Built here.
Selling everywhere.
Most Indian B2B technology companies sell to two markets at once — domestic buyers and overseas ones with entirely different search behaviour, price expectations and trust requirements. We build for both without pretending they are the same problem.
The dual-market problem Indian B2B faces
Indian B2B technology companies typically pursue two markets at once: a price-sensitive, high-volume domestic market and export markets — chiefly the US, UK and Middle East — where buyers expect different proof, pricing and positioning. Running one search and content strategy across both consistently underperforms, because the queries, objections and trust signals genuinely differ.
A fast market, and a fast-changing one
India’s digital advertising market is growing faster than almost any comparable economy, and the regulatory framework around it changed materially in 2023.
Dentsu’s Digital Advertising Report placed the Indian digital advertising market at roughly ₹1.55 lakh crore in 2024, with digital taking a majority share of total advertising spend for the first time in recent years. Growth has been driven by mobile-first consumption, vernacular content and a rapidly professionalising B2B technology sector.
For B2B specifically, the domestic opportunity has changed shape. Indian companies now buy software rather than building it internally by default, but price sensitivity remains real and sales cycles involve more procurement friction than equivalent US deals. Content that works domestically leans heavily on cost justification and implementation practicality.
The export motion is a different discipline entirely. An Indian SaaS company selling into the US is competing against domestic incumbents with existing trust, and has to overcome a location objection that is rarely voiced but frequently decisive. Third-party corroboration, security documentation and named leadership visibility matter more here than any amount of feature content.
India market at a glance
🇮🇳- Digital ad market (2024)
- ₹1.55 lakh cr
- Primary source
- Dentsu Digital Report
- Our base
- India (IST)
- Working overlap
- Full IST day
- Billing currency
- INR or USD
- GST
- Charged as applicable
- Data regime
- DPDP Act 2023
Market figure from the Dentsu India Digital Advertising Report, 2024. Engagement terms are ours and fixed at contract.
Two audiences, two search patterns
The same product, sold domestically and for export, requires different content because the objections are different.
The location objection is real
Export buyers rarely say it, but perceived offshore risk affects shortlisting. Security documentation, named leadership and third-party corroboration answer it better than positioning ever does.
Domestic pricing is contested openly
Indian buyers negotiate more directly and expect transparent cost justification. Content that models total cost and payback outperforms feature comparison.
AI visibility favours exporters
Assistant-led research is more common among US and UK buyers, so AI visibility work returns disproportionately for Indian companies with an export motion.
Relative weighting used when planning dual-market Indian engagements. Directional, from Oneskai audit findings.
Same hours, same city hours
For Indian clients there is no overlap model to design around — our delivery team works the standard Indian business day.
Daily overlap with Indian business hours
IST (UTC+5:30)Where an Indian client also runs an export motion, we extend coverage into the relevant overseas window — most commonly a partial US Eastern or UK shift agreed at kickoff.
INR retainers, published openly
Exclusive of GST. Indian entities are billed in INR; companies with overseas subsidiaries can be billed in USD against the equivalent tier.
Focused
₹1.8LPER MONTH + GSTSingle-channel execution for domestic-focused companies or export teams testing one market before committing.
- One primary channel
- Single-market focus
- Monthly reporting to CRM outcomes
- Quarterly strategy review
Dual-market
₹3.6LPER MONTH + GSTDomestic and export motions run as separate strategies with shared infrastructure — the most common shape for Indian SaaS.
- Up to three channels
- Separate domestic and export tracks
- GEO benchmark cycle each month
- Full CRM attribution build
- Dedicated strategist
Embedded
From ₹6.5LPER MONTH + GSTFull growth-team capacity for companies scaling export revenue where in-house hiring is the bottleneck.
- Unrestricted channel scope
- Multi-market coverage
- Fractional CMO involvement
- Overseas-hours coverage
- Dedicated pod
Media spend is paid directly to platforms with no markup. GST is charged as applicable. Fixed-fee audits are available with no retainer commitment.
DPDP Act, and the rules your buyers bring
Indian companies selling abroad inherit their customers’ regulatory expectations alongside domestic law.
DPDP Act 2023
India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act introduces consent, purpose limitation and data principal rights. Lead capture, analytics and marketing automation all need notice and consent designed to its requirements.
Inherited GDPR obligations
Selling to EU or UK buyers brings GDPR into scope regardless of where you are based. Export-focused Indian companies frequently discover this during a customer security review rather than beforehand.
Security documentation expectations
US and European buyers routinely require SOC 2 or ISO 27001 evidence. Publishing security posture properly removes a common late-stage objection for Indian vendors.
