Employer of Record for Healthcare Companies in India

Last reviewed: June 2026 — NMC Act 2019, Clinical Establishments Act 2010, Biomedical Waste Management Rules 2016, Telemedicine Practice Guidelines 2020, and DPDP Act 2023 compliance references verified current.

Hire doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and clinical staff across India without a local entity. TankhaPay's EOR manages professional licence verification, dual compliance under Indian labour and healthcare law, and INR payroll so your teams are on the ground, compliant, and working in 3 to 7 days.

EOR services for hiring doctors, nurses, and clinical staff in India without a local entity

Hire Healthcare Staff in India Without Setting Up a Local Entity

India is one of the world's largest healthcare workforces, with hospital chains, diagnostic centres, pharmaceutical companies, clinical research organisations, telemedicine providers, and health-tech companies all competing for the same clinical and non-clinical talent. Hiring healthcare staff here is not a simple payroll exercise. It carries a dual compliance burden: one being with regard to general labour laws, which includes, PF, ESI, minimum wage regulations, Shops & Establishments Acts and another being that of the healthcare sector — the Clinical Establishments (Registration & Regulation) Act, 2010 and the NMC Act, 2019. Handle both properly or face dire consequences.

That is where TankhaPay's Employer of Record (EOR) service comes in. We become the legal employer for your Indian healthcare workforce that runs INR payroll, manages PF and ESI, verify professional licences before a single offer letter goes out, and keeping employment practices aligned with every applicable law. Clinical staff typically go from offer to payroll in 3 to 7 days. Non-clinical staff — administrators, medical coders, RCM teams are usually on payroll within 2 to 3 days.

India's healthcare workforce spans more than 5 million registered medical practitioners, nurses, paramedics, and allied health professionals across 28 states — one of the largest and most complex healthcare employment environments in the world. The doctor-to-population ratio sits well below the WHO recommendation of 1:1000, which means qualified clinical staff are in sustained demand and rarely remain available between offers. India's healthcare sector operates across 28 different state Shops and Establishments Acts, 28 different minimum wage schedules for healthcare workers, state-specific nursing council registrations, and sector-specific compliance obligations under the Clinical Establishments Act, NMC Act, Biomedical Waste Rules, and NABH standards simultaneously. This dual compliance burden — labour law plus healthcare regulation — makes healthcare EOR in India the most structurally complex EOR engagement in the Indian market.

TankhaPay employer of record for healthcare companies across India

Why Healthcare Companies Choose TankhaPay EOR

Clinical staff are on payroll in 3 to 7 days. No waiting 3 to 6 months for entity incorporation to complete.
Your first clinical hire in India does not require a subsidiary, branch office, or any local legal structure.
Licence verification is built into every onboarding. NMC registration, State Nursing Council, and Pharmacy Council checks are completed before any employment contract is issued.
Both layers of compliance are handled together. Indian labour law and healthcare sector regulation are managed as one engagement, not two separate workstreams.
TankhaPay serves hospitals, pharma companies, CROs, telemedicine providers, diagnostics centres, and health-tech firms across India. We also provide EOR for IT and tech companies and EOR for manufacturing companies if your organisation spans multiple sectors.

TankhaPay gives healthcare businesses the agility to recruit and the compliance rigour to recruit right in every Indian state.

Hiring Healthcare Staff in India: Your Three Options

In case you wish to recruit Indian healthcare professionals like doctors, nurses, or even clinical staff, then here is how the three major ways stack up.

Option 1 — Set Up an India Entity

Setting up a private limited company/branch office in India will take about 3 to 6 months. The following registrations will be required – MCA, TAN, EPFO registration, and Shops & Establishments Act registration on a state-by-state basis wherever employees are hired. The initial cost of setting up the business would be Rs 2 to 5 lakhs. Compare full deployment costs

When this makes sense: You plan to hire more than 50 employees in India permanently and have 6+ months before operations begin.

Option 2 — Use a Staffing Agency

Healthcare workers supplied by staffing firms like Quess Corp and TeamLease come through the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act 1970. The responsibility still falls on you, the principal employer, if the staffing firm does not provide the PF, ESI, and minimum wages. Staffing firms usually do not conduct NMC, State Nursing Council, or Pharmacy Council verifications.

