Find out more about the complexities of India Domestic Relocations.
Key takeaways
- 49% of companies maintain India-specific domestic mobility policies, recognizing the unique dynamics of this vibrant market
- Successful programs differentiate benefits by job level (55%), family size (40%), and move initiation type (33%)
- Initiations with 3–7-day lead times are more common, demanding a robust local supplier network
- Budgets typically range from $1,500-$3,000—a fraction of comparable moves
- MovePlus Mobility managed over 1,500 successful India domestic relocations in 2024.
As India is expected to become one of the world’s largest economies in the next five years, global mobility programs are experiencing unprecedented growth in intra-India relocations. At MovePlus Mobility, we’ve witnessed this trend first-hand with our customer base increasing their India domestic relocations by tenfold. In 2024 alone, we successfully managed over 1,500 India domestic moves across multiple Customers.
This surge in domestic mobility prompted our partner, AIRINC, the global leader in talent mobility research and data, to release their comprehensive “AIRINC Survey India Domestic Relocation” benchmark, which surveyed 45 leading firms, including major technology companies, manufacturers, and financial services organizations.
Our analysis of AIRINC’s study, combined with MovePlus’ experience managing thousands of intra-India moves, reveals a clear path to program success: India-specific policies, agile service delivery, and effective cost containment solutions. These key elements address the unique opportunities of India’s relocation environment while ensuring an outstanding employee experience. By implementing these proven strategies, your organization can transform your India domestic talent mobility program into a competitive advantage.
Unique Dynamics of India Domestic Relocation
India’s domestic relocation landscape presents distinct characteristics not encountered in typical global mobility scenarios. With rich cultural diversity spanning different regions, notable variations in the cost of living between urban centers, and multifaceted housing markets, standard global mobility approaches often deliver suboptimal results. Our proven track record in successful India specific programs include the following three key elements:
Successful Programs Include Three Key Elements:
1. India-Specific Policies: Tailored for Maximum Impact
“Almost half of companies have a specific policy for domestic moves within India, with the program often falling under Global Mobility’s remit.” – AIRINC Survey
In our experience, India’s unique landscape calls for a dedicated domestic policy to achieve optimal results. This aligns with AIRINC’s findings that 49% of companies maintain policies specifically designed for India domestic moves. These policies enable strategic benefit differentiation to accommodate each assignee’s individual circumstances.
Our customers differentiate in line with AIRINC’s findings:
- 55% differentiate benefits by job level
- 40% by family size
- 33% by company- vs. employee-initiated move
Success Story: A leading technology customer implemented a three-tier policy where senior management and executives receive enhanced support such as comprehensive home search and longer temporary housing stays.
2. Agile Service Delivery: Speed with Exceptional Quality
The significant increase in India domestic relocations has been a challenging path for most companies to navigate in a short timeframe. AIRINC’s data advises that 63% of Indian domestic relocation programs are managed by Global Mobility teams. Global mobility typically operates on predictable timelines, with generous lead times to allow for proper planning and execution of the move, which does not always align with the unique fast moving local service approach in India. MovePlus ceased the opportunity to reimagine how relocation services are delivered for maximum efficiency.
Collaborating closely with our Customers we developed a unique India domestic strategy and noted that companies often only provide a 3–7-day lead time for India domestic moves, which demanded an alternative service delivery method for successful talent transitions.
Meeting these accelerated timeframes without compromising quality requires two critical elements:
- A carefully cultivated network of responsive local suppliers who understand regional nuances.
- A seamless client-RMC partnership which delivers full customer support and an agile software solution to quickly connect these local suppliers with the employee in real time.
3. Effective Cost Containment Solutions
India’s distinctive economic landscape enables significant cost optimization in domestic mobility programs. Our data shows effective India budgets typically range from $1,500-$3,000—a fraction of the $6,000-$20,000 allocated for comparable moves.
At MovePlus our focus on providing a currency strategy is a key success factor, with leading programs using INR-denominated allowances to avoid foreign exchange fluctuations. A thoughtful cash flow management remains essential to an India domestic program – MovePlus delivers a three-day reimbursement timeline to remove the financial and cash-flow burden families experience during their relocation.
AIRINC’s survey reveals that 53% of companies provide a partial lump sum or relocation allowance to cover some expenses while other benefits are company-paid or reimbursable. This balanced approach provides essential cost control while offering employees tailored support—a combination particularly effective across India’s diverse regional markets.
Our India-specialized partnerships deliver significant savings, with services available at approximately one-sixth the global supplier rate while maintaining high quality. This approach is particularly valuable in premium markets like Mumbai and Bengaluru, where housing costs have risen significantly. This India-specific supplier network allows the employee to utilize their budget on all services required for their move.
5 Opportunities to Enhance Your India Domestic Relocation Program
- Develop India-specific policy frameworks tailored to the country’s unique requirements
- Implement agile processes designed for India’s compressed relocation timelines
- Incorporate cultural nuances that enhance successful relocations, particularly with multi-generational households
- Leverage cost optimization opportunities through strategic supplier partnerships
- Create tiered policies based on job level and family size for maximum effectiveness
How MovePlus Mobility is Designed to Succeed
MovePlus Mobility is uniquely structured to excel in intra-India domestic moves through our specialized service delivery structure and proprietary technology platform. In 2024 alone, we successfully managed over 1,500 intra-India relocations across multiple industries, with consistently high satisfaction ratings and on-time completion rates exceeding 95%.
Our relocation Advocates are strategically positioned across three regions to provide true round-the-clock support—essential for India’s accelerated move timelines which likely requires employees to manage their relocation outside of standard business hours. Our Advocates receive specialized training in managing assignee expectations and accommodating the more detailed welcome calls that India domestic relocations typically require.
Our technology platform enhances program effectiveness through:
- Customized platform tailored to each customer’s specific program requirements, locations, and organizational structure
- Integration with AIRINC’s premium regional data for developing realistic budgets that account for India’s complex market dynamics
- An established network of responsive local suppliers with proven expertise in managing short-notice relocations
- Implementation of location-specific compliance requirements, vital in India’s regulatory environment
The MovePlus account managers, our Service Delivery Principals, provide more hands-on support than typically required in other markets, ensuring successful outcomes even for the most complex relocations. This balanced combination of high-touch service and advanced technology has enabled us to seamlessly scale with our customers’ scaling needs in the region.
Ready to Transform your Indian Domestic Mobility Program?
By partnering with MovePlus Mobility, you’re not just managing relocations—you’re creating a best-in-class experience for your employees while staying aligned with industry benchmarks and emerging trends.
Schedule a complimentary consultation today to review your current India domestic policy and discover how MovePlus Mobility can help you implement the three critical elements for program success. Our team of mobility experts will provide a no-obligation assessment of your current approach, identify opportunities for enhancement, and share how our proven methodology can deliver measurable improvements to your program.
Request your complimentary India Domestic Policy review
Sources:
- Pathak, J. (2024, December 31). Two sectors that rose on India’s business horizon in 2024. The Economic Times. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/company/corporate-trends/two-sectors-that-rose-on-indias-business-horizon-in-2024/articleshow/116671796.cms?from=mdr
- AIRINC Survey India Domestic Moves
