How to choose a software development partner in India: 12 questions to ask
Ownership, security, who actually writes the code, fixed price vs hours — the questions that separate a partner from a body shop, and the answers you should expect.
India has thousands of software development companies. Most websites say the same things. These twelve questions cut through it — ask them on the first call, and judge the partner by how directly they answer.
Who will actually write the code?
Names, not tiers. If the person on the sales call disappears after signing, you are buying a body shop.
What have you built that you still run?
A partner who operates their own product understands uptime, billing bugs and support at 2am. A portfolio of screenshots does not.
Fixed price or hours?
Hours reward slowness. Ask for a fixed price against a written scope with acceptance tests, and how changes are priced.
Who owns the code, the repo and the infrastructure?
The answer should be 'you, from day one'. Ask to see the clause.
What does your security pass cover?
Expect specifics: CORS, webhook signatures, token hashing, SSRF, XSS, backups, secret rotation. 'We follow best practices' is not an answer.
How do you test?
Browser tests, verifier runs, a staging environment, and a demo every week. Ask to see a test report from a real project.
What happens when I want to leave?
Documentation, deploy scripts and a handover plan should exist before you need them. If leaving is hard, the price will rise.
Which of my systems have you integrated before?
Razorpay, WhatsApp Business, Exotel, NHCX, Salesforce, HubSpot, Tally — whatever your stack is, ask for a live example.
How do you use AI in delivery, and how do you check it?
AI-assisted engineering is normal now; the question is what gates it. A human review on every release and an independent verifier are the right answers.
What will you refuse to build?
A partner with a list — regulated clinical decisions, credit decisions by a model, outbound that risks a blacklist — is one who has thought about consequences.
What is your smallest sensible first engagement?
One outcome, a few weeks, a fixed price. If the smallest offer is a six-month retainer, keep looking.
Can I talk to the founder?
For a firm the size that most Indian SMEs and startups should hire, yes. If not, ask why.
These are the questions we would want to be asked. Our answers are on the capabilities pages and case studies; the rest you can test with a brief to enquiry@xdqlabs.com.
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Want this built for your company?
A short brief to enquiry@xdqlabs.com gets a scope and a fixed price within two working days — or a straight answer that it isn't a fit.