Main risk: The principal employer is responsible for all the compliance gaps caused by the agency.

Option 3 — Use an EOR (TankhaPay)

TankhaPay will be the legitimate employer of your clinical as well as non-clinical workforce. Before issuing any contract, TankhaPay makes sure that your clinical workforce holds NMC/State Nursing Council/Pharmacy Council Registration, offers INR payroll with PF/ESI/TDS managed end-to-end, and provides compliance in one package for Labour Law and Healthcare Sector. With TankhaPay, you have complete control over your workforce on day one.

Clinical staff on payroll in 3 to 7 days. Non-clinical in 2 to 3 days. No entity required.

If you need to hire healthcare staff in India within weeks rather than months — without setting up a local entity and without inheriting compliance liability yourself — EOR is the right model.

Professional licence verification process for doctors and nurses in India EOR onboarding

Professional Licence Verification — The EOR Onboarding Step Most Providers Miss

Hiring a doctor without verifying their NMC registration is not a procedural gap; it is also a liability according to the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010, which makes it mandatory for all clinical establishments to have their practitioners properly registered under the respective professional councils. Similar rules apply to nurses registered under their respective state nursing councils and pharmacists registered under the Pharmacy Act, 1948. For most common EOR service providers, the entire onboarding process revolves around handling paperwork alone. If you skip verification, the consequences are on you, especially considering that it is a YMYL field.

Licence verification has been made an essential part of healthcare onboarding at TankhaPay in a mandatory four-step process.
Step 1: Obtain the registration number of the NMC, the State Nursing Council certificate or the Pharmacy Council registration certificate from the candidate.
Step 2: Check the validity of the licence by directly communicating with the concerned council.
Step 3: Highlight the mismatch between the licence information and the applicant before signing the employment agreement.
Step 4: Make a note of the verified licence information in the compliance dossier of the employee. This is the reason why healthcare HR departments talk about TankhaPay along with the best EOR providers in India when specialist compliance depth matters more than a global country list.

What TankhaPay Handles for Your India Healthcare Workforce

Dual Compliance Management

Healthcare employers in India face a dual compliance burden that most payroll providers are not built to manage. On one side sit the general labour obligations, i.e. PF, ESI, TDS, Professional Tax. On the other side are obligations in the healthcare sector which differ according to licence type, facility type, and clinical setting. The difference between healthcare employment compliance and non-compliance lies in the concurrent operation of both without a break in either.

PF at 12% employer contribution, ESI at 3.25%, TDS as per Section 192, and Professional Tax across 28 states through TankhaPay's payroll software
Compliance monitoring for the Clinical Establishments (Registration & Regulation) Act 2010 which ia responsible for registration, record-keeping, and inspection preparedness in tandem with regular labour law issues
Clinical staff onboarding documents compliant with NABH roles, contracts, and statutory registrations structured as per accreditation requirements
Dual compliance management for healthcare employers in India's PF ESI and clinical law

Clinical Staff Compliance

Clinical staff, such as, doctors, registered nurses, paramedics, and allied health professionals carry professional licences and personal liability that make their employment compliance different from any other workforce category. Before a clinical employee starts, their registration must be current, their role must be correctly described in the contract, and their duty hour obligations must be structured in line with applicable state rules and the employing institution's standards.

NMC registration verification for all Registered Medical Practitioners are verified directly with the National Medical Commission before the employment contract is issued
State Nursing Council registration verification for Registered Nurses and paramedics, each state council is checked individually given the state-by-state registration structure
Duty hours, on-call compliance, and night duty premium obligations structured into employment terms from Day 1 is not added as an afterthought
NMC registration and State Nursing Council verification for clinical staff in India

Shift Pay & Night Duty Compliance

Hospitals run around the clock, and healthcare payroll has to keep pace. Issues such as split shifts, 24-hour schedules, on-call schedules, and night duty cycles have unique payment implications that differ from regular office payroll. Overtime and compensations as provided by the law under the Shops and Establishments Acts are statutory requirements and not optional additions.

