India Software Development Cost Index 2026

Description

Research India Software Development Cost Index 2026

This index publishes the WavX cost model in full: eleven base figures from ₹1,50,000 to ₹9,00,000, the feature prices and multipliers, and eleven worked scenarios from a ₹2,15,000 simple app to a ₹16,12,000 ERP build, each shown as a planning range of 15% below to 25% above. It is WavX's own price model. There is no survey or sample behind it.

Request a project estimate Last updated 2 October 2026

What this index is

The index is the WavX cost model written out as tables. Every figure below can be reproduced in one of three public calculators: the app cost calculator , the software cost estimator and the AI cost calculator .

It is a model, and it is stated as one. The figures are WavX's own planning prices in Indian rupees. They were not collected from other companies, and they are not an average of past invoices. The methodology page describes where each part of the model is published.

Use the index for two things: to budget before you speak to anyone, and to check that a figure you read elsewhere on this site agrees with the model.

How a figure is calculated

One formula covers all three calculators.

Take the base figure for the build type.

Add the fixed price of each feature.

Multiply by the multipliers that apply. The result is the subtotal.

The planning range is the subtotal × 0.85 to the subtotal × 1.25.

Calculator

Subtotal

App

(base + features) × platform × design

Software

(base + features) × scale × design

AI

(base + features) × data source

Base figures

A base figure is the starting point for one type of build, before any feature is added and with every multiplier at × 1.0. The range column is the base × 0.85 to the base × 1.25.

Build type

Base figure

Planning range on the base alone

Simple app

₹1,50,000

₹1,27,500 – ₹1,87,500

Medium app

₹4,00,000

₹3,40,000 – ₹5,00,000

Complex app

₹8,00,000

₹6,80,000 – ₹10,00,000

Internal tool or dashboard

₹2,00,000

₹1,70,000 – ₹2,50,000

Custom web application

₹4,50,000

₹3,82,500 – ₹5,62,500

SaaS product

₹7,00,000

₹5,95,000 – ₹8,75,000

ERP or CRM system

₹9,00,000

₹7,65,000 – ₹11,25,000

AI chatbot

AI feature in an existing app

₹2,50,000

₹2,12,500 – ₹3,12,500

RAG assistant on your own data

₹3,50,000

₹2,97,500 – ₹4,37,500

AI agent or automation

₹5,00,000

₹4,25,000 – ₹6,25,000

Multipliers

Multiplier

Applies to

Values

Platform

Apps

Cross-platform × 1.0; one native platform × 0.85; both native platforms × 1.6

Scale

Small, up to about 1,000 users × 1.0; growing, 1,000 to 50,000 users × 1.3; large or enterprise × 1.7

Design level

Apps and software

Standard × 1.0; custom UI/UX × 1.25; premium or branded × 1.5

Data source

AI builds

No custom data × 1.0; documents or a knowledge base × 1.25; live systems and APIs × 1.5

Feature prices

Each feature adds the same fixed amount whatever the build.

App features

Price

Software features

AI features

User accounts and login

₹40,000

Auth, roles and permissions

₹60,000

Web plus WhatsApp, multi-channel

₹80,000

Payments or subscriptions

Payments and billing

₹90,000

Voice and speech

₹1,20,000

Chat or messaging

Analytics dashboard

Human handoff and CRM

₹70,000

Maps and location

Admin panel

Admin and analytics dashboard

Push notifications

₹25,000

Public API

Takes actions such as bookings and orders

₹1,10,000

Admin panel or dashboard

₹1,00,000

Third-party integrations

Multi-language, including Hindi

₹50,000

Real-time and notifications

Companion mobile app

Exports and reporting

Worked scenarios

Eleven builds, each with its inputs and arithmetic. All use standard design (× 1.0) unless stated, so that the effect of each choice can be seen separately in the next section. Note that the calculators open with custom design (× 1.25) selected; set design to standard to reproduce these rows.

Scenario

Features added

Arithmetic

Planning range

Simple app, cross-platform

Accounts ₹40,000; push ₹25,000

(1,50,000 + 65,000) × 1.0 × 1.0

₹2,15,000

₹1,82,750 – ₹2,68,750

Medium marketplace app, cross-platform

Accounts ₹40,000; payments ₹80,000; chat ₹90,000; maps ₹60,000; push ₹25,000; admin panel ₹1,00,000

(4,00,000 + 3,95,000) × 1.0 × 1.0

₹7,95,000

₹6,75,750 – ₹9,93,750

Complex app, cross-platform

All seven app features, ₹5,45,000

(8,00,000 + 5,45,000) × 1.0 × 1.0

₹13,45,000

₹11,43,250 – ₹16,81,250

Internal tool, small scale

Auth and roles ₹60,000; exports and reporting ₹50,000

(2,00,000 + 1,10,000) × 1.0 × 1.0

₹3,10,000

₹2,63,500 – ₹3,87,500

Custom web application, small scale

Auth and roles ₹60,000; admin panel ₹90,000; payments ₹90,000

(4,50,000 + 2,40,000) × 1.0 × 1.0

₹6,90,000

₹5,86,500 – ₹8,62,500

The same web application, growing scale

As above

(4,50,000 + 2,40,000) × 1.3 × 1.0

₹8,97,000

₹7,62,450 – ₹11,21,250

SaaS product, growing scale

Auth and roles ₹60,000; payments ₹90,000; admin panel ₹90,000; analytics dashboard ₹80,000; public API ₹70,000

