# The India Employee Benefits Stack

> India has three separate insurance obligations for employers, and most MNCs walking in discover at least one of them six months too late. This guide maps all three: what's legally required, what the talent market expects, and what your entity needs before it goes live. Benchmarks from Plum's own data, including The Standard of Employee Benefits 2026–27 (15,312 benefit plans).

By Akshay Golechha, Chief Business Officer at Plum (https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshaygolechha/). Published by Plum (https://www.plumhq.com), India's employee health benefits and insurance platform. Canonical: https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack. Updated 2026-10-07.

## Quick answers

### Which employee benefits are legally mandatory in India?

EPF for establishments with 20+ employees (12% of basic plus DA from the employer and 12% from the employee), ESI for establishments with 10+ employees covering staff earning up to ₹21,000 a month (3.25% employer, 0.75% employee), gratuity at 10+ employees after five continuous years of service (one year for fixed-term staff) at 15 days' last drawn salary per year, capped at ₹20 lakh, a statutory bonus of 8.33% to 20% for staff earning up to ₹21,000 a month at 20+ employees, employees' compensation for staff outside ESI, EDLI life cover of up to ₹7 lakh through EPFO, and 26 weeks of paid maternity leave for the first two children.

### Does India have a social security agreement with my country?

India has social security agreements in force with Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea, Switzerland and the United Kingdom (from 15 July 2026), among others. Staff seconded from those countries with a certificate of coverage can stay in their home scheme and are exempt from Indian EPF for the detachment period. There is no agreement in force with the United States, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Kenya or the Maldives, so assignees from there contribute to EPF on full salary from day one. India and Poland signed an agreement in November 2024 that is not yet in force.

### What employee benefits do MNCs and GCCs offer in India?

According to Plum's The Standard of Employee Benefits 2026–27, based on 15,312 benefit plans, the median MNC or GCC in India offers ₹7,50,000 of group health cover that includes parents or in-laws, ₹1,00,000 maternity cover, no copays or sub-limits and group personal accident, plus telehealth, health checkups, OPD and mental wellness. Median spend per employee is about 1.6× a funded Indian startup and nearly 3× a local Indian business.

### Is group health insurance mandatory for employers in India?

No. Above the ₹21,000 ESI wage ceiling an employer's statutory health obligation is zero, and no regulator will fine you for skipping group health insurance. But candidates hired at ₹8 LPA and above check for it, so MNC subsidiaries treat it as part of the offer. A group policy needs at least 7 employees with most insurers.

### What sum insured do MNC subsidiaries in India offer?

The median MNC or GCC subsidiary in India offers ₹7,50,000 of group health cover, including parents or in-laws, according to Plum's The Standard of Employee Benefits 2026–27. Across all Indian companies the median is ₹5,00,000, the 90th percentile is ₹10,00,000 for companies with up to 250 employees, and global startups in India carry ₹10,00,000.

### Is group health insurance taxable for employees in India?

No, under either tax regime. The premium is deductible for the employer under Section 36(1)(ib) of the 1961 Act when paid by any mode other than cash, and it is not treated as a perquisite, so it does not increase the employee's taxable income. Group health premiums carry 18% GST: the GST exemption of 22 September 2025 covers individual policies only.

### Does basic pay have to be 50% of salary under the new labour codes?

Not as such. Under the Code on Wages, 2019, in force from 21 November 2025, if the allowances excluded from the definition of wages (such as HRA, conveyance and LTA) together exceed 50% of an employee's total remuneration, the excess is added back into wages for EPF, gratuity and other statutory calculations. The base is total remuneration, not CTC, and allowances that are not excluded, such as a special allowance, already count as wages.

### In what order should a new India entity buy insurance?

In three phases. At entity registration: D&O liability (directors are exposed from the CIN date), plus professional indemnity, CGL, cyber, property and employees' compensation as contracts and leases require. With the first hires: group health from 7 employees, group personal accident and group term life, then ESI registration within 15 days and gratuity once you reach 10 employees. From 20 employees: EPF registration within 30 days and the statutory bonus.

### Are meal vouchers tax-free under the new tax regime?

Yes, from 1 April 2026. The Income-tax Rules, 2026 raised the limit from ₹50 to ₹200 a meal and dropped the bar on new-regime employees, so meals at work, non-transferable meal vouchers and prepaid meal cards are tax-free under both regimes: about ₹8,800 a month at two meals a working day. A cash meal allowance is still taxable.

### Which cities get the 50% HRA exemption?

From FY 2026-27, eight: Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, plus Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Ahmedabad, which the Income-tax Rules, 2026 added. Elsewhere the limit is 40% of basic salary. The HRA exemption applies only to employees on the old tax regime.

## Country guides

- [The India Employee Benefits Stack for US companies](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/united-states) (Markdown: https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/united-states.md)
- [The India Employee Benefits Stack for UK companies](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/united-kingdom) (Markdown: https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/united-kingdom.md)
- [The India Employee Benefits Stack for Japanese companies](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/japan) (Markdown: https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/japan.md)
- [The India Employee Benefits Stack for German companies](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/germany) (Markdown: https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/germany.md)
- [The India Employee Benefits Stack for Singapore companies](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/singapore) (Markdown: https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/singapore.md)
- [The India Employee Benefits Stack for Dutch companies](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/netherlands) (Markdown: https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/netherlands.md)
- [The India Employee Benefits Stack for French companies](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/france) (Markdown: https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/france.md)
- [The India Employee Benefits Stack for Korean companies](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/south-korea) (Markdown: https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/south-korea.md)
- [The India Employee Benefits Stack for UAE companies](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/uae) (Markdown: https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/uae.md)
- [The India Employee Benefits Stack for Swiss companies](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/switzerland) (Markdown: https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/switzerland.md)
- [The India Employee Benefits Stack for Canadian companies](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/canada) (Markdown: https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/canada.md)
- [The India Employee Benefits Stack for Australian companies](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/australia) (Markdown: https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/australia.md)
- [The India Employee Benefits Stack for Chinese companies](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/china) (Markdown: https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/china.md)
- [The India Employee Benefits Stack for Belgian companies](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/belgium) (Markdown: https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/belgium.md)
- [The India Employee Benefits Stack for Finnish companies](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/finland) (Markdown: https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/finland.md)
- [The India Employee Benefits Stack for Austrian companies](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/austria) (Markdown: https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/austria.md)
- [The India Employee Benefits Stack for Saudi companies](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/saudi-arabia) (Markdown: https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/saudi-arabia.md)
- [The India Employee Benefits Stack for Polish companies](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/poland) (Markdown: https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/poland.md)
- [The India Employee Benefits Stack for Hong Kong companies](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/hong-kong) (Markdown: https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/hong-kong.md)
- [The India Employee Benefits Stack for Mexican companies](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/mexico) (Markdown: https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/mexico.md)
- [The India Employee Benefits Stack for Kenyan companies](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/kenya) (Markdown: https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/kenya.md)
- [The India Employee Benefits Stack for Maldivian companies](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/maldives) (Markdown: https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/maldives.md)

## Benchmarks: what MNCs and GCCs offer in India

From [The Standard of Employee Benefits 2026–27](https://www.plumhq.com/standard-of-employee-benefits), Plum's report on 15,312 benefit plans, 5,20,100 claims and 74,543 checkups from Plum's FY26 book.

- **1.6×** MNC and GCC benefits spend per employee in India, against a funded Indian startup (nearly 3× a local Indian business). ([source](https://www.plumhq.com/standard-of-employee-benefits#s2-3))
- **43%** of MNCs and GCCs in India are Holistic Leaders: deep insurance plus real breadth of healthcare beside it. ([source](https://www.plumhq.com/standard-of-employee-benefits#s2-3))
- **₹7,50,000** median MNC/GCC sum insured, covering parents or in-laws, with ₹1,00,000 maternity cover and no copays or sub-limits. ([source](https://www.plumhq.com/standard-of-employee-benefits#s2-3))
- **~2%** of payroll buys India's top-quartile plan, against roughly 15% in the US, 10–25% across Europe and 8–15% across APAC. ([source](https://www.plumhq.com/standard-of-employee-benefits#s2-3-coverage))

## Further reading on plumhq.com

- [The Standard of Employee Benefits 2026–27](https://www.plumhq.com/standard-of-employee-benefits): Benchmarks from 15,312 Indian benefit plans and 5.2 lakh claims: sum insured, parents, maternity, OPD.
- [Employee benefits in India: the complete 2026 guide](https://www.plumhq.com/library/employee-benefits-in-india): Every statutory and voluntary benefit for Indian employers, with rates, thresholds and tax treatment.
- [What the 2025 labour codes mean for workplaces](https://www.plumhq.com/blog/new-labour-code): The four codes in force since 21 November 2025, and what employers change first.
- [How to calculate gratuity in India](https://www.plumhq.com/blog/how-to-calculate-gratuity): Formulas, worked examples and a free calculator.
- [Group insurance vs ESI: a guide for employers](https://www.plumhq.com/blog/group-insurance-vs-esi-employers-guide): Who must be in ESI, and where group health insurance takes over.
- [GMC policy: what group medical cover includes](https://www.plumhq.com/blog/gmc-policy): Coverage, sum insured and the add-ons Indian employees expect.
- [Does group health insurance cover pregnancy?](https://www.plumhq.com/blog/does-health-insurance-cover-pregnancy): Maternity cover, waiting periods and the limits employers set.
- [Group term life (GTL) insurance explained](https://www.plumhq.com/blog/what-is-gtl-insurance): How employer-paid life cover works in India and how it is taxed.
- [Flexible benefit plans (FBP) in India](https://www.plumhq.com/blog/what-are-flexible-benefit-plans-fbp-india): Structuring the allowance side of CTC.
- [OPD benefits in employee health plans](https://www.plumhq.com/blog/opd-benefits-employee-health-plans): Outpatient cover: when to add it and how to design it.
- [How Plum works with MNCs in India](https://www.plumhq.com/mnc-solution): One IRDAI-licensed broker for health, life, accident and business cover.