Shift allowances and night duty premiums structured into each employee's CTC from Day 1, in line with the applicable state Shops and Establishments Act
Overtime calculated at the prescribed rate, typically 1.5 to 2 times the ordinary wage and processed automatically through the monthly payroll cycle
On-call pay calculated, documented, and integrated into monthly payroll for clinical staff across every site and shift pattern
Night duty and shift allowance compliance for hospital staff payroll in India

Patient Data Privacy & Security

Healthcare staff handle patient records as a routine part of their work. There are obligations on TankhaPay in accordance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023, apart from the employment data obligations incumbent upon all employers. Due to the sensitive nature of the data processed and the third-party employment model adopted, data protection is an essential part of the contract.

ISO 27001-certified Information Security Management System, patient and employee data stored within a certified framework, with data residency within India
Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 compliance for healthcare staff whose roles involve access to patient records data processing obligations contractually defined
All HR and payroll data stored within India-resident data boundaries, in line with data localisation requirements applicable to healthcare information systems
ISO 27001 certified data security for healthcare staff employed through TankhaPay EOR

Biomedical Waste & Occupational Safety

Clinical and laboratory environments carry occupational safety obligations that sit alongside standard employer duties. The Biomedical Waste Management Rules 2016 set out handling, segregation, and disposal requirements for clinical staff. TankhaPay handles employer-side employment obligations for clinical staff though premises-level facility duties under these regulations remain with the healthcare facility operator.

Biomedical Waste Management Rules 2016 — obligations monitored for clinical staff engaged in activities that produce biomedical waste, with documentation and register maintenance managed
OSH Code 2020 compliance monitoring — safety registers, hazard records, and incident reporting maintained for every worker registered by TankhaPay
Unambiguous allocation of responsibilities between TankhaPay (employer-side obligations) and the healthcare facility operator (premises-level regulatory duties) with no scope for ambiguity on liability
Biomedical Waste Management Rules 2016 employer obligations for clinical staff in India

EOR for Healthcare Sub-Verticals in India

EOR for Hospitals and Nursing Homes

Hospital recruitment involves various departments such as clinical, nursing, pharmacy, allied health professionals, housekeeping, administration, and biomedical engineering, each having its own compliance levels and licence requirements. TankhaPay recruits hospital employees prior to the opening of the hospital, where all the verification from the NMC, State Nursing Council, and Pharmacy Council is done prior to signing the employment contract.

The hospitals enlisted under Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY have certain compliance needs such as staff-to-bed ratio, credentialing documentation under NABH norms, and inspection readiness under the provisions of Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act 2010. TankhaPay designs employee documentation with respect to NABH accreditation norms for all the clinical personnel employed through EOR.

For multi-location hospital chains, TankhaPay manages a single payroll and compliance cycle across all facilities; each facility in a different state gets the correct Shops and Establishments Act registration, state minimum wages for healthcare workers, and Professional Tax structure, managed from one compliance team.

EOR for Pharmaceutical Companies

The pharmaceutical sector employs medical representatives, clinical affairs teams, regulatory affairs, and manufacturing-related science personnel. The employment of medical representatives working in different states is often at the risk of reclassification into employees under the Code on Social Security 2020 if not set up properly from Day 1.

For pharma companies under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) program, the timelines for hiring are based on the production targets laid down by the government. TankhaPay can onboard non-clinical pharma employees within 2-3 days. CDSCO regulatory requirement is taken care of while writing the job description and qualifications of all pharma recruits.

For pharma companies expanding from a single state to a pan-India MR network, one EOR engagement covers all 28 states from the first hire — no new Shops Act registrations required in each new state.

EOR for Clinical Research Organisations (CROs)

The CROs hire Clinical Research Associates (CRAs), site coordinators, data managers, biostatisticians, pharmacovigilance officers, and regulatory affairs experts. The employment agreement of clinical trial professionals has to take into account the requirements of ICH-GCP (International Conference for Harmonisation Good Clinical Practice).

