Short answer: in India in 2026, a focused business tool usually costs ₹1.5–4 lakh, a multi-module business system ₹4–15 lakh, a cross-platform mobile app MVP ₹4–12 lakh, a SaaS MVP ₹6–20 lakh, and a professional business website ₹25,000–2.5 lakh. Where your project lands in each range depends on a handful of factors you can control — this guide explains them.
Typical budgets by project type
| Project | Typical budget (India) | Typical timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Landing page or 5-page business website | ₹25,000 – 75,000 | 2–3 weeks |
| Corporate website with blog, CMS and SEO setup | ₹75,000 – 2.5 lakh | 4–6 weeks |
| Single internal tool (e.g. order tracker, approvals) | ₹1.5 – 4 lakh | 4–8 weeks |
| Business system with 4–8 modules (billing, stock, CRM…) | ₹4 – 15 lakh | 3–6 months |
| Installable web app (PWA) | ₹1.5 – 5 lakh | 4–8 weeks |
| Android + iOS app MVP (cross-platform) | ₹4 – 12 lakh | 6–10 weeks |
| SaaS product MVP (multi-tenant, billing) | ₹6 – 20 lakh | 8–14 weeks |
These are market ranges for small and mid-sized Indian development firms, not quotes. Large IT services companies and agencies with sales teams typically charge more; individual freelancers often charge less but carry more delivery risk.
What actually drives the price
- Roles and screens. Every type of user (owner, staff, customer, vendor) adds screens, permissions and testing. A system with three roles costs far less than one with eight.
- Business rules. Pricing formulas, approval chains, tax rules and exceptions are where most development time goes — not the screens themselves.
- Integrations. Payment gateways, WhatsApp, SMS, GST e-invoicing, Tally or an existing ERP each add days to weeks, depending on how good the other system's API is.
- Data migration. Moving years of records from Excel or an old system needs cleaning, mapping and checking. Budget for it explicitly.
- Design depth. A clean interface built from a component library is cheaper than a fully custom visual design.
- Mobile apps. A separate app-store app adds a second front end, store publishing and its own maintenance. A progressive web app is often enough.
- Security and compliance. Personal data under India's DPDP Act, payment data or government standards add design, testing and documentation work.
- Deadline. A fixed launch date that requires more people in parallel raises the cost.
How Indian firms price projects
You will usually see one of three models:
- Fixed price — one price for a written scope, paid in milestones. Best when requirements are clear. Changes are quoted separately.
- Dedicated team — a monthly fee for developers working only on your product. Best for products that keep evolving.
- Time and material — you pay for hours used. Best for discovery or uncertain scope. Directory listings for small Pune software firms commonly show rates of about $25–49 an hour (roughly ₹2,000–4,000) — always compare the total estimate, not the hourly rate.
The running costs nobody mentions
- Maintenance: plan for roughly 15–25% of the build cost per year for fixes, updates and small changes.
- Hosting: many small business apps run for a few hundred to a few thousand rupees a month; high-traffic or compliance-heavy systems cost more.
- Per-use services: SMS, WhatsApp Business messages, email sending and AI APIs are billed by usage.
- App stores: Apple's developer programme costs US$99 a year; Google Play has a one-time US$25 registration fee.
- Your team's time: someone needs to answer questions, test and train staff. Projects with an engaged owner finish faster and cheaper.
How to keep the cost down without cutting corners
- Start with the smallest useful version. Launch the module that saves the most time first; add the rest once it is in use.
- Write down your process. Sample bills, reports and spreadsheets cut discovery time dramatically.
- Use off-the-shelf where your process is standard. Accounting in Tally, email in Google Workspace — build only what is unique to you.
- Prefer a PWA over two native apps unless you truly need device features or app-store discovery.
- Insist on working software every two weeks. Problems caught early are cheap to fix.
What a fair quote should include
- A written scope: modules, roles, screens and integrations.
- Milestones with what you will be able to use at each one.
- What is not included (content writing, data entry, third-party fees).
- Who owns the source code, database and accounts (it should be you).
- Support after launch: the warranty period and the maintenance plan price.
- How changes are handled and priced.
Frequently asked questions
Is custom software worth it for a small business?
It is when your process is your advantage, when you pay for several tools that don't talk to each other, or when per-user licence fees keep rising. If an existing product fits 90% of your needs, use it.
Why do quotes for the same project vary so much?
Usually because each vendor understood a different scope. Ask every vendor to quote against the same written requirements, and compare what is included, not just the total.
Should I pay the full amount upfront?
No. A reasonable structure is an advance followed by milestone payments tied to working software you can test, with the final payment on acceptance.
Infovion Technologies builds custom software in Pune for clients across India and abroad. See how we price and deliver projects or ask for a fixed quote.
Sources: hourly rates from small Pune firms' public profiles on GoodFirms; app store fees from Apple and Google Play.
