Why Smartshore has chosen India and what that means for you as a customer

If you’re considering having software developed by a company with a team in India, you’ve probably already had a few conversations. You’ve heard that the Dutch market is tight. That good developers are scarce here, and that as a client, you end up paying the price for that. So you’re looking at alternatives, and you’re wondering: can you trust a company that works with a team on the other side of the world?

That is exactly the question we at Smartshore have taken seriously from the very beginning.

The Dutch market is simply too small

The Netherlands has a few thousand experienced software developers available for new projects. At the same time, nearly every organization wants to digitize, automate, or build a portal. Those two things don’t add up. The result: hourly rates skyrocketing, developers jumping from project to project, and a lack of continuity at the company building your software.

We have made a conscious choice in this regard. Smartshore has permanent development teams in Ludhiana and Panaji, both in India. No external hiring, no freelancers who move on after three months. Our developers work for us long-term, know our way of working, and are committed to the projects they build.

Lower rates, but not at the expense of quality

We’re transparent about costs. Part of our competitive edge comes from our ability to build at lower rates than a fully Dutch team. That’s a fact, and we believe you should know it.

What we also know is this: lower rates are worthless if the quality is disappointing, communication is poor, or you realize halfway through a project that no one remembers what was agreed upon earlier. That is the risk people associate with outsourcing—and, to be honest, for good reason.

That’s why our approach is designed to combine the best of both worlds. Every team includes Dutch Scrum Masters and architects. They serve as the daily point of contact between you, the client, and the development team in India. They speak your language—literally and figuratively—and ensure that technical decisions align with what your organization needs. We communicate with our colleagues in India on a daily basis, and clients who prefer to do so can also simply do that themselves. Direct lines of communication with the team are always possible.

Cultural differences are real, and we actively address them

This is a topic we’d rather be honest about than beat around the bush. There are significant cultural differences between the Netherlands and India, and these influence how people work together. Ignoring them won’t make them go away.

Take something as simple as giving feedback. In the Netherlands, we take directness almost for granted. You say what you think, even if it’s uncomfortable. In India, the communication style is different. People are less likely to speak their minds openly, especially to someone in a higher position. That means we on the Dutch side have to actively ask: what do you think? What are you running into? Is this feasible?

But it works the other way around, too. We have to learn something as well. Effective collaboration with an Indian team requires paying more attention to personal relationships. Being less direct sometimes simply has its value. Building trust isn’t just about a well-maintained Jira board.

We consciously work on this every day, in both directions. That might sound more difficult than it is, but it does make the difference between an offshore team that functions and one that truly works well together.

What “fixed teams” means in practice

One of the things we notice in conversations with new clients is that they’re surprised by our staff turnover. It’s exceptionally low, even by Dutch standards. Our developers know the projects, know the codebase, and will still be here tomorrow.

That’s not a given. We consciously invest in the work environment and the well-being of our Indian team. Not as a PR story, but because it simply works well. Continuity in your team means continuity in your project.

ISO 27001, ISO 9001, and Information Security

A question we understandably get asked often: what about the security of our data when work is being done on the other side of the world?

Smartshore is ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 certified. That means information security isn’t just an afterthought—it’s an integral part of how we operate. Access control, data processing, confidentiality agreements: all of that is in place and externally audited.

Who stands to benefit most from this?

If you already know you want to collaborate with a partner based in Asia, the question isn’t so much whether it’s possible. The question is with whom. We find that clients who come to us are often already a bit further along in their search. They know the Dutch market won’t offer them what they need, and they’re looking for a partner with whom the collaboration is concrete and manageable.

That is what Smartshore stands for. Not an abstract offshore arrangement, but a team you know, a way of working you understand, and a Dutch point of contact who is always available.