The cost gap is real: Indian agencies typically bill $25–$60/hour blended, versus $100–$200/hour for a comparable US-based team — for the same engineering, not a lesser version of it. The risk isn't cost or quality by default; it's communication.
What actually goes wrong
- No defined overlap window — questions sit for a full day because nobody scheduled real-time contact.
- A verbal or vague scope — the most common source of "that's not what I asked for."
- No contract structure the client recognizes — no SOW, no IP assignment clause, no milestone payments.
How to do it properly
Pick a team that commits to a specific overlap window in your business hours, works from a written scope before any code is written, and uses a contract structure — SOW, IP assignment on delivery — you'd recognize from a domestic vendor. See exactly how we handle this for the United States and United Kingdom.