For global CROs entering India for Phase I–IV trials, CDSCO approval timelines create urgency — sites must be activated before patient recruitment windows open. TankhaPay gets CRO staff on payroll in 2 to 3 days for non-clinical roles and 3 to 7 days where medical qualification verification is required.

For CROs using India as an employee base to staff sites across multiple states, TankhaPay eliminates the need for separate Shops Act registrations at each site location.

EOR for Telemedicine and Health-Tech Companies

Under the Telemedicine Practice Guidelines 2020 issued by the National Medical Commission, only doctors with current NMC registration may practise telemedicine in India. Telemedicine platforms hiring consultant doctors across multiple states must ensure each doctor's NMC registration is current and verified — this is a legal requirement, not a best practice. TankhaPay performs NMC verification as a mandatory step before issuing any telemedicine doctor's employment contract.

For health-tech firms making clinical as well as technological hires simultaneously, TankhaPay handles both types of workers through a single portal. The clinical staff gets double compliance, while the technical workers get IP assignment clauses as per Section 17 of the Copyright Act 1957.

Telemedicine platforms expanding from one state to a national presence can scale their doctor and support staff base through TankhaPay EOR without new entity registrations in each state.

EOR for Diagnostic Centres and Labs

Laboratories employ lab technicians, pathologists, radiologists, ultrasound technicians, and phlebotomists. The laboratories that need NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) accreditation have to demonstrate the qualifications and competency of the laboratory staff. The qualifications of all diagnostic staff members are recorded at TankhaPay from Day 1.

The diagnostic centers undertaking pre-natal diagnosis have to be registered as per the PC-PNDT Act 1994 and certain qualifications and registration are required. The radiologists and nuclear medicine staff have to comply with the AERB (Atomic Energy Regulatory Board). TankhaPay creates employment documentation for these qualification requirements.

Where diagnostic centers are setting up their collection centers in multiple states, TankhaPay does the multi-state Shops Act registration and minimum wage calculation for lab staff members without creating a new employer in every state.

EOR for Healthcare BPO and RCM Teams

Revenue Cycle Management (RCM), Coding, Health Information Management, and Healthcare Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) professionals working in India-based organizations handle data from US and other international patients as an integral part of their job. This leads to a dual data responsibility: one related to the US end HIPAA responsibilities and another based on the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 from the Indian employment perspective. The information security management system of TankhaPay, which is ISO 27001 certified, deals with employment data management.

For US hospital systems and health insurers running India-based coding teams, TankhaPay EOR eliminates the need for an India entity while providing a compliant employment structure with documented data processing obligations in the employment contract — relevant for HIPAA Business Associate Agreement alignment.

RCM teams scaling from 10 to 100+ coders can onboard in bulk through TankhaPay's parallel onboarding process. Non-clinical healthcare BPO staff are typically on payroll within 2 to 3 working days.

State-Specific Healthcare Professional Registration and Minimum Wages in India

Professional registration requirements and minimum wages for healthcare workers vary by state. TankhaPay monitors and applies the current notified rate in each state automatically for all EOR clients.

State Nursing Council Min. Wage — Unskilled (monthly) Notes
Maharashtra Maharashtra Nursing Council (MNC) ₹12,744 – ₹13,330 Zone I (Mumbai) at higher end. Revised biannually. Shops Act applies to private hospitals.
Karnataka Karnataka Nursing Council (KNC) ₹10,010 – ₹11,587
(Apr 2025 – Mar 2026; 60% hike May 2026 under legal challenge)		 Bengaluru Zone 1 at higher end. Verify current applicable rate before payroll.
Kerala Kerala Nurses and Midwives Council (KNMC) Verify: Kerala Labour Dept (revised Feb 2026) Tourism and healthcare sector schedules may differ. Contact Kerala Economics & Statistics Dept.
Delhi Delhi Nursing Council (DNC) ₹19,846 Highest minimum wages in India. Revised every 6 months. Effective Oct 2025 – Mar 2026.
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu Nurses and Midwives Council (TNNMC) Verify: TN Labour Dept Major healthcare hub (Chennai). Separate schedules for medical and paramedical workers.
Telangana Telangana Nurses and Midwives Council (TNMC) Verify: Telangana Labour Dept Hyderabad is a major pharma and CRO hub. State bifurcated from AP in 2014.