## Parts, one file each

- [Part 1 – Employee Benefits: What employee benefits are legally mandatory in India?](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/md/statutory.md)
- [Part 2 – Group Health Insurance: Group health insurance for MNCs in India](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/md/group-health.md)
- [Part 3 – Business Insurance (Non-EB): What business insurance does a new India entity need?](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/md/business.md)
- [Part 4 – Beyond Insurance: The benefits your team will actually notice](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/md/beyond.md)
- [Part 5 – Setup Stage: In what order should a new India entity buy insurance?](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/md/by-setup.md)
- [Part 6 – Sector Notes: What your sector adds to the universal stack](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/md/sector.md)
- [Part 7 – City Guide: How do employee benefit benchmarks differ across Indian cities?](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/md/city.md)
- [Part 8 – Checklist: The pre-operations checklist](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/md/checklist.md)
- [Part 9 – Tax Guide: How are employee benefits taxed in India?](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/md/tax.md)
- [Part 10 – Leave & Policies: Leave entitlements and what global MNCs typically add on top](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/md/leave.md)
- [Part 11 – Allowances & CTC: How should an MNC structure India CTC under the new labour codes?](https://www.plumhq.com/india-benefits-stack/md/allowances.md)

---

- **Regulatory body:** IRDAI (Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India)
- **Labour code effective:** New Labour Codes operative from November 21, 2025
- **GST on group health:** 18% on employer group health policies (individual policies are exempt since 22 September 2025)
- **Min. group health size:** 7 employees to qualify for a group policy under most insurers
- **India median sum insured:** ₹5,00,000 – global startups in India carry ₹10,00,000
- **Claims data source:** 18,000+ claims + 4,500+ plans analysed by Plum (Jan '23–Jan '24)

Part 1 – Employee Benefits

## What employee benefits are legally mandatory in India?

Seven benefits are mandatory once an Indian entity crosses their thresholds: EPF (20+ employees), ESI (10+ employees, for staff earning up to ₹21,000 a month), gratuity (10+ employees), statutory bonus (20+ employees, for staff earning up to ₹21,000 a month), employees' compensation, EDLI life cover through EPFO, and 26 weeks of paid maternity leave. Each has its own registration deadline, filing cadence and penalty. Registration is procedural. What catches MNCs out is the sequencing.

⚑

**Labour Codes, effective 21 November 2025:** four codes consolidated 29 prior laws. Under the definition of “wages” in the Code on Wages, 2019, if the allowances excluded from that definition together exceed 50% of an employee's total remuneration, the excess is added back into wages for EPF, gratuity and other statutory calculations. In practice this ends the structure most Indian packages were built on, where basic plus DA sat at 30 to 40% and allowances carried the rest. Fixed-term employees now earn gratuity after one year of contract service instead of five. Restructure payroll before your first hire, not after.

| Scheme | Who it applies to | Employer contribution | Employee contribution | What it covers |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **EPF** · Employees' Provident Fund | Establishments with 20+ employees. Employees earning basic+DA up to ₹15,000/month | 12% of basic+DA (8.33% → EPS, balance → EPF) | 12% of basic+DA | Retirement savings, withdrawable for housing/medical |
| **ESI** · Employees' State Insurance | Establishments with 10+ employees. Employees earning ≤₹21,000/month gross | 3.25% of gross wages | 0.75% of gross wages | Medical care, sickness cash benefit, maternity, occupational injury. *Note: ESI discharges the employer's statutory medical care duty for employees at or below ₹21,000/month. Above that threshold there is no statutory health obligation at all, which is the gap group health insurance fills voluntarily.* |
| **Gratuity** · Code on Social Security, 2020 (formerly the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972) | Establishments with 10+ employees. Employee eligible after 5 continuous years (1 year for fixed-term post-2025 reforms) | 15 days' last drawn salary × years of service. Capped at ₹20 lakh | Nil | Lump-sum on resignation, retirement, death, or disability |
| **Workmen's Compensation / EC** · Code on Social Security, 2020 (formerly the Employees' Compensation Act, 1923) | All employees not covered by ESI, typically those earning above the ESI threshold or in non-ESI-notified areas | Employer bears full cost of insurance premium | Nil | Compensation for occupational injury, partial/permanent disability, death in course of employment |
| **EDLI** · Employees' Deposit Linked Insurance | All EPF-covered employees (administered via EPFO) | 0.5% of basic wages (capped at ₹75/month per employee) | Nil | Life insurance cover of up to ₹7 lakh payable to nominee on death in service |
| **Maternity benefit** · Code on Social Security, 2020 (formerly the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961) | Establishments with 10+ employees. Women employees with 80+ days of work in past 12 months | Full pay for 26 weeks (first two children); 12 weeks for third child onwards | Nil (ESI-covered employees receive benefit via ESIC instead) | Paid maternity leave; nursing breaks; crèche obligation for 50+ employee establishments |
| **Statutory bonus** · Code on Wages, 2019 (formerly the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965) | Establishments with 20+ employees. Employees earning up to ₹21,000/month who have worked 30+ days in the year | 8.33% to 20% of wages, calculated on ₹7,000/month or the minimum wage, whichever is higher | Nil | Annual cash bonus, payable within 8 months of the close of the accounting year |

**Who does this in practice.** Plum is an IRDAI-licensed direct broker authorised for both life and general insurance, so a single relationship covers every line described above, on one renewal cycle with one claims contact. It administers benefits for more than 500 MNC entities in India, including master policy structures where a global parent governs plan design across markets. Median cashless pre-authorisation runs 45 minutes and claims NPS is 79. For an entity being set up now, the practical starting point is sequencing the registrations above against your first payroll run, so that nothing in the table is filed late.

Part 2 – Group Health Insurance

## Group health insurance for MNCs in India

Group health insurance is voluntary in Indian law but expected in practice: candidates hired at ₹8 LPA and above check for it, most insurers need a group of at least 7, and the median MNC or GCC subsidiary covers ₹7,50,000 including parents or in-laws. The voluntary stack has four parts: group health (GHI), group personal accident (GPA), group term life (GTL) and OPD or wellness cover.

### What group insurance do MNC subsidiaries in India actually offer?

The stack your candidates already expect

None of these are legally required. No regulator will fine you for skipping them. But every credible candidate you recruit at ₹8 LPA and above will check for them. Candidates from IT, BFSI, and consulting arrive with a clear mental model of what a serious employer carries. This is the actual floor, and it's higher than the compliance floor.

🏥

#### Group Health Insurance (GHI)

Floater or individual sum insured; employee + dependents

Recommended GCC standard

Who needs it

Any employer whose workforce sits above the ₹21,000/month ESI threshold, which is most MNC white-collar hires. ESI covers medical needs for lower-wage employees; above that ceiling, your statutory health obligation is zero. GHI fills that gap.

Minimum group size

7 employees to qualify for a standard group policy. Below this, insurers require individual retail policies (30–50% higher premium, with waiting periods).

What it covers

Inpatient hospitalisation, pre-existing conditions from day one (the waiting period is usually waived in group plans), maternity, daycare procedures, cashless claims at network hospitals. Family floater typically covers spouse and two children; parents as opt-in top-up.

What good looks like

MNC and GCC median: ₹7,50,000 with parents covered (The Standard of Employee Benefits 2026–27). India median: ₹5,00,000. Global startups in India: ₹10,00,000. The 90th percentile is ₹10,00,000 up to 250 employees and ₹8,00,000 above, so a small company can match or beat a large one if it chooses to.

IRDAI 2024 changes

Pre-existing disease waiting periods are now capped at 36 months, down from 48. Moratorium reduced from 8 to 5 years. Insurers can no longer refuse a new health policy on age alone. Group plans typically cover pre-existing conditions from day one, which keeps group cover materially more valuable than a retail policy – but day-one PED cover is market practice negotiated at placement, not a regulatory guarantee, so get it in writing.

Tax

Deductible for the employer under Section 36(1)(ib) when paid other than in cash, and not a perquisite for the employee. 18% GST applies: the exemption of 22 September 2025 covers individual policies only. Detail in Part 9.

Insurer options

ICICI Lombard HDFC ERGO Bajaj General Insurance Star Health Niva Bupa Aditya Birla Health Insurance

🛡️

#### Group Personal Accident (GPA)

Accidental death, disability, income replacement

Recommended

What it covers

Accidental death at 5–10× CTC, permanent total and partial disability, weekly income replacement for temporary disablement. Often includes a medical expense reimbursement component.

Relation to WC/EC

GPA provides broader cover than mandatory Workmen's Compensation: it covers non-occupational accidents and is not restricted to the workplace. MNCs typically hold both.

Why it matters

EDLI under EPF maxes out at ₹7 lakh, less than one year's salary for most MNC hires. GPA is what makes the accidental death benefit credible. At the 90th percentile, companies offer ₹50,00,000 or 5–10× CTC.

💼

#### Group Term Life (GTL)

Death benefit; employer-paid life cover

Recommended GCC standard

Typical structure

Death-in-service benefit of 3–5× annual CTC, fully employer-paid. No medical underwriting for groups of sufficient size. Often extended to include a critical illness or accidental death rider.

Where adoption stands

Only 8% of companies under 100 employees carry GTL, against 76% at 750+. Global startups in India sit at 30%, well behind their own GHI provision. GTL is where most MNCs have a gap, and at sub-100 headcount it is where the smallest spend buys the largest differentiation against what your candidates are being offered elsewhere.

🩺

#### OPD / Wellness Benefits

Outpatient, mental health, preventive care

Recommended

What it covers

Outpatient consultations, diagnostics, pharmacy reimbursements, mental health support, telemedicine access, annual preventive check-ups. These are the benefits employees use every year, not once in a decade.

Where adoption stands

9% of sub-100 companies offer OPD; 60% of 750+ companies do. Global startups in India are already at 60%, 3.75 times the India median of 16%. The gap is closing fast.

### How to buy a group health policy

How to actually purchase a group health insurance policy in India

Most MNC HR teams have bought insurance before – just not in India. The process here is broker-led, underwriter-reviewed, and more document-intensive than most markets. Knowing what's coming at each stage means your first policy lands before your first hire, not three weeks after.

#### Form fill to policy issuance: the five stages

End to end typically takes 7–14 working days for a new group. Renewals move faster.

Group health insurance in India is not bought off a shelf. Every policy is underwritten individually based on your group's size, demographics, location mix, and – for renewals – claims history. A broker sits between you and the insurer, structures the proposal, negotiates terms, and manages the relationship through the policy year. Choosing the right broker matters more than choosing the right insurer, because the broker determines what you get quoted, what sub-limits get negotiated, and how fast claims move when your employees need them.

#### Stage 1 – Form fill and brief

You share your workforce composition with the broker: total headcount, employee grades or salary bands if SI is CTC-linked, city mix, desired family definition (E / ESC / ESCP), target sum insured, and any specific coverage requirements (maternity limit, OPD, modern treatments, parental copay structure). For Plum, this begins with a short form and a meeting with the sales team who benchmarks your requirements against 500+ MNC policies already on the platform.