(7,00,000 + 3,90,000) × 1.3 × 1.0

₹14,17,000

₹12,04,450 – ₹17,71,250

ERP or CRM system, growing scale

Auth and roles ₹60,000; admin panel ₹90,000; analytics dashboard ₹80,000; third-party integrations ₹60,000; exports and reporting ₹50,000

(9,00,000 + 3,40,000) × 1.3 × 1.0

₹16,12,000

₹13,70,200 – ₹20,15,000

AI chatbot, no custom data

Multi-channel ₹80,000

(1,50,000 + 80,000) × 1.0

₹2,30,000

₹1,95,500 – ₹2,87,500

RAG assistant on documents

Human handoff and CRM ₹70,000

(3,50,000 + 70,000) × 1.25

₹5,25,000

₹4,46,250 – ₹6,56,250

AI agent connected to live systems

Takes actions ₹1,10,000; admin dashboard ₹80,000

(5,00,000 + 1,90,000) × 1.5

₹10,35,000

₹8,79,750 – ₹12,93,750

The RAG row is the configuration the AI cost calculator opens with.

What platform, design and scale do to one build

The multipliers move a figure more than most single features do. Two builds from the tables above, with one input changed at a time. Ranges are rounded to the nearest rupee.

Build

Change

Medium marketplace app

One native platform (× 0.85)

₹6,75,750

₹5,74,388 – ₹8,44,688

Cross-platform, standard design (as above)

Cross-platform, custom UI/UX (× 1.25)

₹9,93,750

₹8,44,688 – ₹12,42,188

Cross-platform, premium design (× 1.5)

₹11,92,500

₹10,13,625 – ₹14,90,625

Both native platforms (× 1.6)

₹12,72,000

₹10,81,200 – ₹15,90,000

Small scale (× 1.0)

Growing scale (× 1.3)

Large or enterprise scale (× 1.7)

₹11,73,000

₹9,97,050 – ₹14,66,250

Building two separate native apps costs 60% more in the model than one cross-platform app with the same features. Moving a web application from small to enterprise scale costs 70% more.

The range spread

Every estimate is shown as a range, never a single number. The low end is the subtotal × 0.85 and the high end is the subtotal × 1.25, so the range runs from 15% below the subtotal to 25% above it. The spread is the same for every build type and size. It is wider on the high side because unknowns in scope more often add work than remove it.

Timeline bands

Each calculator attaches a delivery band in weeks to the subtotal. The bands are coarse and they differ between calculators.

Weeks

Under ₹3,00,000

4–7

Under ₹7,00,000

7–12

Under ₹14,00,000

12–20

₹14,00,000 and above

20+

Under ₹4,00,000

4–8

Under ₹9,00,000

8–14

Under ₹16,00,000

14–22

₹16,00,000 and above

22+

3–6

Under ₹6,00,000

6–10

₹6,00,000 and above

10–16

Applied to the scenarios:

Band shown by its calculator

4–7 weeks

12–20 weeks

Internal tool

4–8 weeks

Custom web application, small

8–14 weeks

Custom web application, growing

14–22 weeks

22+ weeks

3–6 weeks

RAG assistant

6–10 weeks

AI agent

10–16 weeks

The price tables on WavX service pages use the AI calculator's three bands for every build type, keyed to the base figure. A larger app or software build will therefore show a longer band in its calculator than on a service page.

Three-year cost

Maintenance after launch is modelled at 15–25% of the build cost per year, the band published in the app maintenance cost guide . The three-year figure is the build plus two further years of maintenance; year one is treated as covered by the build.

Low total = low build figure + 2 × (15% of the low build figure)

High total = high build figure + 2 × (25% of the high build figure)

Worked for the simple app: 15% of ₹1,82,750 is ₹27,413, and ₹1,82,750 + 2 × ₹27,413 = ₹2,37,576. 25% of ₹2,68,750 is ₹67,188, and ₹2,68,750 + 2 × ₹67,188 = ₹4,03,126.