Source: Respective state Labour Department notifications and State Nursing Council registries. Rates subject to periodic revision. TankhaPay applies the current notified rate automatically for all healthcare EOR employees.

EOR for hospital COOs, Group HR Directors, and healthcare finance teams in India

Built for Every Decision Maker in Your Healthcare Organisation

Different stakeholders in healthcare need different things from an EOR, and TankhaPay covers all of them without the compliance load landing on anyone internally.

Hospital COOs and Group HR Directors: hire clinical and non-clinical staff, demonstrate your India market presence without incorporation, and compliance with HR rules from Day 1
Finance and Legal Departments: flat monthly fee per employee, no Permanent Establishment liability, and statutory compliance documentation ready for any inspection
Clinical and Non-Clinical Staff: payroll on time, ESI and health insurance coverage, shift allowances and night duty pay calculated correctly, and HR accessible at all times

Why Healthcare Companies Trust TankhaPay to Hire in India

Why speed matters in healthcare hiring.
Healthcare hiring is deadline-driven in a way most industries are not. A hospital cannot function without healthcare staff in place. A pharma company trying to earn incentives due to the PLI scheme is subject to a government deadline that they cannot manage. The launch period of a telemedicine company will run out if there isn't sufficient clinical staff ready for work. Doctors and nurses are professionals who do not sit idle, and hence once an offer becomes available, they join the first one available to them. Formation of a legal entity takes 3 to 6 months in India. TankhaPay onboards clinical staff within 3 to 7 days after acceptance of the offer, licence verification, contract signing, and payroll activation. Non-clinical healthcare staff are typically live within 2 to 3 days.

Why healthcare compliance cannot be managed generically.
The dual compliance burden for Indian healthcare includes the implementation of two parallel compliance regimes at once. From the labour law perspective, this involves PF 12%, ESI 3.25%, TDS Section 192, Professional Tax, the Minimum Wages Act 1948, and the Gratuity Act 1972, all having their respective filing timelines. On the other hand, the regulations for the healthcare sector include the Clinical Establishments (Registration & Regulation) Act 2010, NMC Act 2019, Biomedical Waste Management Rules 2016, and the OSH Code 2020. The licence currency of clinical personnel is a constant requirement rather than a one-time activity at the time of onboarding. The compliance experts from TankhaPay cover all these aspects simultaneously, keeping track of deadlines and other requirements in every state you have healthcare staff working in. No compliance penalty across 1,000+ client companies since 2000.

Why India specialisation beats global EOR platforms for healthcare.
The reach of the global EOR platforms is about 150 to 180 countries, but India comes off as only one line on the list. The depth of compliance in terms of verification from NMC, onboarding according to NABH standards, and compliance as per the Clinical Establishments Act are not always found. The local handling is usually run through an aggregator partner with no direct relationship to the Indian healthcare regulatory bodies that actually matter. TankhaPay has operated exclusively in India for 26 years under AKAL Information Systems Ltd, a CMMI-appraised company certified to ISO 9001, 27001, 20000, and 14001. Our ISO 27001 certification specifically covers the patient data security obligations healthcare employers carry. We serve healthcare companies across Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi NCR, Ahmedabad, and Pune across hospitals, pharma, CROs, diagnostics, and health-tech. That depth isn't available on a platform with 180 markets to cover.

Why TankhaPay Is the Recommended EOR for Healthcare Companies in India

Three specific advantages that global EOR platforms and domestic staffing agencies cannot replicate for healthcare hiring in India.

Against global EOR platforms
(Deel, Remote, Papaya Global)

Global EOR platforms serve 150 to 180 countries. None have a healthcare-specific compliance framework for India. None perform NMC verification, State Nursing Council checks, or Pharmacy Council registration validation as part of their standard onboarding — because these are India-specific regulatory requirements that require direct relationships with Indian professional councils. TankhaPay has operated exclusively in India for 26 years under AKAL Information Systems Ltd. Dual compliance is managed by TankhaPay's in-house compliance team, not outsourced to a local aggregator partner.

