India is top-of-mind when many people think of outsourcing, and indeed the country is home to many top-rated virtual assistant companies.
Advantages of Virtual Assistants in India
Indian VAs are professional, polite, and educated.
Although India is a developing country, it has several modern technology hubs and already has more English speakers than the US.
There is massive business process outsourcing (BPO) infrastructure, and most Indian VAs work in these types of offices. This is in contrast to the Philippines, where these companies exist, but many more VAs work from home.
What draws most customers to India for hiring is the lower cost compared to the US or Europe.
And due to the time zone differences (usually about a 12 hour flip from the US), India affords the unique advantage of being able to staff around the clock. It’s a rewarding feeling knowing that work is getting done as you sleep!
But despite the popularity and long history of outsourcing to India — or perhaps because of it — there are different “flavors” and different specialties depending on your needs.
| Tasks Expert | Wing Assistant | TaskVirtual | eLuminous | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Rating | ||||
| Established | 2017 | 2018 | 2016 | 2002 |
| Hourly Rate | $4.50-$9.50 | $6.878.75 | $6.24-15 | $7.00 |
| Minimum Package | $95 for 10 hours | $699 for 80 hours | Pay as you go for $15 | $140 for 20 hours |
| Dedicated Assistant | ||||
| Best For | Business Owners Entrepreneurs Professionals |
Small & Medium Business Owners, IT Services, Marketing Agencies, SaaS | Data Entry, Digital Marketing, Website design & development, Administrative Work, Customer Service | Development Real Estate E-Commerce Marketing |
| Team Access | ||||
| Free Trial | *For limited range of services | |||
| Special Offer | 10 hours free w/ code VAA10 | N/A | Free Trial $10 for 10 hours. Valid for 1 month. | 20% off first month (mention VAA) |
| Learn More | Learn More | Learn More | Learn More |
*Well, it’s a $1.
Drawbacks to Hiring Virtual Assistants in India
Truth be told, a lot of these companies offer roughly the same things at roughly the same price, to the point that even I have a hard time telling them apart.
The most-often cited complaint about hiring Indian virtual assistants that I hear is the language barrier.
Even though English is widely spoken, it’s probably a little different than the English you and I speak. This can lead to miscommunications and frustrations in delegating tasks.
Where I’ve seen the best results is in having a very specific process and instructions to plug someone into. You want to give your assistant the best chance for success, and make it easy for them to come to you for clarifications.
The time zone difference can also present a challenge. I’ve had more than a few late night meetings to communicate with team members during their shift!
Again, clear communication is key. I use a lot of screen-capture videos to demonstrate the process and what I’d like to get done.
How Much Do Virtual Assistants in India Cost?
Among the companies featured on Virtual Assistant Assistant, you’ll find a range of rates, usually from $5-15 an hour.
Compared with hiring a virtual assistant in the US, those are obviously very attractive prices.
In general here’s what you’ll find:
- The bigger the client the VA firm is targeting, the more you’ll pay. These are state-of-the-art business processing outsourcing companies that serve Fortune 500 clients.
- The newer the company, the less you’ll pay. Companies often price low to attract new customers and build a client base.
- The more hours (or more staff) you commit too, the less you’ll pay.
For example, if you need a full-time virtual assistant, your effective hourly rate will be a much better deal than if you just need someone for 20 hours a month.
That’s because the company now knows that person’s salary is “spoken for” instead of needing to source several clients to keep them busy and cover their fixed costs.
My Experience Working with Virtual Assistants in India
I’ve hired several virtual assistants from India for a wide variety of projects.
In fact, my first “taste” of outsourcing was through Guru.com, and even though my main point of contact was just half an hour away from me in Virginia, the rest of his web development team was half a world away in India.
I worked with that team for almost a decade, but the biggest frustration was the time-lag in communication. I’d get some website changes back or an email update, fire off my feedback, and have to wait at least 12 hours for a response.
I’ve also worked with companies like My Tasker for more routine administrative tasks like database maintenance, website help, and CRM management. (Because they had teams working the night shift, the time zone wasn’t much of an issue.)
For freelance help, India can be an attractive place to look because of the rates. I haven’t had a full-time assistant from India but currently work with a specialized freelancer to manage some social media for me.
Which Indian Virtual Assistant Company Should You Choose?