#### Stage 2 – Quote request and plan design

The broker submits a request for quotation (RFQ) to the insurer panel. For a new group, insurers quote based on the employee data sheet and the benefit structure specified. Plum's panel includes ICICI Lombard, HDFC ERGO, Bajaj General Insurance, Star Health, Niva Bupa, and Aditya Birla Health Insurance. The broker presents options across insurers – typically three to five configurations at different price points – with a recommendation based on your workforce profile, city network adequacy, and claims service track record.

#### Stage 3 – Proposal

Once you select a configuration, the broker prepares a formal proposal to the chosen insurer. This includes the signed proposal form, the employee data sheet, and supporting KYC documents for the entity. For groups above 50 lives, some insurers require a medical questionnaire or health declaration from employees – though Plum's group policies typically waive individual medical underwriting at this stage. The proposal is the binding document that triggers underwriting review.

#### Stage 4 – Underwriting

The insurer reviews the proposal and issues terms. For groups under 50 lives, underwriting is typically straightforward and takes 2–4 working days. For larger groups or those with pre-existing claims history, the insurer may request additional information: salary data to verify SI multiples, previous policy documents, or a claims loss ratio if porting from another insurer. Premium is confirmed at this stage. Any negotiated concessions – waiver of waiting periods, enhanced sub-limits, parental copay structure – are locked into the policy wording.

#### Stage 5 – Policy issuance and digital onboarding

On receipt of premium, the insurer issues the master policy document. Coverage begins from the policy start date – pre-existing conditions are usually covered from day one under group policies, unlike retail plans, but confirm the waiver is written into the policy. The broker then handles employee onboarding: digital enrolment via a platform or app, health ID generation, and insurer network access. With Plum, 95% of employees and their families enrol within 7 working days. Health IDs are available within 4 hours of enrolment and accessible on the Plum app and via WhatsApp.

ℹ

**On timing:** start the buying process at least 3 weeks before your intended policy start date. If you're hiring your first India employees and need coverage from day one of their employment, factor this into your entity setup timeline. Coverage cannot be backdated.

#### What you need to have ready before submitting a proposal

Split into company documents and employee data. Missing either delays underwriting.

Document requirements vary slightly by insurer and group size, but the core set is consistent across the market. Prepare these before your first broker conversation – not after you've selected a policy configuration – so underwriting can move immediately once you commit.

#### Company documents

-   Certificate of Incorporation (COI) or Certificate of Commencement of Business
-   Company PAN card
-   GST registration certificate
-   KYC of authorised signatory: PAN + Aadhaar or passport
-   Board resolution or letter of authority authorising the signatory to purchase insurance on behalf of the company
-   Registered office address proof (utility bill, lease agreement, or government-issued document)
-   Previous policy documents if porting from another insurer or renewing
-   Claims loss ratio for previous policy year if group is 50+ lives (insurer-requested, not always mandatory)

#### Employee data sheet

-   Employee full name (as per PAN or passport)
-   Date of birth
-   Gender
-   Employee ID or staff number
-   Designation or grade (required if sum insured is grade-linked)
-   Date of joining
-   City or office location
-   Dependent details: name, date of birth, relationship – for each dependent to be covered
-   Nominee name and relationship (for GTL, if being placed simultaneously)

⚠

**For foreign national employees:** passport number substitutes for PAN in the employee data sheet at enrolment. However, PAN is required for TDS and payroll compliance separately. Initiate PAN applications for foreign nationals at or before joining – the 2–4 week processing time affects more than just insurance.

ℹ

**For dependents residing outside India:** coverage for overseas-resident dependents is generally not available under Indian group health policies, which are governed by IRDAI and cover treatment at Indian hospitals. If an MNC employee's spouse or parents are based outside India, they will need coverage under the country of residence's insurance framework. Confirm this with your broker at plan design stage, not at claims time.

#### What to check before signing – the terms first-time buyers miss

The quoted premium is only part of the picture. These are the policy wording details that determine what your employees can actually claim.

Indian group health policy documents run to 40–80 pages. Most HR teams read the summary schedule and sign. The clauses that cause problems at claims time are rarely in the schedule – they're in the policy wording, and they're negotiable at proposal stage in ways they are not once the policy is issued.

#### Room rent sub-limit

Many standard policies cap room rent reimbursement at 1–2% of sum insured per day. A ₹5L policy with a 1% room rent cap allows ₹5,000/day – which covers a single room in a mid-tier hospital but not a private room in a top-tier hospital in Mumbai or Bangalore. When room rent is capped, proportional deductions apply to all other treatment costs in that hospitalisation. This one clause reduces effective coverage significantly. Check whether your policy is room-rent-capped and negotiate it out at proposal stage.

#### Pre-existing disease treatment

Group policies usually cover pre-existing conditions from day one – this is one of the most valuable features of employer-sponsored GHI vs retail. However, some policies include specific disease waiting periods for listed conditions (hernia, cataract, joint replacement) even when the general PED waiver is granted. Read the specific disease exclusion list in the policy wording and ensure these are waived or minimised, particularly for a workforce with older dependents.

#### Network adequacy by city

Cashless hospitalisation is available only at the insurer's empanelled network hospitals. Network coverage varies significantly by city and by insurer. An insurer with strong Mumbai and Delhi network coverage may have thin coverage in Pune or Ahmedabad. If your workforce is spread across cities, ask the broker for the insurer's network list in each of your locations before selecting. Check specifically for the hospitals your employees are most likely to use – people have existing relationships with specific hospitals and doctors, and network mismatch is a claims friction point.

#### Maternity sub-limit and waiting period

Standard policies impose a 9-month waiting period for maternity claims. Group policies can waive this – and for MNCs with a young workforce, they should. Confirm the waiting period is explicitly waived in the policy schedule. Also check: whether the maternity sub-limit covers both normal delivery and C-section at the amounts your workforce actually needs (market rate: ₹1L normal, ₹1.25L C-section), whether newborn cover is included from day one, and whether the maternity limit is inside or outside the family floater sum insured.

#### Copay structure

Some policies include a mandatory copay – typically 10–20% of each claim – which reduces insurer liability and lowers the premium. A parental copay (applied only to parent claims) is a common cost-sharing mechanism. Before accepting a copay structure, understand its effect on employee experience: employees with a copay make smaller claims and may defer treatment. If you're introducing copay for cost reasons, a parental copay only is less disruptive than a blanket copay. Copay percentages and applicability should be clearly defined in the policy schedule, not just the wording.

#### Mid-term additions and deletions

New employees added to the policy mid-year are typically covered from the date of joining (or endorsement date, depending on the policy). Understand the endorsement process: how additions and deletions are submitted, what the processing time is, and whether coverage is retroactive to the employee's start date or from the endorsement date only. With Plum, mid-year additions and deletions are handled digitally with no paperwork – employees add their own details via the app, and endorsements are processed with the insurer automatically.

#### What happens at renewal – and what you can change

Renewal is when most MNCs either fix what went wrong in year one or lock in the same mistakes for another year.

Group health policies run on a 12-month cycle. Renewal typically begins 60 days before expiry – the broker requests a claims loss ratio from the insurer, benchmarks it against the market, and negotiates the renewal premium. For a new India entity in its first policy year, you won't have claims data to negotiate with. By renewal, you will.

#### What the insurer looks at

Claims loss ratio (CLR): total claims paid divided by premium collected. A CLR below 70% is favourable – you're likely to see flat or reduced rates at renewal. A CLR above 100% means the insurer paid out more than they received, and renewal will come with a rate increase or a request to restructure the policy. Your broker should show you your CLR and benchmark it against the insurer's overall book – a high CLR on your account but a profitable overall book gives you more negotiating room than the reverse.

#### What you can change at renewal

Renewal is the right time to restructure your plan: increase sum insured, add or remove OPD riders, change the family definition, introduce or remove parental copay, add modern treatment coverage, or switch insurers entirely. Switching insurers at renewal is common and not disruptive with a good broker – your employee data migrates to the new policy and coverage is continuous. Benefits that were add-ons in year one can be made standard in year two based on utilisation data.

#### Plum's renewal intelligence

Plum flags anomalies in claims data, benchmarks your renewal quote against market rates across its 500+ MNC client base, and identifies where you're overpaying or underinsured before you sign. Renewal surprises – premium spikes, mid-year rate revisions, insurer-side policy changes – are flagged in advance rather than discovered at signing. This is particularly valuable for India-entry MNCs whose HQ may not have visibility into whether the renewal terms are reasonable for the market.

#### HRIS integration at renewal

Plum integrates with Workday, Oracle, BambooHR, Darwinbox, and 30+ other HRIS platforms. At renewal, employee additions, deletions, and data changes sync automatically rather than requiring a manual data refresh. For MNCs managing India headcount from a global HRIS, this eliminates the annual spreadsheet exercise that most India HR teams dread. Endorsements through the year are handled by the same integration – no separate manual process for new joiners or exits.

⚑

**Ready to get a policy in place?** Plum's sales team works specifically with MNCs and GCCs entering India. The process starts with a short brief – workforce size, city mix, target coverage – and Plum benchmarks your requirements against 500+ MNC policies before recommending a plan. [Talk to the team at plumhq.com/get-quote.](https://www.plumhq.com/get-quote)

### How do India benefits compare to global standards?

What your candidates are comparing you against

The table below maps India Inc's median against what global startups operating in India actually carry. These are international companies that set up India entities and brought their home-country benefit standards with them. This is the cohort setting the expectations of the talent you're recruiting.

ℹ

**The budget gap is smaller than most people expect:** about 2% of payroll buys India's top-quartile plan, against roughly 15% in the US, 10–25% across Europe and 8–15% across APAC (The Standard of Employee Benefits 2026–27). Closing the gap between India median and global standard doesn't require matching those budgets. It requires designing the plan better and choosing the right broker.

| Dimension | India Inc (median) | Global startups in India |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Median sum insured** | ₹5,00,000 | ₹10,00,000 |
| **Policy structure** | Employee, Spouse, Child | Employee, Spouse, Child, Parents |
| **Maternity benefits** | 60% of companies offer it; avg cover ₹60,000 | 95% of companies offer it; avg cover ₹1,00,000 |
| **OPD & pharmacy** | 16% of companies offer it | 60% of companies offer it |
| **Modern treatments** | 70% include them | 95% include them |
| **Inclusive benefits** · LGBTQ+, gender affirmation, infertility | <10% of companies | 80% of companies |
| **Employer-sponsored primary healthcare** | 18% of companies | 80% of companies |
| **Group personal accident** | 45% of companies | 60% of companies |
| **Group term life** | 14% of companies | 30% of companies |

Source: Plum State of Employee Benefits 2024. Analysis of 4,500+ employee healthcare plans.

