Hiring a dedicated developer through an Indian company is one of the fastest ways to add engineering capacity: no months-long recruitment, no local payroll, and a replacement if someone is not the right fit. Done badly, it is also a fast way to lose money. This guide covers when the model makes sense, what it costs, and how to set it up so it works.
What "dedicated developer" actually means
A dedicated developer works only on your product, usually full-time, while being employed by the outsourcing company. They join your stand-ups, work in your repositories and tools, and take direction from your team. The company handles salary, equipment, office, leave cover and replacement.
That is different from a fixed-scope project, where the company owns delivery of a defined result, and from a freelancer, who usually splits time between several clients.
When it is the right model
Dedicated developers work best when:
- You have an ongoing roadmap, not a one-off build.
- You have someone who can set priorities and review work (a CTO, tech lead or product manager).
- You need specific skills quickly, for example a Laravel, React or Flutter developer for the next six months.
If you have a clearly defined project and nobody technical in-house, a fixed-scope project with the company managing delivery is usually safer.
Engagement models
| Model | Typical commitment | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time dedicated | ~160 hours a month | Ongoing product development |
| Part-time dedicated | ~80 hours a month | Maintenance, steady improvements |
| Hourly / time and material | Pay for hours used | Audits, spikes, short bursts of work |
| Dedicated team | Several roles plus a lead | Building a product end to end |
What it costs in 2026
Rates vary with seniority, technology and the company's size. As a rough guide for professional companies in India (not freelance marketplaces):
| Seniority | Typical hourly range | Typical full-time monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Junior (1–2 years) | $15 – $25 | $2,000 – $3,500 |
| Mid-level (3–5 years) | $25 – $40 | $3,500 – $5,500 |
| Senior / lead (6+ years) | $40 – $60+ | $5,500 – $9,000+ |
Niche skills such as AI and machine learning, Kubernetes or enterprise Java sit at the top of these bands. Very low quotes often mean juniors presented as seniors, or one person spread across several clients.
How to vet a developer properly
CVs from outsourcing companies all look good. Judge the person instead:
- A real technical interview with someone from your team, on your stack, not a generic quiz.
- A small paid task or a trial week on real work. This tells you more than any interview.
- Communication check. Can they explain a decision clearly in writing? Remote work runs on written updates.
- Overlap with your hours. Agree on a fixed daily overlap window for calls.
- References or past work in your domain where possible.
What the contract must cover
- NDA and IP assignment. Everything the developer creates for you belongs to you, stated explicitly.
- Code in your accounts. Repositories, cloud accounts and tools in your organisation, not the vendor's.
- Replacement terms. How quickly a developer is replaced if they leave or are not a fit, and at whose cost.
- Notice period for scaling up or down, typically 15–30 days.
- Leave and holiday cover. Who covers when the developer is away.
- Security basics. Access control, device policies and what happens to access when someone leaves.
The first two weeks decide everything
Treat a dedicated developer like a new team member, not a ticket machine:
- Day 1–2: access to repositories, staging, tools and documentation; a walkthrough of the product and codebase.
- Week 1: small, real tasks with quick reviews, so standards are clear early.
- Week 2: a meaningful feature, plus agreement on how progress is reported (daily written update, weekly demo).
Most failed engagements fail because nobody owned onboarding, not because the developer was bad.
Red flags
- Profiles that arrive in an hour with no questions about your project.
- No trial period or replacement guarantee.
- Code kept in the vendor's repositories.
- Reluctance to let you interview the actual person who will work for you.
- Rates far below the market with "senior" titles.
How we do it at Ottomern
We share matching profiles within about 48 hours, you interview the people you like, and the first week works as a trial on real tasks. If someone is not the right fit, we replace them at no extra cost. Code lives in your repositories from day one and the contract assigns all IP to you. Browse all technologies we staff or read about our custom software development work.