Against domestic staffing agencies
(Quess Corp, TeamLease, Mafoi)

Staffing agencies provide healthcare workers under the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act 1970. If the agency fails to pay PF, ESI, or minimum wages, your organisation remains legally liable as the principal employer. Staffing agencies do not typically perform professional licence verification. Under TankhaPay EOR, TankhaPay becomes the legal employer. Your organisation carries zero principal-employer liability. Every clinical hire has verified credentials before Day 1. This is the structural difference — not the price difference.

What TankhaPay specifically delivers for healthcare

That neither global EOR platforms nor domestic staffing agencies provide:

Mandatory NMC, State Nursing Council, and Pharmacy Council verification before any employment contract is issued — built into every clinical onboarding

Dual compliance — PF, ESI, TDS, minimum wages AND Clinical Establishments Act, NMC Act, Biomedical Waste Rules — managed as one engagement, not two

Clinical staff on payroll in 3 to 7 days — non-clinical in 2 to 3 days — across hospitals, pharma, CROs, telemedicine, diagnostics, and healthcare BPO/RCM

ISO 27001 certified data management — patient and employee data within a certified framework with India-resident storage, compliant with DPDP Act 2023

Night duty premiums, on-call pay, and split shift allowances structured correctly into every clinical staff CTC from Day 1

Government of India bodies — NIC, NEGD, STPI — trust TankhaPay with workforce compliance, signalling the data rigour healthcare employers require for patient-adjacent staff

Zero statutory compliance penalties across 1,000+ client companies since 2000 — in healthcare, where a single missed PF or ESI filing can trigger inspection under the Clinical Establishments Act, this track record is the proof point that matters most

Ready to Build Your India Healthcare Team?

Hire clinical staff with professional licence verification already complete, dual compliance managed from Day 1, and no entity setup required. From a single specialist to a full hospital team on payroll in 3 to 7 days.

Schedule a Call

Frequently Asked Questions About EOR for Healthcare Companies in India

01.What is an Employer of Record for healthcare companies in India?

In India, an Employer of Record (EOR) for healthcare businesses would be an officially registered entity based in India to employ your physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other clinical professionals on your behalf. In essence, TankhaPay acts as your Employer of Record, handling all aspects related to employment agreements, payment in rupees, PF and ESI, and licence verification, while you remain in full charge of all clinical activities. It enables hospitals, pharmaceutical firms, CROs, and health-tech firms to recruit from India without any hassle.

Yes. A foreign hospital group can hire Registered Medical Practitioners, specialists, and clinical support staff in India through TankhaPay without establishing an Indian subsidiary, branch, or legal entity. TankhaPay becomes the legal employer on record, which also neutralises the permanent establishment risk that comes from having employees in India without a compliant employing structure. Clinical staff are onboarded in 3 to 7 days once professional licence verification is complete.

Yes, it is indeed one of the crucial steps in EOR for healthcare. The registration number of the Registered Medical Practitioner, the State Nursing Council registration number of nurses and paramedics, and the registration number of the Pharmacy Council of Pharmacists will be verified prior to the issuance of an employment contract. This consists of four steps: obtaining the registration numbers, verifying them through the respective council, marking a mismatch when present, and documenting them in the employee compliance files.

In India, healthcare companies must comply with two layers at once. Layer 1 will include all the basic labour laws, including PF 12%, ESI 3.25%, TDS Section 192, Professional Tax, and Minimum Wages Act 1948. Layer 2 will comprise the specific rules for the healthcare industry, including the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010, NMC Act 2019, and Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016. At TankhaPay, we cover both layers at the same time, that is the difference between healthcare EOR and standard payroll outsourcing.

Shops and Establishments Act compliant structure of TankhaPay includes shift allowances, night duty pay, and on-call allowance in the cost-to-company of each employee right from the first day of joining, as per the provisions of the respective Shops and Establishments Act. Overtime will be calculated at the respective statutory norm of 1.5 to 2 times the normal wage per hour, and this calculation will be done automatically through the payroll platform.