## What is the benchmark sum insured for a 50-person India subsidiary?

For a 50-person subsidiary the benchmark is ₹5,00,000 at the median and ₹10,00,000 at the 90th percentile, the figures for Indian companies with 2–100 employees. MNC and GCC subsidiaries carry a median of ₹7,50,000 with parents covered. Your candidates have worked at Indian companies before; the table shows what those companies carry at each size.

| Benefit | 2–100 employees | 101–250 employees | 251–750 employees | 750+ employees |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Median sum insured | ₹5,00,000 | ₹5,00,000 | ₹5,00,000 | ₹5,00,000 |
| 90th percentile SI | ₹10,00,000 | ₹10,00,000 | ₹8,00,000 | ₹8,00,000 |
| Family structure (most common) | ESC (45%) | ESC (47%) | ESC (42%) | ESCP (64%) |
| Maternity cover offered | 59% of companies; limit ₹50,000 | 83% of companies; limit ₹75,000 | 94% of companies; limit ₹75,000 | 67% of companies; limit ₹50,000 |
| OPD benefits offered | 9% | 14% | 35% | 60% |
| Group personal accident | 36% | 52% | 75% | 76% |
| Group term life | 8% · ₹10–25L range | 15% · ₹25–50L range | 60% · ₹30–50L range | 76% · ₹30L–₹1Cr range |
| No copay on GHI | 79% | 74% | 62% | 80% |

Source: Plum State of Employee Benefits 2024. ESC = Employee + Spouse + Children. ESCP = ESC + Parents.

### Who claims the most on Indian group health policies?

Where the money actually goes when claims come in

Most MNCs buy group health insurance thinking of it as employee cover. In practice, 40% of all claim value flows to employees' parents. That single fact changes how you should structure your policy, your sub-limits, and your parental cover decision. Data from 18,000+ claims on Plum's platform, January 2023 to January 2024.

#### Claims by relationship to employee

Parent

40% avg ₹73,000

Self

29% avg ₹58,000

Spouse

18% avg ₹55,000

Sibling

11% avg ₹59,000

Child

2% avg ₹41,000

#### Top five causes of employee claims

Delivery & postnatal complications

12%

Infectious & viral diseases

8%

Cancer

5%

Cataracts

4%

Respiratory illnesses

3%

⚠

**On parental cover:** parents generate the highest average claim at ₹73,000. Retail health policies carry PED waiting periods of up to 36 months, making employer-facilitated group cover far more valuable for ageing parents than anything an employee can buy independently. If you're cutting costs, a voluntary opt-in parental plan is a better choice than removing cover entirely. Employees pay the premium; you carry the group rate.

### Maternity cover in depth

The benefit most MNCs underprice, and why it matters

Delivery and postnatal complications are the single largest cause of group health claims in India: 12% of all claims. Most corporate policies offer maternity sub-limits that don't cover the actual cost of a normal delivery, let alone a C-section or NICU stay. This is the gap your team will notice fastest.

₹1L

Average cost of normal delivery in urban India

₹1.25L

Average cost of C-section in urban India

₹10K+

NICU costs per day in urban private hospitals

15%

Of pregnancies develop a potentially life-threatening complication (WHO)

<15%

Of Indian companies offer maternity cover above ₹1,00,000

| Benefit | Market median | What leading employers offer | Why it matters |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Maternity sub-limit** | ₹50,000 | ₹1,00,000+ | Median limit doesn't cover a normal delivery; MNCs should target ₹1L (normal) / ₹1.25L (C-section) |
| **Newborn cover** | 60% of companies include it | Covered from day one | NICU costs exceed ₹10,000/day in urban hospitals |
| **Maternity complications** | <20% of companies | Covered up to full sum insured | WHO puts the share of pregnancies that develop a potentially life-threatening complication requiring skilled care at around 15%. Not covered unless explicitly called out in the policy. |
| **Pre & post-natal expenses** | 50% of companies | Up to ₹1,00,000 OPD + IPD basis | Checkups, medicines, therapy, vaccinations over 9 months add up significantly |
| **Infertility treatments (IVF, egg freezing)** | <5% of companies | Included in policy construct | ICMR estimates that 10 to 15% of Indian couples of reproductive age experience infertility; IVF costs average ₹1,50,000 per cycle |
| **Miscarriage & abortion** | <10% of companies | Covered within maternity limit | Abortion costs up to ₹40,000 |

ℹ

**What to ask your broker:** request the specific sub-limit for normal delivery vs C-section separately, confirm newborn cover from day one, and check whether pregnancy complications are covered up to full sum insured or capped within the maternity limit. If your team skews young, these numbers matter more than your headline sum insured.

**Where to start.** Benchmark against companies of your headcount in your hiring cities, the data in the tables above, before you ask for quotes.

Part 3 – Business Insurance (Non-EB)

## What business insurance does a new India entity need?

A new India entity typically needs directors' and officers' liability (D&O) from incorporation, professional indemnity and commercial general liability once it signs clients, cyber cover once it processes personal data, and property cover for its lease; crime and public liability cover are sector-specific. Several of these are required before your first client contract is signed, your first office lease is executed or your first board meeting is held. This stack is separate from employee benefits and is often the one India-entry teams leave until last.

### Directors & Officers Liability (D&O)

*Recommended · GCC standard.* Personal liability protection for leadership

#### What D&O covers

Defence costs, settlements, and judgments from wrongful-acts claims by employees, shareholders, creditors, or regulators. Covers mismanagement, breach of fiduciary duty, and employment practices violations for named directors.

#### Indian regulatory basis

The Companies Act 2013 places no bar on indemnifying directors. The premium is not classified as remuneration unless the director is found guilty of negligence or misfeasance, at which point the policy's fraud exclusion would apply in any case.

#### What D&O excludes

Fraud, wilful criminal acts, fines and penalties, anti-competitive behaviour, bodily injury to employees (covered under WC), professional errors by the entity (covered under PI).

#### Buy it before the first board meeting

Directors are personally exposed from the day your CIN is issued, before you hire staff or sign a single client. Most MNCs extend a global D&O programme to India via a difference-in-conditions local placement, but verify that India is explicitly covered; many global programmes have territorial carve-outs.

### Professional Indemnity (PI) / E&O

*Sector-specific · GCC standard.* Errors, omissions, professional negligence

#### What professional indemnity covers

Claims arising from professional negligence, errors, or omissions in service delivery. Covers legal defense costs, settlements, and damages. Also typically covers intellectual property infringement and unintentional defamation.

#### CGL does not cover this

Commercial General Liability explicitly excludes professional advice failures. PI covers exactly that gap. If your India entity delivers any professional service (IT, consulting, BPO, financial advice, legal, engineering), CGL alone leaves you exposed.

#### Who requires professional indemnity

Large enterprise clients usually make PI a condition of vendor onboarding. IRDAI requires it of insurance brokers and corporate agents, and regulated financial firms are generally expected to carry it. If you're a GCC providing services to the parent entity, check whether your intercompany service agreement triggers it.

### Commercial General Liability (CGL)

*Recommended.* Third-party bodily injury & property damage

#### What CGL covers

Third-party bodily injury on premises, property damage caused by the business, product liability (for manufacturers), completed operations liability.

#### What CGL excludes

Does NOT cover employee injuries (requires WC/EC) or professional advice errors (requires PI). CGL is always paired with WC cover for complete protection.

#### When you'll need CGL

Before your first client onboards you as a vendor. Before your landlord hands over office keys. Before SEZ registration, for IT/ITES entities. CGL is the certificate most counterparties ask for first.

### Cyber Liability Insurance

*Recommended · GCC standard.* Data breaches, ransomware, regulatory fines

#### What cyber insurance covers

Data breach response costs, forensic investigation, notification to affected parties, regulatory fines under DPDP Act 2023 / IT Act, business interruption from cyber incidents, ransomware payments (subject to conditions), third-party liability from data leaks.

#### Why cyber cover is no longer optional

India's DPDP Act 2023 creates financial exposure for any data fiduciary, and the DPDP Rules, 2025, notified on 14 November 2025 with staggered commencement, put dates against those obligations. The average breach in India cost ₹22 crore (₹220 million) in 2025, the highest on record ([IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2025](https://www.ibm.com/reports/data-breach)). CGL does not cover cyber events. For GCCs processing cross-border data flows, the parent programme may not extend to India operations either.

#### GCC context

Ransomware was behind roughly one in four Indian breaches in IBM's 2025 study. For GCCs, check explicitly whether the parent's global cyber programme covers the India entity. Many do not. A local policy or a DIC endorsement is the correct fix.

### Property / Fire & Allied Perils

*Often contractual.* Physical assets, office contents, equipment

#### What property insurance covers

Building structure (if owned), office contents, IT equipment, furniture, stock. Allied perils include earthquake, flood, storm, riot, and business interruption.

#### When property cover is required

Not a statutory obligation for most sectors, but almost every commercial lease makes it a condition precedent. The Standard Market Fire Policy (SMF) is the base form; negotiate an "all risks" endorsement for broader coverage.

### Crime / Fidelity & Trade Credit

*Sector-specific.* Internal fraud, employee dishonesty, credit risk

#### Crime / Fidelity

Covers employee theft, fraud, forgery, and computer crime. Standard for BFSI entities, where banks carry it as a Bankers' Blanket Bond. Worth carrying for any entity with treasury access or cash-handling functions.

#### Trade credit

Covers B2B buyer default on invoiced receivables. Relevant for MNCs running large Indian distribution networks or extending credit to channel partners.

**Where to start.** List which of the lines above your client contracts, your lease and your parent company's governance already oblige you to carry. That list is your Phase 1.

Part 4 – Beyond Insurance

## The benefits your team will actually notice

Insurance is the foundation, not the programme. Hospitalisation happens once in a few years. A telehealth call at 11pm, a therapy session on a Wednesday, an annual check-up that catches something early – these are the benefits your employees feel. They're also what separates a benefits programme from a compliance exercise.

"76% of employees say the quality of their benefits directly impacts whether they stay. More than half don't know what benefits they have."

Plum State of Employee Benefits 2024

## A 50-person team has at least three different benefit needs

Most India-entry benefit plans are designed for a single archetype – usually a mid-30s male employee with two children. That employee exists, but so does a 26-year-old living alone in Bangalore, a 43-year-old with elderly parents in Hyderabad, and everyone in between. A plan built around the median undersells the value to almost everyone.