The good news is that because of the robust VA economy, you have several options to choose from ranging from low-cost task-based services all the way up to full-time dedicated assistants — and everything in between.
Check out the reviews below to see which option is right for you.
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Get Friday is an outsourcing company that is based in Bangalore, India. They are best-known as the virtual assistant division of Your Man in India (YMII), the famous personal concierge company. Get Friday caters to the needs of individuals who […]
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Neyox is a virtual assistant company based in New Delhi, India. The company was founded in 2010, and have since matched up thousands of customers across the globe with virtual assistants to help with their businesses. About Neyox The company […]
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Task Venturers is a virtual assistant company based Kolkata, India. The company started operations in November 2017, and they offer a wide range of services to entrepreneurs and small to medium-sized business. About Task Venturers The company was founded by […]
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Webcenture is a virtual assistant company based in Mumbai, India. The company was established in 2010 and started out a website development and customer support agency. They rebranded and changed their focus in 2016 to providing virtual assistant services to […]
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Virtual Eases is a virtual assistant company based out of India. They are an excellent choice for businesses that want to improve efficiency, reduce administrative workload, and increase productivity through reliable virtual assistance. With their comprehensive services, flexible pricing plans, […]
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UPDATE: As of 2019, Tasksbay has pivoted to provide classroom and online training certification for professionals. If you’re looking for virtual assistant support, please see below for Tasksbay alternatives. Tasksbay is an India-based virtual assistant company headed up by four […]
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Ossisto is one of the newer virtual assistant companies operating out of India starting operations in November 2017. They specialise in connecting business owners and entrepreneurs with, “Personal virtual assistants, business services virtual assistants, digital marketing virtual assistants, and IT […]
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eLuminous Technologies is a professional virtual assistant company. The company is a partnership firm co-founded by Sandeep Aher and have been operating since 2002. Being in business for over 18 years makes eLuminous Technologies one of the more established virtual assistant companies […]
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Wishup is a platform created to connect business owners with carefully vetted and proficient virtual assistants. The platform connects businesses with virtual assistants who can help with bookkeeping, customer service, lead generation, administrative tasks, data entry and much more. The […]
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AskDataEntry is an India-based company offering a wide range of data entry services. The company’s headquarters is located in Kolkata, India. They have two offices in this location, and all of their staff are based in their offices. About AskDataEntry […]
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E-Virtual Services is a virtual assistant and outsourcing company based in New Dehli, with a US sales office in Minneapolis. Founded in 2006, they were an early mover in the world of personal and small business outsourcing. With a staff […]
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UPDATE November 2020: They are currently offering 3 Days free trial (12 hours of services) without paying or sign up. Tasks Assistant is a virtual assistant company based in Mumbai, India. The company has been operating since 2014, and all […]
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DedicatAide is a leading virtual assistant company based in India dedicated to providing exceptional assistance to businesses of all sizes. With more than 10 years of industry experience, their mission is to streamline operations, enhance productivity, and empower businesses to […]
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QuickMonday is a virtual assistant company specializing in providing dedicated virtual assistants to small and medium-sized companies across the globe. The company is based in Kandy, Sri Lanka. All of their virtual assistants are also based in Sri Lanka, and […]
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eLuminous Digital Marketing is a digital marketing company specializing in SEO, SMM, and PPC services for businesses all over the world. The company is headquartered in India where they have close to 150 employees. eLuminous also has offices in the […]
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Task Papa is a virtual assistant company based in Mumbai, India. The company was founded in 2012, but have been flying under my radar until recently. Their company philosophy is to provide virtual assistants, or ‘task officers’ as they call […]
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UPDATE: It appears Rent A Smile is out of business. Please consider one of these alternatives. Rent A Smile is a virtual personal assistant and small business outsourcing company based in New York and with offshore facilities in India. The […]
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Fiverr.com is one of the most popular outsourcing destinations online. Built around a very simple concept – what people will do for $5 – Fiverr has grown into a large global community of freelance workers and people who hire them. […]
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Outsource School is a hands-on platform that gives you access to top training courses and resources created by successful 8-figure entrepreneurs. For a monthly or annual fee, you can access dozens of training courses. These courses outline all the processes […]
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Weratoon is a virtual assistant company based in Chennai, India. The company was formed in November 2016 by a group of individuals working as freelancers across various industries. The company currently work primarily with clients in the US, however they […]