Build range

Maintenance per year

Three-year total

₹27,413 – ₹67,188

₹2,37,576 – ₹4,03,126

₹1,01,363 – ₹2,48,438

₹8,78,476 – ₹14,90,626

₹1,71,488 – ₹4,20,313

₹14,86,226 – ₹25,21,876

₹39,525 – ₹96,875

₹3,42,550 – ₹5,81,250

₹87,975 – ₹2,15,625

₹7,62,450 – ₹12,93,750

₹1,14,368 – ₹2,80,313

₹9,91,186 – ₹16,81,876

₹1,80,668 – ₹4,42,813

₹15,65,786 – ₹26,56,876

₹2,05,530 – ₹5,03,750

₹17,81,260 – ₹30,22,500

₹29,325 – ₹71,875

₹2,54,150 – ₹4,31,250

₹66,938 – ₹1,64,063

₹5,80,126 – ₹9,84,376

₹1,31,963 – ₹3,23,438

₹11,43,676 – ₹19,40,626

The low and high totals compound two assumptions each, so the three-year range is wider than the build range: the high total is always 1.5 times the high build figure, and the low total 1.3 times the low one.

The scenarios as data

The same eleven rows in CSV form, in rupees, for anyone who wants to chart or check them.

scenario,calculator,base,features,multiplier,subtotal,range_low,range_high,weeks,three_year_low,three_year_high

Simple app,app,150000,65000,1.0,215000,182750,268750,4-7,237576,403126

Medium marketplace app,app,400000,395000,1.0,795000,675750,993750,12-20,878476,1490626

Complex app,app,800000,545000,1.0,1345000,1143250,1681250,12-20,1486226,2521876

Internal tool,software,200000,110000,1.0,310000,263500,387500,4-8,342550,581250

Custom web application (small),software,450000,240000,1.0,690000,586500,862500,8-14,762450,1293750

Custom web application (growing),software,450000,240000,1.3,897000,762450,1121250,8-14,991186,1681876

SaaS product,software,700000,390000,1.3,1417000,1204450,1771250,14-22,1565786,2656876

ERP or CRM system,software,900000,340000,1.3,1612000,1370200,2015000,22+,1781260,3022500

AI chatbot,ai,150000,80000,1.0,230000,195500,287500,3-6,254150,431250

RAG assistant,ai,350000,70000,1.25,525000,446250,656250,6-10,580126,984376

AI agent,ai,500000,190000,1.5,1035000,879750,1293750,10-16,1143676,1940626

Methods

What the figures are. WavX's own published planning prices: the base figures, feature prices, multipliers, range spread and timeline bands that the three calculators use, and the maintenance band from the maintenance guide. The scenarios on this page were chosen by WavX to cover common build types. They are examples of the model's output, not records of projects.

What is behind them. No sample. No projects, companies, invoices or quotes were surveyed, and no external dataset was used. For that reason this page states no sample size, no confidence interval and no market average.

How they were produced. Each scenario was computed with the formula above and checked against the model on 2 October 2026. Amounts are rounded to the nearest rupee, with halves rounded up.

What they do not cover.

Hosting and cloud infrastructure.

Third-party services such as payment gateways, SMS and maps, and usage-based AI model charges.

Taxes.

Business websites, Shopify stores, design-only work and marketing services. The model has figures for app, software and AI builds only; other work is quoted after scoping.

Anything specific to your project: the number and quality of integrations, data migration, compliance requirements, and how settled the requirements are.

Other companies' prices. For rates by role see software developer hourly rates in India.

Known weaknesses. A feature costs the same in the model whether it is added to a simple app or an ERP system, which is not true of real work. The multipliers are coarse steps, not a curve. The timeline bands differ between calculators.

How to cite

"WavX Solutions, India Software Development Cost Index 2026, planning range from the WavX cost model, read on [date]." Name the scenario and its inputs. The pricing page explains the difference between a planning range and a quote.

When not to use these figures

If an existing product already does the job, it will cost less than any row on this page, and the guide to build versus buy is the better starting point. If you already have a written scope, skip the model and ask for a quote: a quote reflects your project, and the index cannot.

Frequently asked questions

Is this a survey of what Indian software companies charge?

No. It is WavX's own published cost model, the same one the three calculators on this site run on. No projects, companies or invoices were sampled, so no sample size is claimed. It tells you what the model produces for a given shape of build, not what the Indian market charges on average.

Can I cite a figure from this index?

Yes. Cite it as a planning range from the WavX cost model, give the scenario and its inputs, and give the date shown on this page. Do not describe it as a market average, a survey result or a quote.

Why would a real quote differ from the index?

The model adds a fixed amount per feature and applies a few coarse multipliers. It cannot see how many systems you need to connect, how much existing data has to be moved, or how settled your requirements are. A quote is written after a conversation about scope and can land above or below the range.

Does a range include hosting, taxes or AI usage charges?

No. The model prices the build only. Hosting, third-party services such as payment gateways and SMS, usage-based AI model charges and taxes are outside it. Maintenance is modelled separately at 15–25% of build cost per year.

Why do timelines differ between the calculators?

Each calculator carries its own table of delivery bands keyed to the subtotal. The app and software calculators show longer bands for larger builds than the AI calculator does. This page prints the band the matching calculator shows for each scenario.

Related

Where WavX cost figures come from

How WavX prices a project

Free cost calculators

All WavX research

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