Starting Freelancing in India: A Developer's Guide
I switched to freelancing two years ago. The first 3 months were terrifying (₹0 income). By month 6, I was earning more than my last salary.
1. Where to Find Clients
Upwork/Fiverr: High competition, race to the bottom on price initially. Good for building portfolio, bad for long term.
LinkedIn: The Goldmine.
- Optimize profile: "React Developer helping startups ship MVPs"
- Post content: Share what you build.
- Cold DM (respectfully): "Saw you are hiring a React dev. I can't commit full-time but can help complete module X on contract."
Agencies: Connect with dev agencies. They often overflow work to freelancers.
2. Pricing Yourself
Don't bill hourly initially. Why? You are fast. Penalizing yourself for speed is dumb. Bill by Project or Weekly Sprint.
Example: "I will build the landing page + auth flow." Price: ₹40,000. Timeline: 1 week.
If you must do hourly, as an Indian dev targeting US/EU clients:
- Junior: $15-20/hr
- Senior: $40-80/hr Do not work for $5/hr. You attract bad clients who micromanage.
3. The Contract (Safety)
Never write code without a contract. Simple agreement covering:
- Scope of work (Deliverables)
- Payment Structure (50% upfront, 50% on completion)
- IP Rights (Client owns code after full payment)
The Golden Rule: Start work only after the advance payment hits the bank.
4. Payment Methods
- Wise (formerly TransferWise): Best rates for local bank transfer.
- PayPal: High fees (4-5%), avoid if possible.
- Direct Crypto: Fast, but check local laws/taxation.
5. Discipline
Freelancing is 30% coding, 70% business.
- Sales (Finding work)
- Account Management (Talking to clients)
- Accounting (Invoices/Tax)
If you just want to code, stick to a job. If you want freedom and money leverage, freelance.