Key takeaways
- All three countries sit 9.5 to 11 hours ahead of US Eastern time and in a similar rate range, so the country matters less than the firm and the senior engineer you get.
- India has by far the deepest industry: about $315 billion in tech revenue in FY26, so it has the most choice and the widest spread in quality.
- Pakistan is smaller but growing fast, with a record $4.6 billion in IT exports in FY26, and many of its firms are set up around startup MVPs and product squads.
- Bangladesh has the highest EF English score of the three, though all three score in or near the low-to-moderate band, so test spoken and written English on the calls.
For a US startup, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh are closer than they look: similar rates, near-identical time zones, and English working environments in all three. India has the deepest pool, Pakistan has a startup-focused scene with growing exports, and Bangladesh scores highest on English. The firm and its senior engineers matter more than the country.
Disclosure: Sprout's team is in Karachi, Pakistan. We've kept to public figures with sources so you can weigh the countries yourself.
At a glance
| Pakistan | India | Bangladesh | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time zone | UTC+5 | UTC+5:30 | UTC+6 |
| Ahead of US Eastern | 9 to 10 hours | 9.5 to 10.5 hours | 10 to 11 hours |
| Tech industry size | $4.6B IT exports, FY26 | $315B tech revenue, $246B exports, FY26 | $725M ICT service exports, FY25 |
| EF English Proficiency Index 2025 | 493, rank 67 of 123 | 484, rank 74 of 123 | 506, rank 62 of 123 |
| Typical vendor rate band (Clutch) | $25 to $49, some $50 to $99 | Under $25 to $49 | Under $25 to $49 |
The rate bands come from the firms in our comparison of MVP development companies, as listed on Clutch in October 2026. They overlap almost completely.
Time zones: a wash
All three are 9 to 11 hours ahead of New York and 12 to 14 hours ahead of San Francisco, depending on daylight saving. In practice that means the same working pattern wherever you go: their evening overlaps your morning for standups and reviews, and the work moves forward overnight. None of the three observe daylight saving, so the gap shifts by an hour when the US changes clocks. The real difference is between firms that schedule a few hours of overlap every day and firms that leave you to email, and you only find that out by asking.
English: test it, don't assume it
The EF English Proficiency Index tests adults across 123 countries. In 2025 Bangladesh scored 506 (moderate), Pakistan 493 and India 484 (both low). The gaps are small, and the index measures the general population, not software engineers, who mostly work in English every day in all three countries.
What matters for your build is whether the engineers you'll actually work with write clearly and push back in calls. Ask for a written technical proposal and talk to the lead engineer, not only the salesperson.
India: the most choice, and the widest spread
India's tech industry is in a different league: Nasscom estimates about $315 billion in revenue for FY26 and nearly six million direct employees. That depth means specialists in almost any stack, firms of every size, and a long record of serving US companies.
The flip side is range. The market runs from global consultancies to very cheap shops, so the vetting falls on you. Large firms are built for large clients; at a small MVP budget, ask who on the team is senior and how much of their time you get.
Good fit if: you need a niche skill, a large team quickly, or the widest set of quotes.
Pakistan: smaller, startup-heavy, growing
Pakistan's IT exports reached a record $4.6 billion in FY26, growing fast from a smaller base. In our experience, much of the startup work there is for US and UK founders, so many firms are set up around MVPs, product squads and English-first communication. Several established names, including GoodCore, VentureDive, 10Pearls and Arbisoft, run engineering from Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad.
The thing to check is contracting. Paying a Pakistani company directly works, but some founders and investors prefer a US counterparty for contracts, invoicing and IP. A number of firms, Sprout included, solve that with a US entity.
Good fit if: you want a startup-focused team, senior engineers at a lower cost than India's premium firms, and a US contract.
Bangladesh: strong engineers, smaller market
Bangladesh's ICT service exports were about $725 million in FY25, well short of the government's $5 billion target, so the market is the smallest of the three. Firms like Enosis Solutions and Brain Station 23 have long track records and some of the lowest rate bands in our sample, and Bangladesh posts the highest English score of the three.
The trade-off is choice: fewer firms, and fewer with deep startup portfolios, so your shortlist will be shorter.
Good fit if: you have a clear spec, want strong engineering at a low rate, and are happy to manage the product side yourself.
What matters more than the country
Whichever country you pick, these decide whether the project goes well:
- The senior engineer on your project. Ask for names, experience and how much of their week is yours.
- A US-friendly contract. IP assigned to your company on payment, US-dollar invoicing, and an entity your investors are comfortable with.
- Ownership from day one. The code repository, cloud accounts and domain in your company's name.
- Working software every two weeks. Pay against demos, not against a calendar.
- Product judgement. At the MVP stage, a team that helps you cut scope saves more than a lower rate.
Where Sprout fits
Sprout is a product studio in Karachi with a US LLC in Albuquerque, New Mexico. You sign with the US company, pay in US dollars and own the IP. MVPs start from $12,000 at a fixed scope, and an embedded squad of engineers, a designer and a product manager starts from $6,000 a month. For the full comparison against a US hire, see offshore development for US startups.