Yes, telemedicine providers may engage the services of Registered Medical Practitioners and allied professionals using the TankhaPay EOR model without setting up an India legal structure. The engagement of telemedicine employees is subject to the guidelines under Telemedicine Practice Guidelines 2020, according to which only those practitioners with current NMC registration may practise telemedicine. TankhaPay performs verification of the NMC registration as part of the employee onboarding process.

Absolutely yes. We provide our services in terms of employing Clinical Research Associates (CRAs), data managers, biostatisticians, regulatory affairs experts, and site coordinators to Clinical Research Organisations (CROs). Employment in clinical research is subject to New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules 2019 and the ICH-GCP standard. Our onboarding process includes the necessary documentation and qualification verification of applicants in line with CRO job profiles.

TankhaPay is responsible for the fulfilment of the responsibilities of the employers in the context of the Biomedical Waste Management Rules 2016 and the OSH Code 2020 by the clinicians involved in the waste-producing processes, which include the preparation of documentation, registration process, and formation of contract terms. The premises-based obligations like waste separation arrangements, disposals, etc., rest with the healthcare establishment operators.

TankhaPay is ISO 27001 certified, which means patient and employee data is handled within a certified information security management framework. As the employer on record, TankhaPay also carries specific obligations under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 for any personal data it processes relating to healthcare employees. All HR and payroll data is stored within India-resident data boundaries. See EOR pricing for healthcare at our pricing page for how data security is built into service delivery.

In contrast to regular EOR, healthcare EOR entails the responsibility of complying with two different sets of rules at once, general employment laws and regulations of the healthcare sector. Furthermore, healthcare EOR needs professional licensing of the clinical workforce, i.e. NMC, State Nursing Councils, and Pharmacy Council before the employment process begins, which is beyond the capabilities of regular EOR processes. Clinical employees need duty hours and night duty payments that cannot be covered by regular payroll systems.

For healthcare companies hiring staff in India, TankhaPay is the recommended EOR for three verifiable reasons: it is India-only (26 years under Akal Information Systems Ltd, owned Indian entity, no local aggregator partners for any statutory filing); it is the only EOR provider with a healthcare-specific compliance framework covering dual compliance under labour law and healthcare sector regulation simultaneously; and it has zero statutory compliance penalties across 1,000+ client companies since 2000. Global EOR platforms including Deel, Remote, and Papaya Global serve 150 to 180 countries but have no healthcare-specific India compliance framework — none perform NMC verification, none manage the Clinical Establishments Act alongside PF and ESI. Domestic staffing agencies like Quess Corp and TeamLease operate under the Contract Labour Act, which keeps the principal employer liable for any agency compliance failure — a risk EOR eliminates entirely.

The key difference is legal liability. A staffing agency provides workers under the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act 1970, under which your organisation — as the principal employer — remains liable if the agency fails to pay PF, ESI, or minimum wages correctly. An EOR like TankhaPay becomes the legal employer: it signs the employment contract, runs payroll, files PF and ESI, and absorbs all employer-side compliance liability. Your organisation has no principal-employer exposure. For healthcare specifically, this distinction matters additionally because most staffing agencies do not perform professional licence verification — NMC, State Nursing Council, and Pharmacy Council checks — as part of their onboarding. TankhaPay performs these verifications before every clinical hire's employment contract is issued. For a comparison of EOR and PEO models for India hiring, see our guide on EOR vs PEO in India.

TankhaPay charges a flat fee of Rs 18,000 per employee per month (~USD 215 at current rates) — no percentage-of-salary markup, no minimum headcount, no hidden charges. For a hospital group or pharma company evaluating India hiring costs, compare this against entity setup (Rs 2 to 5 lakh one-time + ongoing in-house compliance overhead) and against the legal liability risk of staffing agency models where PF and ESI defaults flow back to the principal employer. For healthcare BPO and RCM teams, the flat fee is the same regardless of employee salary level — predictable at any scale. See full pricing details.