👩‍💻

Reema, 26

Software engineer · single · Bangalore

-   Telehealth and mental health access
-   Annual preventive check-up
-   Dermatology consultations
-   Dental and vision – not typically in base GHI
-   Gym / wellness allowance

👨‍👩‍👧

Arjun, 34

Engineering manager · married · Mumbai

-   Family floater GHI with maternity ≥ ₹1L sub-limit
-   Newborn cover from day one
-   OB-GYN teleconsults
-   Parental cover for ageing parents – opt-in at minimum
-   GTL at 4–5× CTC to cover EMI exposure

👩‍💼

Priya, 43

Head of operations · senior hire · Hyderabad

-   ESCP cover – parents are her primary dependents
-   Higher sum insured (₹15–25L) – benchmarking against MNC offers
-   Modern treatments covered (cancer, robotic surgery)
-   D&O coverage as a named director
-   GTL at 5× CTC minimum

ℹ

**What flex data shows:** at Plum enterprise clients that moved to flex-care, 60% of employees chose a non-default dependent configuration. The same budget, spent differently, fits more of the team.

## Three areas where the gap between median and global standard is widest

Plum places and administers all three. Each one has a large adoption gap between India Inc's median and what global startups in India actually carry – which means moving on any of them immediately differentiates your offer.

🩺

### OPD, telehealth & preventive care

The layer that makes insurance feel real day-to-day

Plum covers this

#### The numbers

19% of all Plum telehealth consultations are mental health – the single largest category

18% of consultations are dermatology – rarely covered in base GHI

4× surge in companies offering OPD benefits seen on Plum's platform in 2024

34% of employees who used healthcare reported taking fewer sick days as a result

India median adoption16%

Global startups in India60%

750+ employee companies60%

#### What to put in place

-   Telehealth access included in GHI plan (24/7 GP, specialist triage)
-   Annual preventive health check-up – employer-sponsored
-   Mental health: therapy sessions or EAP programme covered
-   Dermatology consultations accessible (telehealth or OPD wallet)
-   OB-GYN access for female employees – telehealth minimum
-   Pharmacy reimbursement or OPD wallet for medicines
-   Dental and vision check-up – often bundled at low cost
-   Diagnostic tests covered within OPD sum or as employer-sponsored camps

🧠

### Mental health benefits

The fastest-growing gap between Indian median and global standard

Plum covers this

#### What the data says

10% of Indian companies currently offer dedicated mental health cover – despite it being the top telehealth use case

Mental Healthcare Act 2017 · IRDAI

Section 21(4) of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 requires every insurer to provide for the treatment of mental illness on the same basis as physical illness. An IRDAI circular of October 2022 made this binding on every policy in force, group policies included, with effect from 31 October 2022 – so an inherited plan without psychiatric hospitalisation cover has been non-compliant for close to four years. An EAP or therapy benefit remains a voluntary add-on.

#### What to put in place

-   Psychiatric hospitalisation covered within GHI sum insured (now IRDAI-required)
-   EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) – confidential counselling access
-   Therapy sessions covered – minimum 6–10 sessions per year
-   Teleconsultation with therapist or psychologist available
-   Manager training on mental health conversations – HR programme, not insurance
-   Anonymous utilisation reporting to HR – not individual data
-   Mental health parity in leave policy – mental health sick days treated as medical sick days

🎛️

### Flex benefits

Letting employees choose makes the same budget go further

Plum covers this

#### What the data says

75% of employees want the freedom to choose their own benefits

60% of HR leaders see a strong correlation between flexible benefits and employee happiness

15% jump in employee satisfaction scores at Plum enterprise clients that adopted flex-care

40% of employees voluntarily upgraded or customised their own policy when flex options were available

#### How to structure it

-   Base GHI plan: employer-funded, non-negotiable for all employees
-   Flex wallet: annual allowance (₹15,000–₹40,000 typical range) for employees to allocate
-   Parental cover: opt-in via flex wallet – employee-funded, employer-facilitated, group rates
-   Super top-up: employee can upgrade sum insured using flex budget
-   Wellness: gym, mental health, nutrition – chosen per employee
-   OPD add-on: optional, higher utilisation when employee-chosen
-   Annual review: reset flex allocations at renewal based on utilisation data

## What sits outside insurance – and who should own it

These aren't insurance products, so they're outside Plum's scope. But they're part of your total offer, and senior candidates will ask about them. Your CHRO, PEO, or India HR lead should have a view on each one before your first senior hire conversation.

### The non-insurance layer

Some of these are statutory; some are market expectations. All of them come up in senior hire conversations sooner than most MNCs expect.

Leave policy

Statutory: about 12–18 earned leave days a year, set by state law. Global MNC standard: 20–25 days plus sick leave and public holidays (Part 10).

ESOPs / equity

Not a legal requirement, but effectively mandatory for senior GCC hires benchmarking against global comp. Tax on ESOPs from eligible startups can be deferred since 2020 – verify with a tax advisor.

Learning & development

₹20,000–₹60,000 annual L&D budget per employee is common in IT and GCC sector. Global startups in India often extend access to global L&D platforms (Coursera, LinkedIn Learning).

Hybrid / remote policy

Not regulated, but a significant offer-letter factor. Most GCCs offer 2–3 WFH days (Part 10).

Food & transport

Meal vouchers are tax-free up to ₹200 a meal under both regimes from 1 April 2026; transport allowance is taxable except for specified differently-abled employees. Both are standard CTC lines (Part 11).

Internet & WFH stipend

Standard in tech companies: ₹1,500–₹3,000/month for internet, plus a one-time setup allowance of ₹10,000–₹25,000 (Part 11).

ℹ

**Run this calculation before your next renewal:** on a ₹20.2 crore total compensation budget, moving from 1% to 2% on benefits costs 1 percentage point on salary increments – a 12% hike becomes 11%. For that difference, you go from ₹5L sum insured with no parental cover to ₹7–10L, parental cover, progressive maternity, and primary healthcare. 70% of employees say they'd take the better benefits over the better hike. Most HR teams haven't shown this maths to their CFO.

Part 5 – Setup Stage

## In what order should a new India entity buy insurance?

Buy in three phases: business cover at registration (D&O first, because directors are exposed from the date the CIN is issued), employee cover with the first hires (group health from 7 employees, with ESI and gratuity from 10), and the remaining statutory registrations as you scale (EPF and statutory bonus from 20). The most expensive insurance mistake isn't buying the wrong policy. It's buying the right one six months after the exposure started.

### Phase 1 – Entity registration (Day 1–90)

-   D&O Liability: directors are exposed from CIN date
-   Professional Indemnity: if client contracts already signed
-   CGL: required by landlord or client before operations commence
-   Cyber Liability: if any data processing begins
-   Property / Fire: required by lease agreement
-   Workmen's Compensation: any contract or blue-collar workers on-site

### Phase 2 – First employees hired (7–19 employees)

-   Group Health Insurance: minimum 7 for group policy eligibility
-   Group Personal Accident: recommended from first hire. Only 36% of small companies carry it, but GCCs are expected to.
-   Group Term Life: standard alongside GHI for white-collar hiring
-   WC / EC mandatory for employees above ESI threshold
-   ESI mandatory: register with ESIC within 15 days of crossing 10 employees (staff earning up to ₹21,000/month)
-   Gratuity applies from 10 employees: fund it through a group gratuity scheme from the first payroll

### Phase 3 – Scale (20+ employees)

-   EPF mandatory: register with EPFO within 30 days of crossing 20 employees; EDLI life cover follows automatically
-   Statutory bonus: applies from 20 employees, for staff earning up to ₹21,000/month
-   Crèche facility required at 50+ employees (Code on Social Security, 2020)
-   OPD and wellness: 35% adoption at 251–750 employees; expected from around 100 employees in a GCC context
-   Review GHI sum insured: ₹10L is the 90th percentile up to 250 employees; the MNC and GCC median is ₹7.5L

⚠

**If you're using an Employer of Record:** group insurance can sit under the EOR's master policy before your entity is incorporated, which bypasses the 7-employee minimum. Confirm the policy explicitly names or covers your employees, not just the EOR's own staff – and check coverage limits against your parent-company standards.

Part 6 – Sector Notes

## What your sector adds to the universal stack

The policies in Parts 1–3 apply to every MNC. These are the additional requirements and candidate expectations that vary by industry, shaped by regulators, client contracts, and what existing employers in your sector already carry.

| Sector | Regulatory insurance requirement | EB benchmark (% offering family GHI cover) | Regulator |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Software development / IT services** | PI (E&O) mandatory in most client contracts; Cyber cover required by parent-company governance; CGL certificate required for SEZ registration | 86% / 84% family GHI cover – the highest of any sector. Median SI ₹5L. | Client contract, SEZ authority |
| **BFSI** (banks, NBFCs, fintechs) | Bankers Blanket Bond / Crime insurance; Cyber cover carried alongside the controls RBI and SEBI cyber-security frameworks require; D&O and PI standard across SEBI-regulated entities | 85% family GHI cover. Maternity offered by 79%. | RBI, SEBI |
| **Manufacturing / Industrial** | Public Liability mandatory under Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991 for hazardous industries; Product Liability; Erection All Risk (EAR) during construction phase | 73% family GHI cover. Median SI ₹3L, below the cross-sector median. | Ministry of Environment, DISH |
| **Healthcare / Pharma** | Clinical Trials insurance (CDSCO requirement); Medical Professional Indemnity; Product Liability for device/pharma manufacturers | 68% family GHI cover. Maternity offered by 47%. | CDSCO, MoH |
| **SaaS / Business consulting** | PI (E&O) standard; Cyber cover for any SaaS processing customer data in India under DPDP Act 2023 | 84% / 72% family GHI cover. Maternity offered by 74% / 65%. | Client contract, DPDP regulator |
| **Transportation / Logistics** | Aviation Third-Party Liability (Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024, which replaced the Aircraft Act 1934 from 1 January 2025); Cargo insurance; Marine Open Policy for freight forwarders; WC/EC critical for field operations | 81% family GHI cover. Maternity offered by 66%. | DGCA, MoCA |
| **Insurance intermediaries** | PI insurance mandatory for IRDAI-licensed brokers and corporate agents; minimum net worth requirements backed by security deposits | Median SI ₹5L. Maternity expected. | IRDAI |

EB benchmark data: Plum State of Employee Benefits 2024.

