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🇦🇺Australia · Pune, MH · India Operations

Australia Companies in Pune

EOR, payroll, entity setup, and Maharashtra compliance — everything Australia companies need to operate in Pune.

At a Glance

FEMA Route

Automatic — no prior approval

DTAA Treaty

Active — India–Australia

State

Pune, Maharashtra (MH)

Salary Range

₹6–40 LPA for tech roles; ₹8–55 LPA for senior engineering and automotive software engineers

Talent Pool

Third highest in India - 600,000 IT professionals

7.8 million (2023 estimate, PMC + PCMC area)

Metro Population

₹6–40 LPA for tech roles

Salary Band

Automatic FDI

Australia FEMA Route

7–35 days

Time to First Hire

Location

Why Pune for Australia Companies

Pune is India's engineering and R&D GCC capital - a city where IT/ITES GCCs coexist with automotive R&D centers (Tata Technologies, Mercedes-Benz R&D India, Cummins India) and defense technology firms (Bharat Forge, Tata Advanced Systems). Hinjewadi Phase I-III houses Infosys, Cognizant, Wipro, and over 200 GCCs. Pune's manufacturing engineering talent - product designers, embedded systems engineers, and industrial automation specialists trained at COEP, VIT Pune, and MITCOE - is unavailable at this scale in any other Indian city, making Pune the default choice for engineering-intensive GCCs in automotive, aerospace, and industrial automation.

Pune is the only Indian city where a GCC can simultaneously access world-class IT services talent (Hinjewadi and Kharadi), manufacturing and embedded engineering expertise (Pimpri-Chinchwad industrial belt), and BFSI domain specialists (CBD and Koregaon Park) - making it uniquely suited for multi-disciplinary engineering GCCs.

For Australia companies specifically, Pune offers Automotive Technology, Engineering R&D, IT Services & BPO talent at ₹6–40 LPA for tech roles; ₹8–55 LPA for senior engineering and automotive software engineers, with no prior FDI approval required and an active DTAA reducing withholding taxes.

Maharashtra Compliance Note

Maharashtra Shops and Commercial Establishments Act 1948 (amended 2017) requires registration within 60 days of commencement. The 2017 amendment allows 24/7 operations for IT/ITES companies with women

Full Maharashtra compliance guide →

Top Sectors in Pune

Automotive TechnologyEngineering R&DIT Services & BPOManufacturing TechBFSI Back OfficeDefense & Aerospace

Compliance

What Australia Entities Must Comply With in Pune

Central / FEMA Requirements

  • Transfer Pricing
  • DTAA
  • ATO Compliance
  • FEMA
  • Section 195

Maharashtra State Requirements

Maharashtra Professional Tax: gross salary up to ₹7,500/month = ₹0; ₹7,501–₹10,000 = ₹175/month; above ₹10,000 = ₹200/month for 11 months and ₹300 in February (total ₹2,500/year). PT is remitted to the Maharashtra State Tax on Professions, Trades, Callings and Employments Act authority by the last day of each month. PT enrollment is mandatory for every employer.

Tax Treaty

India–Australia DTAA

India-Australia DTAA provides 15% withholding on dividends (when Australian company holds 10%+ of Indian company's voting stock), 15% on royalties, and 10% on fees for technical services - the FTS clause is narrower than the US treaty.

Transfer Pricing

Inter-company Pricing for Australia Entities

The Australian Tax Office (ATO) is among the most active in OECD on TP enforcement. Australia's TP rules under Subdivision 815-B of the ITAA 1997 follow OECD Guidelines. Australian parent companies with Indian GCCs must maintain Local File documentation (ITAA 1997 Section 815-130) and file Country-by-Country reports (Section 3CA-3CB) when consolidated group revenue exceeds AUD 1 billion. The ATO's practical compliance guideline PCG 2017/1 is particularly relevant for intra-group service arrangements.

FAQ

Australia Companies in Pune — Common Questions

Can a Australia company hire employees in Pune without setting up an entity?

Yes — irpr.network's Employer of Record service allows Australia companies to legally employ staff in Pune within 7–10 business days, without incorporating an Indian company. The EOR is the legal employer and manages Maharashtra compliance, EPFO, ESIC, and TDS on your behalf.

What is the FEMA route for Australia companies investing in India?

Australian investments in Indian IT/ITES qualify for automatic route FDI. AUD-INR flows via USD correspondent banking. Australian companies frequently use Singapore or Mauritius as intermediate holding structures, but the India-Singapore DTAA amendment in 2016 has made direct Australian investment increasingly common. Once shares are allotted, an FC-GPR return must be filed with the RBI within 30 days.

What professional tax applies to employees in Pune?

Maharashtra Professional Tax: gross salary up to ₹7,500/month = ₹0; ₹7,501–₹10,000 = ₹175/month; above ₹10,000 = ₹200/month for 11 months and ₹300 in February (total ₹2,500/year). PT is remitted to the Maharashtra State Tax on Professions, Trades, Callings and Employments Act authority by the last day of each month. PT enrollment is mandatory for every employer.

Does the India–Australia DTAA apply to a Pune subsidiary?

Yes. India-Australia DTAA provides 15% withholding on dividends (when Australian company holds 10%+ of Indian company's voting stock), 15% on royalties, and 10% on fees for technical services - the FTS clause is narrower than the US treaty. The DTAA covers your Pune entity regardless of which Indian city it is registered in.

How long does it take to set up a Australia company in Pune?

Private Limited company incorporation takes 3–5 weeks for a Australia parent. EPFO, ESIC, and GST registration add another 2–3 weeks. Using irpr.network EOR, you can have your first Pune hire onboarded in 7 business days while the entity is set up in parallel.

What are the Maharashtra Shops Act requirements for a new entity in Pune?

Maharashtra Shops and Commercial Establishments Act 1948 (amended 2017) requires registration within 60 days of commencement. The 2017 amendment allows 24/7 operations for IT/ITES companies with women employees, subject to safety and transport provisions. Annual leave: 21 paid leaves per year after 6 months of service (3 CL + 8 SL + 10 EL). Maharashtra Industrial Policy 2019 offers incentives including 100% stamp duty refund and 50% electricity duty exemption for new IT units in Aurangabad, Nashik, and Amravati.

Ready to launch?

Set up your Australia operations in Pune

Entity setup, EOR, payroll, and Maharashtra compliance — all managed by irpr.network.