Data residency questions
Where customer data is stored is asked earlier in export deals than most Indian companies expect. Answering it clearly on an indexable page shortens evaluation.
TRAI commercial communication rules
Domestic SMS and voice marketing operate under TRAI regulation with DLT registration requirements. Non-registered senders are simply blocked at network level.
Advertising standards
ASCI’s self-regulatory code governs advertising claims in India, including specific guidance on influencer disclosure and comparative claims.
Your compliance function decides, we design to it
We build to these requirements and flag exposure we can see, but we do not provide legal advice. Indian and cross-border data regulation is your counsel’s territory, particularly where export markets bring foreign law into scope.
How we compare in the Indian market
The honest positioning, including where a cheaper or a global option makes more sense.
| Consideration | Oneskai | Large Indian agency | Global agency, India office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical monthly retainer | ₹1.8L–₹6.5L+ | ₹1L–₹5L | ₹8L–₹25L+ |
| Export market capability | Core focus | Varies considerably | Strong |
| AI visibility measurement | Documented 2,500-run protocol | Rarely offered | Emerging |
| Pricing transparency | Published tiers | Usually negotiated | Custom quote |
| Team seniority on account | Senior throughout | Often junior execution | Senior, at higher cost |
| Media markup | None | Commonly 10–15% | Often 15%+ |
| Best when | Dual domestic and export motion | Domestic volume at lowest cost | Global brand consistency needed |
| Choose elsewhere if | Budget is under ₹1.5L monthly | You need export sophistication | Budget below ₹8L monthly |
Retainer ranges for other agency types are general market observations, not quotes from named firms. Our pricing is published above and fixed at contract.
Where our Indian work concentrates
Predominantly technology companies with an export motion, which is where our dual-market approach earns its keep.
B2B SaaS & Technology
Indian SaaS companies selling into US and European markets, where trust, security documentation and comparison visibility decide shortlisting.
Professional Services
IT services, consulting and engineering firms competing for overseas mandates where named expertise carries the decision.
Logistics & Supply Chain
Freight forwarders and supply chain platforms building corridor-level visibility across India–Middle East and India–US trade lanes.
India questions
Should we run one strategy for domestic and export markets?
No, and trying to is the most common mistake we see. Domestic buyers weight cost justification and implementation practicality; export buyers weight trust, security and comparison against established incumbents. The queries differ, the objections differ and the proof required differs — shared infrastructure, separate strategies.
How do we overcome the offshore perception with US buyers?
With evidence rather than positioning. Published security documentation, named leadership with visible expertise, third-party corroboration such as review platforms and analyst coverage, and clear data residency answers. The objection is rarely stated openly, which is exactly why it needs answering on indexable pages before the conversation.
Can we be billed in USD instead of INR?
Yes, where you have an appropriate overseas entity. Indian entities are billed in INR with GST applied as applicable; companies with US, UK or Singapore subsidiaries are commonly billed in USD against the equivalent tier. The arrangement is confirmed in the contract.
What does the DPDP Act require from our marketing?
Notice and consent designed for the purpose, purpose limitation, and mechanisms for data principals to exercise their rights. Practically this affects lead capture forms, analytics configuration and marketing automation. If you also sell into Europe, GDPR requirements sit alongside it and are generally stricter.
Do you work with Indian companies selling only domestically?
Yes, though our strongest work is with export or dual-market companies — that is where our AI visibility and comparison-content approach returns most. For purely domestic, price-led acquisition, a specialist domestic performance agency may deliver better value, and we will say so.
Is AI search visibility relevant in the Indian market?
More so for export than domestic. Assistant-led research is currently more prevalent among US and UK buyers, so GEO and AEO work returns faster for Indian companies with an export motion. Domestic adoption is rising, and we treat it as a build-ahead investment rather than an immediate return.
What is your minimum engagement?
Three months on retainer, which is roughly the shortest window in which search and AI visibility work generates signal worth judging. Fixed-fee audits are available as standalone projects, and many Indian clients start there before committing.
Related capabilities
Sources & references
- Dentsu India, Digital Advertising Report 2024 — Indian digital ad market size.
- Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (India).
- Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, commercial communication and DLT registration rules.
- Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), code for self-regulation in advertising.
- EU General Data Protection Regulation — applicable to Indian companies serving EU data subjects.
- Oneskai GEO testing methodology — protocol behind the AI visibility measurement referenced here.
Separate your two markets properly
An audit that maps domestic and export search behaviour separately, identifies which trust signals your overseas buyers are looking for and not finding, and benchmarks your AI assistant visibility in target markets.