Part 7 – City Guide

## How do employee benefit benchmarks differ across Indian cities?

The same ₹5L GHI plan means different things in different cities. Mumbai has the highest average claim size of any market; Hyderabad has the highest average maternity claim; Ahmedabad has the lowest share of companies at ₹5L+ and the lowest maternity coverage, so a basic plan immediately exceeds local norms. Where you hire shapes what you need to carry.

| City | % companies at ₹5L+ sum insured | Avg claim size | % offering maternity | Avg maternity claim | Competitive context |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Mumbai** | 63% | ₹93,000 | 63% | ₹1,20,000 | Highest avg claim of any city. Expensive hospital network. ₹10L+ SI benchmark for competitive positioning. |
| **Delhi** | 68% | ₹62,500 | 60% | ₹1,00,000 † | Above-median SI adoption. Dense hospital network. Strong IT and consulting sector expectations. |
| **Bangalore** | 72% | ₹73,000 | 70% | ₹1,12,000 | Joint-highest share of companies at ₹5L+ sum insured (with Chennai). GCC capital – global benchmark expected. Strong maternity adoption driven by tech sector demographics. |
| **Chennai** | 72% | ₹69,000 | 60% | ₹85,000 | High SI adoption, mid-range claims. Manufacturing and IT services mix. Competitive maternity floor is ₹75K+. |
| **Hyderabad** | 63% | ₹83,000 | 61% | ₹1,50,000 | Highest average maternity claim of any city. MNCs expanding to Hyderabad should budget for a higher maternity sub-limit than the ₹50K national median. |
| **Pune** | 64% | ₹61,000 | 64% | ₹85,000 | Below-average claim size; above-average maternity adoption. Manufacturing and IT services mix. |
| **Ahmedabad** | 49% | ₹60,500 | 27% | ₹1,20,000 | Lowest share of companies at ₹5L+ sum insured and lowest maternity coverage. An MNC entering here with a ₹5L plan and maternity cover immediately exceeds local market norms. |

Source: Plum State of Employee Benefits 2024. Maternity claim figures are city-level plan averages. Average claim sizes are rounded to the nearest ₹500. † Delhi’s average maternity claim is an internal estimate rather than a measured figure; every other value in the table is measured.

ℹ

**If you're hiring across cities:** use one group policy with a sum insured calibrated to your highest-cost location – typically Mumbai or Hyderabad. City-tiered policies exist but add renewal complexity and HR administration overhead that rarely justifies the modest premium difference.

Part 8 – Checklist

## The pre-operations checklist

Before your India entity goes live, each item below should have a policy number, a renewal date, and a named contact. If any row is blank, that's the gap to close first.

| Policy | Category | Status | Threshold / Trigger |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **EPF registration & contributions** | Statutory EB | ● Mandatory | 20+ employees |
| **ESI registration & contributions** | Statutory EB | ● Mandatory | 10+ employees; wages ≤₹21k |
| **Gratuity provisioning** | Statutory EB | ● Mandatory | 10+ employees |
| **Workmen's / Employee Compensation** | Statutory EB | ● Mandatory | Employees above ESI threshold or non-ESI areas |
| **EDLI (via EPFO)** | Statutory EB | ● Mandatory | Auto with EPF registration |
| **Statutory bonus** | Statutory EB | ● Mandatory | 20+ employees; wages ≤₹21k |
| **Group Health Insurance** · Target: ₹5L min; ₹10L for global benchmark | Voluntary EB | ● Recommended | 7+ employees |
| **Group Personal Accident** · Target: 5–10× CTC; 90th percentile is ₹50L+ | Voluntary EB | ● Recommended | First hire onwards |
| **Group Term Life** · Target: 3–5× CTC; 90th percentile is ₹50L–₹1Cr | Voluntary EB | ● Recommended | Alongside GHI |
| **Maternity sub-limit** · Target: ₹1L normal / ₹1.25L C-section | Voluntary EB (within GHI) | ● Recommended | Within GHI – check at policy design stage |
| **D&O Liability** | Business (Non-EB) | ● Recommended | Entity registration / director appointment |
| **Professional Indemnity (PI / E&O)** | Business (Non-EB) | ● Sector-required | Client contracts / service-based sectors |
| **Commercial General Liability** | Business (Non-EB) | ● Recommended | Operations / client onboarding |
| **Cyber Liability** | Business (Non-EB) | ● Recommended | Any data processing; DPDP Act obligations |
| **Property / Fire & Allied** | Business (Non-EB) | ● Contractual | Office lease; owned assets |
| **Crime / Fidelity** | Business (Non-EB) | ● Sector-standard | BFSI; entities with treasury/cash functions |
| **Public Liability** | Business (Non-EB) | ● Sector-mandatory | Hazardous manufacturing (Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991) |

ℹ

**On choosing a broker:** work with an IRDAI-licensed direct broker authorised for both life and general (including health) products – in IRDAI’s categories that is a Direct Broker (Life & General); a composite broker is one licensed for direct and reinsurance broking, which is a different thing. When you evaluate brokers, ask for their median cashless pre-authorisation TAT and their endorsement turnaround time. These numbers tell you whether your employees will actually experience the benefit, or just see it on an offer letter.

**Where to start.** Put the broker questions above to everyone you are considering, Plum included.

Part 9 – Tax Guide

## How are employee benefits taxed in India?

Group health insurance is not taxable for employees: the employer deducts the premium as a business expense and the employee pays no tax on it, under either regime. Most other benefits depend on which of India's two income tax regimes the employee chooses, and from 1 April 2026 the Income-tax Act, 2025 and the Income-tax Rules, 2026 set the numbers. The 2025 Act consolidates and renumbers the 1961 Act rather than reversing its treatments. Section references below use the 1961 numbering most payroll teams still map from, with the new section or form where it changes what you file.

### Old regime vs new regime – what every HR and finance lead needs to know

The default has changed. Most employees are now on the new regime.

India has operated two parallel income tax regimes since 2020. The new regime became the default in FY2023-24. Employees can still opt into the old regime when filing their annual return. They must actively choose to do so. Budget 2025 shifted the balance decisively: from FY 2025-26, income up to ₹12,00,000 – ₹12,75,000 once the ₹75,000 standard deduction is applied – bears nil tax under the new regime. In practice most salaried employees now find the new regime more beneficial, since the lower rates and the higher rebate outweigh the lost deductions.

For MNC HR and finance teams, the practical consequence is that several benefits which were tax-efficient under the old regime are now taxable for a significant portion of your workforce. Salary structure decisions that made sense three years ago may no longer serve your employees well.

Old regime

Higher income tax rates but generous exemptions and deductions. House rent allowance (HRA), leave travel allowance (LTA), meal allowance, standard deduction (₹50,000), and most benefit-related deductions are available. Beneficial for employees with significant deductions: home loans, children's school fees, insurance premiums, or HRA claims.

New regime (default)

Lower income tax rates but almost all exemptions and deductions removed. HRA, LTA and most Section 80C deductions are not available. Meal vouchers (₹200 a meal from FY 2026-27) and employer NPS contributions (up to 14% of basic plus DA) are among the few tax breaks that remain. Standard deduction is ₹75,000. Beneficial for most employees with few deductions, and for those without a home loan; the old regime now wins only where an employee carries a large deduction stack, typically home loan interest plus a full Section 80C plus a metro HRA claim.

The implication for benefits design: many allowances and benefit structures that were built around old-regime tax efficiency (LTA, HRA) now deliver less value to new-regime employees. Meal vouchers are the exception: from FY 2026-27 they are tax-free under both regimes. Flex benefit wallets, where employees allocate a budget to categories that suit their regime choice, are increasingly the more rational structure.

### Tax treatment of GHI, GTL, GPA, and statutory schemes

Most employer-paid insurance is a deductible business expense – but the employee-side treatment varies.

The good news for MNCs: group health insurance premiums paid by the employer are deductible under Section 36(1)(ib) as a business expense, provided the premium is paid by any mode other than cash, and are not treated as a perquisite in the employee's hands. This makes GHI one of the most tax-efficient benefits in the India stack, regardless of which tax regime the employee has chosen.

| Benefit | Employer: tax treatment | Employee: old regime | Employee: new regime |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Group Health Insurance (GHI) | Deductible under Section 36(1)(ib) where the premium is paid other than in cash. 18% GST on premium. | Not a perquisite. Not included in taxable income. | Not a perquisite. Not included in taxable income. |
| Group Term Life (GTL) | Deductible under Section 37(1). | Usually not treated as a perquisite where the employer pays for a pure group term policy with no surrender or maturity value. Practice varies: agree the treatment with your tax adviser and apply it consistently. Employee contributions qualify for Section 80C. | Usually not treated as a perquisite on the same basis. No Section 80C deduction for employee contributions. |
| Group Personal Accident (GPA) | Deductible under Section 37(1). | Generally not a perquisite when provided uniformly to all employees for business purpose. | Generally not a perquisite when provided uniformly. If selective or personal benefit, treated as perquisite. |
| EPF contributions (employer) | Deductible as business expense. Employer contributions above 12% of salary, or above ₹7.5 lakh a year across PF, NPS and superannuation combined, are a perquisite. | Employee contribution deductible under Section 80C up to ₹1.5L. Interest on employee contributions above ₹2.5L a year (₹5L where the employer does not contribute) is taxable. | No Section 80C deduction. Interest and withdrawal treatment same as old regime. |
| EDLI (life cover via EPFO) | Deductible as part of EPF contribution. | Payout is tax-free in the hands of the nominee. | Payout is tax-free in the hands of the nominee. |
| Gratuity (employer-funded) | Deductible as business expense. Provisioning via group gratuity policy is preferred. | Tax-free up to ₹20 lakh for private sector employees. Amount above ₹20L is taxable as salary. | Tax-free up to ₹20 lakh. Same treatment as old regime. |
| ESI contributions (employer) | Deductible as business expense. | Not taxable for employee. Statutory scheme, not a perquisite. | Not taxable for employee. |

Claim payouts from GHI (hospitalisation reimbursements and cashless claims) are not taxable income for the employee. GTL payouts on death are exempt from tax under Section 10(10D). GPA payouts on accidental death or disability are also generally tax-free.

### What counts as a perquisite – and how it's valued for tax

Perquisites are employer-provided benefits included in taxable income. The valuation rules matter as much as the classification.

A perquisite is any benefit provided by the employer that has a monetary value and is not specifically exempt under the Income Tax Act. For MNC finance teams used to simpler tax systems, this concept is often the first India payroll surprise: the same benefit can be a deductible business expense for the employer and taxable income for the employee simultaneously.

