarding global business expansion. While cost efficiency is certainly a benefit, the primary driver for modern corporate offices in India is the exceptional quality of its talent pool. India produces a massive number of highly skilled engineers, tech innovators, and business leaders every year. Establishing a presence there allows companies to build robust, diverse teams that drive global strategy rather than just handle outsourced tasks. If your company is looking to attract top-tier international talent and foster a diverse workforce, you can explore the opportunities and culture on our global careers page.

2. Does the regulatory environment make it too difficult to launch a corporate office in India?

A common myth is that heavy bureaucracy and complex regulations make setting up a corporate office in India nearly impossible for foreign entities. In reality, the Indian government has significantly streamlined foreign direct investment (FDI) and simplified corporate registration processes in recent years. Initiatives designed to encourage global business have made it much easier for companies to establish their legal and operational frameworks quickly. Once your new office is legally set up, scaling your brand locally will require a tailored and data-driven approach. To help capture your new audience and expand your market share, you can learn how to implement growth marketing strategies effectively within the region.

3. Is India’s infrastructure capable of supporting a high-tech corporate environment?

Many people mistakenly assume that India lacks the digital infrastructure necessary to support advanced technology companies. The fact is that major metropolitan areas feature world-class IT parks and highly reliable connectivity designed specifically for international enterprises. Furthermore, India boasts an incredibly robust digital economy with a massive, mobile-first consumer base that is highly attractive to global tech firms. This advanced digital infrastructure presents a massive opportunity for tech-driven businesses looking to scale their operations internationally. To see how companies are successfully navigating and capitalizing on this mobile-first environment, check out this interview on mobile ad trends and market expansion.

Written by

Affise Academy

Affise Academy

Affise is a partner marketing platform for brands, advertisers and agencies to scale via all possible performance marketing channels. Synergy of technology and our long standing experience lets you expand your partnerships, automate every step of the campaign lifecycle and make data-driven decisions.

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