The Income-tax Rules, 2026 (Rule 15, which replaced Rule 3 of the 1962 Rules from 1 April 2026) prescribe specific valuation methods for common perquisites. The most relevant for MNCs:

#### Company car / car leasing

If the car is owned or hired by the employer, used for both work and personal travel, and the employer meets the running costs, the perquisite value is ₹5,000/month for cars up to 1.6 litres (and electric cars), or ₹7,000/month above 1.6 litres. An additional ₹3,000/month applies if a chauffeur is provided. These values replaced ₹1,800, ₹2,400 and ₹900 from 1 April 2026. They are still well below the actual cost of the car, which keeps car leasing one of the more tax-efficient benefits for senior employees.

#### Accommodation (company-provided housing)

Employer-owned housing is valued at 10% of salary in cities with a population above 40 lakh (2011 census), 7.5% for cities of 15–40 lakh, and 5% elsewhere, the rates in force since 1 September 2023. If the employer leases the accommodation, the value is the lower of 10% of salary and the actual rent paid. Furnished accommodation adds 10% of the cost of furniture per year.

#### ESOPs and equity

ESOPs are taxed as a perquisite at the time of exercise, not at grant or vesting. The perquisite value is the fair market value on the date of exercise minus the exercise price paid. This amount is added to salary and taxed at the applicable income tax rate. A second tax event occurs when shares are eventually sold, where capital gains tax applies on the difference between the sale price and the FMV on exercise date. For eligible startups, the perquisite tax at exercise can be deferred up to 5 years.

#### Interest-free or concessional loans

If the employer provides a loan to an employee at an interest rate below the State Bank of India's (SBI) lending rate, the difference is treated as a perquisite. The SBI rate used is the rate as of the first day of the financial year. Loans up to ₹2,00,000 in aggregate are exempt (raised from ₹20,000 from 1 April 2026). Medical treatment loans for specified diseases are also exempt. This is particularly relevant for MNCs offering home loan advance schemes or emergency financial assistance.

Benefits provided uniformly to all employees for business purposes (uniforms, health screenings, vaccination drives, EAP services) are generally not treated as perquisites. The test is whether the benefit is personal in nature and has a measurable monetary value attributable to a specific employee. Gifts and vouchers worth up to ₹15,000 a year in total are not taxed (up from ₹5,000 from 1 April 2026).

### TDS, Form 130 (formerly Form 16) and payroll compliance for MNCs

Tax deduction at source on salary and perquisites is an employer responsibility from the first payroll run.

Indian employers are required to deduct tax at source (TDS) on all salary payments, including the value of perquisites, under section 392 of the Income-tax Act, 2025 (section 192 of the 1961 Act). The obligation begins with the first payroll run. There is no grace period for new India entities.

#### TDS on salary (section 392, formerly 192)

Employers must deduct TDS monthly, calculated as an estimate of the employee's annual tax liability divided by 12. At the start of the year, employees should declare their regime choice and expected deductions to HR. The employer uses this to compute the TDS amount. Perquisite values (car, accommodation, interest-free loans) are added to the salary for TDS calculation. The employer must deposit deducted TDS to the government by the 7th of the following month.

#### Form 130 (formerly Form 16): annual tax certificate

Employers must issue Form 130, which replaced Form 16 from 1 April 2026, to every employee by 15 June after the tax year ends (31 March). It has three parts: basic details, a summary of payments and TDS, and the detailed salary and perquisite computation in annexures. For MNC employees with global income or equity from a foreign parent entity, accurate preparation requires close coordination between India payroll and the parent company's equity administration team.

#### Quarterly TDS returns (Form 138, formerly Form 24Q)

Employers must file quarterly TDS returns for salary in Form 138, which replaced Form 24Q from 1 April 2026. Deadlines: Q1 (Apr–Jun): 31 July. Q2 (Jul–Sep): 31 October. Q3 (Oct–Dec): 31 January. Q4 (Jan–Mar): 31 May. Late filing attracts a fee of ₹200/day. Errors in TDS returns affect employee tax filings. Accuracy matters: perquisite valuations are the most commonly missed or miscalculated component.

#### PAN collection and reporting

Employers must collect the Permanent Account Number (PAN) from every employee before the first salary payment. If PAN is not provided, TDS must be deducted at 20% (or the applicable rate, whichever is higher). For foreign nationals joining the India entity, PAN application should be initiated before or at joining. It takes 2–4 weeks to process and will affect the first payroll run.

⚠

**ESOP complexity for global MNCs:** if your India employees receive ESOPs or RSUs from a foreign parent company, the perquisite value at exercise must be included in India TDS calculations. Many India payroll teams miss this because the equity is granted and tracked by the parent entity. The employee ends up with a tax liability that wasn't withheld, which they discover at filing. Coordinate explicitly between your India HR and the parent's equity team from the first grant.

Part 10 – Leave & Policies

## Leave entitlements and what global MNCs typically add on top

Indian law sets about 12–18 days of earned leave a year (the figure depends on the state), casual and sick leave, three national holidays plus state holidays, and 26 weeks of paid maternity leave. There is no statutory paternity leave in the private sector. Global MNCs typically offer 20–25 days of earned leave and 2–4 weeks of paid paternity leave. The framework is state-governed and more fragmented than most MNCs expect, and the floor is lower than in most countries your HR team has operated in. The gap between statutory minimum and what you'll need to offer to compete for talent is where most of the design work happens.

### What Indian law actually mandates on leave

Less than most MNCs assume – and varies significantly by state.

India does not have a single national leave statute for private sector employees. For offices, state Shops and Establishments Acts set most entitlements. The four Labour Codes, in force since 21 November 2025, absorbed the central laws: the Factories Act into the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (the OSH Code) and the Maternity Benefit Act into the Code on Social Security, 2020. States are still notifying their rules under the codes, so check the state where each office sits.

| Leave type | Statutory entitlement | Key conditions | Global MNC market standard |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Earned / Privilege leave | Under the OSH Code, 1 day per 20 days worked once a worker has 180 days in the year. For the offices an MNC actually opens, state Shops and Establishments Acts govern, typically 12–18 days a year: Delhi gives 15 days; Maharashtra gives 1 day per 20 days worked plus 8 days' casual leave. | Accrual-based. Unused days can be carried forward, up to 30 days under the OSH Code and up to 45 days under some state Acts. Leave encashment on exit is taxable (partially exempt on retirement). | 20–25 days. Many MNCs and GCCs offer 24 days as a standard. Some offer unlimited leave for senior roles. |
| Casual leave | 7–12 days/year (state-governed). Not available in all states. | For short-term unforeseen needs. Generally not carried forward or encashed. Complements earned leave in most state frameworks. | Statutory is standard. Most MNCs absorb casual leave into a combined earned leave balance for simplicity. |
| Sick leave | 12 days/year (ESI-covered employees: 70% wages for up to 91 days; 80% for chronic conditions up to 2 years). | May require medical certificate beyond 2–3 days. State rules vary. ESI benefit only covers those below the ₹21,000 wage threshold. | Statutory is standard. Most MNCs operate on trust-based sick leave with no certificate requirement for short absences. |
| Public holidays | 3 national holidays mandatory (Republic Day, Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanti). Remaining holidays set at state level; typically 18 in total. | State public holiday lists vary. Companies must publish an annual holiday list at the start of each year. Some states allow optional holiday substitution. | Most MNCs follow local state holidays plus the 3 national holidays. Some offer a "floating holiday" to allow employees to substitute one public holiday. |
| Maternity leave | 26 weeks full pay for first two children. 12 weeks from third child. 12 weeks for adoption (age restriction removed per Supreme Court, March 2026). 6 weeks for miscarriage/medical termination. | Applies to establishments with 10+ employees. Employee must have worked 80 days in the 12 months preceding delivery. ESI-covered employees receive maternity benefit via ESIC. | Statutory is the standard. Some MNCs extend to 32 weeks or offer a phased return programme. Paid paternity leave (2–4 weeks) is increasingly offered as market standard. |
| Paternity leave | No statutory requirement for private sector. Central government employees: 15 days paid. | Entirely at employer discretion for private sector. There is no obligation. | 2–4 weeks paid paternity leave is the MNC market standard. Global startups in India typically offer 2 weeks minimum. Some offer equal primary/secondary carer leave. |
| Bereavement leave | No statutory requirement. Entirely at employer discretion. | Common market practice: 3–5 days paid leave for immediate family. | 5–10 days for immediate family. Extended bereavement leave (up to 2 weeks) is offered by top-quartile MNCs and tech companies. |

ℹ

**March 2026 Supreme Court ruling on adoption leave:** in *Hamsaanandini Nanduri v. Union of India* (17 March 2026), the Supreme Court of India struck down section 60(4) of the Code on Social Security, 2020 (formerly section 5(4) of the Maternity Benefit Act), which limited 12 weeks' paid adoption leave to children adopted under three months old. The entitlement now applies regardless of the adopted child's age. Private sector employers are expected to align policies accordingly. Check your maternity/adoption leave policy wording if it contains an age restriction on the adopted child.

### Hybrid, remote, and flexible working in India

No statutory framework – but a major factor in competitive hiring.

India has no statutory right to request flexible working in the private sector. There is no equivalent of the UK's statutory right to request flexible working. Flexible working arrangements are entirely at employer discretion and governed by employment contracts and internal policy.

In practice, hybrid work has become a de facto expectation in India's tech and GCC markets. A policy that requires full five-day office attendance is a meaningful disadvantage in Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Pune hiring markets, where candidates benchmark offers against companies with 2–3 WFH days as standard.

#### What the market actually offers

Most large Indian IT companies and MNCs operate on a hybrid model: 3 days office, 2 days WFH is the most common configuration. Full remote is rare outside senior specialist roles and is more common in product companies than in GCCs. Flexible start/finish times are offered by roughly half of large MNCs. Compressed working weeks (4 days) are emerging but not yet mainstream.

#### Nursing mothers provision

The Code on Social Security, 2020, carrying over the Maternity Benefit Act, lets an employer allow a woman to work from home after her maternity leave, where the nature of the work permits, on terms the two agree. It is permissive rather than a right (the employer may allow it), and it applies wherever the maternity provisions do: establishments with 10+ employees. Set out your position in the return-to-work policy so it isn't decided case by case.

For MNCs establishing India entities: define your hybrid policy before the first hire. It appears in offer letters, and changing it after employees have been hired around it is a retention risk. If your global policy is stricter than the India market norm, consider India-specific flexibility carve-outs, especially for GCC roles where the talent market is most competitive.

### The leave stack that differentiates in the GCC talent market

Beyond the legal minimum, this is what candidates from top Indian employers expect.

The companies consistently cited as preferred employers in India's GCC market do not just meet statutory leave requirements. They redesign the leave structure as a talent signal. These are the additions that appear most frequently in offer letters from companies competing for senior engineering and operations talent:

#### Paid paternity leave (2–4 weeks)

The single highest-signal addition for talent-conscious MNCs. India has no statutory private-sector paternity leave, so any provision stands out. Global startups in India typically offer 2 weeks minimum. Equal primary/secondary carer leave (matching maternity at 26 weeks regardless of gender) is offered by a small but growing number of progressive MNCs and is increasingly used as a recruitment signal.

#### Mental health days

These are distinct from sick leave. Employees can take them without a medical certificate and without giving a reason. 2–5 mental health days per year is the emerging standard among tech and GCC employers. The framing matters: calling them "wellness days" or "personal days" has higher uptake than "mental health days" in most India contexts.

#### Volunteer leave

1–3 days of paid leave per year for volunteering or community activity. Popular among employees in the 25–35 age band and increasingly expected by candidates who filter employers on ESG credentials. Low cost to the employer; high signal value to candidates.

#### Extended bereavement leave

5–10 days for immediate family is the MNC standard. Top-quartile employers extend to secondary family (grandparents, in-laws, close friends) with 3–5 days and a phased return-to-work protocol for significant bereavement. Grief leave as a named category, separate from sick leave, is emerging in the most progressive packages.

Part 11 – Allowances & CTC

## How should an MNC structure India CTC under the new labour codes?

Structure India CTC so that the allowances excluded from wages (HRA, conveyance, LTA and similar) stay within 50% of total remuneration, decide whether employer PF runs on the ₹15,000 wage ceiling or on full basic, and fit the rest to the tax regime your employees choose. India's cost-to-company (CTC) structure is more complex than most countries your payroll team has operated in. The split between basic salary and allowances has direct consequences for statutory contributions, tax liability, and what employees actually take home. Getting this structure right at incorporation saves significant rework later.

### How India CTC is typically built – and why the basic salary ratio matters

The Code on Wages changed what counts as wages. Many historic structures now understate PF and gratuity.

A typical India CTC package is not simply a salary. It is a structured bundle of components: basic salary, dearness allowance (DA, typically nil in private sector), house rent allowance (HRA), leave travel allowance (LTA), special allowance, and employer contributions to EPF and gratuity. The ratio of basic salary to total CTC matters because EPF and gratuity are calculated on wages, and under the Code on Wages, 2019 any excluded allowances above 50% of total remuneration are added back into wages.

#### The 50% wages rule (Code on Wages, 2019)

The definition of “wages” at section 2(y) of the Code on Wages, 2019, carried into the Code on Social Security, 2020, lists the components excluded from wages. Where those excluded components together exceed 50% of total remuneration, the excess is added back into wages. Note the base: it is total remuneration, not CTC. The employer's share of PF and pension is counted within the computation, while gratuity and ESI contributions sit outside it. The intended effect is that basic plus DA can no longer be held at 30 to 40% of the package while allowances carry the balance. If your India entity inherited salary structures from an EOR or a pre-2025 template, review them before your first independent payroll run.

#### Practical CTC split example (₹24 LPA)

Basic salary: ₹12,00,000 (50% of CTC). HRA: ₹4,80,000 (40% of basic, for metro city). LTA: ₹48,000. Special allowance: ₹4,22,308 (the balancing figure — recompute it if any other component changes). Employer EPF: ₹1,44,000 (12% of full basic – the voluntary choice explained below; at the statutory ₹15,000 wage ceiling it would be ₹21,600). Employer NPS (optional): ₹48,000, one of the few deductions the new regime keeps (up to 14% of basic plus DA). Gratuity provision: ₹57,692. Total CTC: ₹24,00,000. The employee's gross salary (excluding employer's statutory contributions) is approximately ₹21.5 LPA. Take-home varies significantly based on regime choice and individual deductions.

The practical consequence of the 50% rule depends on a choice your entity makes. EPF is statutorily payable on basic plus DA up to a wage ceiling of ₹15,000/month, which caps the employer's mandatory contribution at ₹1,800/month, or ₹21,600 a year, whatever the package size. Most MNC subsidiaries choose instead to contribute on full basic salary, to match parent-company norms and to keep the benefit meaningful for senior hires. On a ₹24 LPA package with basic at ₹12,00,000, that voluntary choice costs ₹1,44,000 a year per employee against ₹21,600 at the ceiling. Decide which of the two you are doing before you model India headcount, because at senior levels the difference is close to 5% of payroll cost.

Worth watching: the ₹15,000 ceiling has been unchanged since 2014. A Supreme Court direction in January 2026 required the Centre and EPFO to decide on a revision within four months, and the notification of 29 May 2026 kept the ceiling at ₹15,000 under the Code on Social Security, 2020. Plan on ₹15,000 until a revision is notified.

### HRA, LTA, meal allowance, transport, and WFH stipend

The standard allowance components, what's tax-exempt, and how the new regime changed the picture.

#### House Rent Allowance

HRA

-   Typical amount40–50% of basic salary for metro cities; 40% elsewhere
-   Old regimePartially exempt. The exempt amount is the lowest of: actual HRA received; actual rent paid minus 10% of basic; 50% of basic in the eight metros (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, plus Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Ahmedabad from FY 2026-27) or 40% elsewhere
-   New regimeNo exemption. Full HRA is taxable as salary.
-   MNC noteEmployees on the new regime get no benefit from HRA as a salary component. Consider offering a higher basic and lower HRA for new-regime employees, or using a flex wallet for rent support.

#### Leave Travel Allowance

LTA

-   Typical amount₹30,000–₹60,000/year
-   Old regimeExempt for domestic travel (air, rail, or public transport) for employee and family, for 2 trips in a 4-year block. Travel receipts required.
-   New regimeNo exemption. Fully taxable.
-   MNC noteLTA is one of the clearest examples of a benefit that has lower value for new-regime employees. Worth retaining as a CTC component for old-regime employees but may not justify the admin complexity for a young, new-regime workforce.

#### Meal Allowance

Food

-   Tax-exempt amount₹200/meal from 1 April 2026 (up from ₹50), about ₹8,800/month at 2 meals a working day × 22 days
-   Old regimeExempt up to that amount when given as meals at work, non-transferable meal vouchers or a prepaid meal card (not cash).
-   New regimeAlso exempt from FY 2026-27, on the same conditions: the Income-tax Rules, 2026 dropped the bar on new-regime employees.
-   MNC noteMeal vouchers and prepaid meal cards (Pluxee, formerly Sodexo; Zeta; Zaggle) are the standard delivery mechanism, and now one of the few tax-free components for new-regime employees. Cash meal allowance is taxable regardless of regime. Applicable for in-office employees; WFH employees rarely claim this.

#### Transport Allowance

Travel

-   Common amount₹1,600–₹3,200/month
-   Old regimeTransport allowance was explicitly exempt up to ₹1,600/month (replaced by standard deduction in 2018). No specific transport exemption now; subsumed into the ₹50,000 standard deduction under the old regime.
-   New regimeStandard deduction of ₹75,000 available. No separate transport exemption.
-   MNC noteCompany-provided transport between home and office is not a taxable perquisite if organised as a group commute. Cab reimbursements for individual commuting are taxable. Many MNCs offer a fixed transport allowance within the CTC structure.

#### WFH Stipend

Remote

-   Common amountsOne-time setup: ₹10,000–₹25,000. Monthly: ₹1,500–₹3,000 for internet
-   Tax treatmentWFH stipends and internet reimbursements are generally taxable as salary. No specific exemption exists in either regime. One-time equipment purchases by the employer (laptop, chair, monitor) provided as business tools are typically not perquisites if used primarily for work.
-   MNC noteGlobal startups in India increasingly offer a WFH setup allowance at joining. Budget it as a taxable benefit or structure it as an employer asset loan (employee uses equipment; employer retains ownership) to reduce the tax impact.

#### Special Allowance

SA

-   What it isA residual CTC component used to make up the total package after all other allowances are accounted for
-   Tax treatmentFully taxable as salary under both regimes. No exemption.
-   MNC noteSpecial allowance typically forms 15–30% of CTC. It is fully taxable and, because it is not on the Code on Wages' list of exclusions, it counts as wages for PF and gratuity. That is why it works as the balancing figure: raising it never pushes a structure over the 50% limit, while raising HRA or LTA can.

### India payroll errors that appear in the first year

Based on the patterns Plum's team sees when onboarding MNC clients from EOR to independent entity.

The following are the most common structural errors Plum's team encounters when MNCs move from an Employer of Record to their own India entity, or when they first build out India payroll independently.

#### Excluded allowances above 50% of pay

The most common inherited problem. EOR templates and pre-2025 salary letters often put basic at 30–40% of CTC, with HRA, LTA and other excluded allowances carrying most of the rest. Since 21 November 2025, excluded allowances above 50% of total remuneration count as wages, so EPF, gratuity and other statutory amounts calculated on the old basic are understated. Recompute every employee's wages under the Code on Wages before the first independent payroll run.

#### ESOP perquisite not included in TDS

Foreign parent ESOPs or RSUs are exercised and tracked outside India payroll systems. The perquisite value at exercise must be included in TDS and the quarterly Form 138 (formerly Form 24Q) in the month of exercise. Most India payroll teams don't receive automatic notification from the parent equity system. Build a manual notification process between the equity team and India HR before the first vesting date.

#### Employer PF and NPS above ₹7.5 lakh not taxed

Employer contributions to PF, NPS and superannuation above ₹7.5 lakh a year in total are a taxable perquisite, along with the returns earned on the excess. Subsidiaries that pay PF on full basic reach the limit sooner than they expect: at 12% PF plus 10% NPS, a basic salary of about ₹34 lakh crosses it. Track it per employee and add the excess to TDS.

#### Gratuity not provisioned from day one

Gratuity accrues from the first day of employment, not from the 5-year eligibility date. Many first-time India entities start provisioning only when an employee approaches the 5-year mark. By then five years of liability has built up: on a ₹30 lakh basic salary, about ₹7.2 lakh per employee. Set up a Group Gratuity policy or internal provisioning from the first payroll run.

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**Get an India payroll audit before your first independent payroll run.** If you're transitioning from an EOR, request a full salary structure review covering every employee's CTC components, statutory deductions, and perquisite schedule before taking payroll in-house. The errors are easier and cheaper to fix before the first payroll than after the annual Form 130 has been issued.