Should You Hire Software Developers in India or Mexico?

India has the fastest-growing population of software engineers on GitHub. But does that mean it’s the best source of developers? The answer is a resounding “no.”

While India was once considered a solid choice for software development, particularly for businesses looking to outsource, the emergence of new tech hotspots like Latin America has given businesses other options—often far better ones. Mexico, for instance, has seen a tremendous increase in software engineers in recent years. 

Mexico City is second in growth rate among other Latin American countries, almost doubling in software engineer population over just five years. The country has seen investments in STEM education, governmental initiatives, and many other signs that it’s a tech hub to watch. 

So, should you hire software developers in India vs. Mexico? Let’s look at the pros and cons of each option.

Time Zone Alignment and Proximity to the US

While overlapping time zones aren’t essential for software development teams, they do tend to fuel greater productivity and collaboration. India and the US are on opposite sides of the world, meaning they share no overlapping business hours. Mexico, on the other hand, has significant overlapping business hours with the US. For example, Mexico City and Chicago are both in CST.

With time zone alignment, collaboration and communication are considerably easier. You can deliver feedback in real-time and manage projects synchronously. This is also better for agile standups.

None of these advantages is possible when you hire software developers in India. You’ll have to rely on asynchronous communication and collaboration, leading to feedback delays and potentially diminished productivity.

Communication

Smooth communication is essential for smooth software development cycles. It’s important for day-to-day tasks and collaboration, of course. It’s also necessary for delivering clear and error-free documentation.

Software developers in India and Mexico both typically have relatively strong English proficiency. However, given Mexico’s closer cultural and business alignment with the US, you can anticipate fewer misunderstandings and less miscommunication when you’re partnering with developers in the neighboring country. This reduces the chances of error and often means stronger partnerships.

Moreover, as we previously underscored, time zone alignment facilitates synchronous communication, which means you can address any issues and deliver feedback immediately, without the long delays you would experience when you hire developers in India.

Want to explore hiring in Mexico? Learn about hiring Mexican software engineers with Terminal

Cultural Compatibility 

Cultural compatibility makes working relationships more effective and prevents hiccups. But this can be a challenge when collaborating with developers in other countries.

Mexico, fortunately, has a strong cultural affinity with the US, even sharing a border. With similar business practices, work styles, and values, Mexico and the US are easy partners. Team integration is far simpler thanks to these cultural similarities, making collaboration far less complex. 

This isn’t the case when you hire software developers in India. Situated on the other side of the globe, India differs in both geographic location and business culture. Offshore developers—those who work at a physical distance from their business partners—tend to have different cultural norms and be less familiar with their business practices. 

That’s not necessarily a deal-killer, but it can be an inconvenience when it comes to collaboration and work styles. After all, cultural context is important for any business arrangement—and especially for software development, where nuance is key. Simply put, integration can be far more challenging with offshore developers vs. nearshore ones.

Tech Education

According to India Today, only 42.6% of graduates in India are employable, and skills gaps are all too prevalent. Computer science curricula, the article posits, are outdated, with students leaving college “without touching the daily tools of modern engineering.”

This is corroborated by a research study that notes that India’s engineering education system “is plagued by outdated curricula, inadequate infrastructure, and limited international exposure—challenges that significantly hinder graduate employability.” The study goes on to say that while “India produces over 1.5 million engineers annually, employability remains below 10%.”

In contrast, Mexico has a thriving tech education scene, one that emphasizes STEM fields. Students actively seek to improve their tech skills; there has been a 356% year-over-year increase in generative AI enrollments in the country, along with a 94% increase in cybersecurity enrollments. Moreover, Mexico is heavily investing in technology education, offering free or low-cost tuition at top universities like the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

In 2025, Mexico’s Ministry of Public Education (SEP) established a unified national high school system with the goal of expanding technical training, standardizing high school curricula, and addressing skills gaps. The overall aim of the initiative is to improve Mexican students’ workforce readiness. These and other investments have paid off, with the Latin American country producing hundreds of thousands of skilled STEM graduates annually. 

Region Matters: Hire Software Developers in Mexico Over India

Many businesses feel compelled to hire software developers in India because of its long-running reputation as a software engineering hotspot. However, nearshore software development in Mexico offers significant benefits and advantages over offshore development, from time zone alignment and more fluid communication to cultural compatibility and stronger tech education.

Mexico is rapidly growing as a tech talent hub, producing numerous top software engineers eager to work remotely for US businesses. Ready to get started with top tech talent in Mexico and beyond? Browse Terminal’s Mexican engineers instantly!

FAQ

Should I hire software developers in India or Mexico?

While India has a huge technology outsourcing market, Mexico is usually the better option for hiring skilled software developers with strong communication, collaboration, and technical skills. Mexico also benefits from being culturally and time zone-aligned with the US, leading to smoother workflows.

What’s the difference between nearshore and offshore software development?

Nearshore and offshore development both involve working with software engineers in other countries. However, nearshore development means partnering with engineers in nearby countries, such as those in Latin America for the US. These countries often have cultural similarities and facilitate real-time communication. Offshore development refers to working with engineers in geographically distant countries, such as India or China for the US. They usually share fewer cultural similarities, and synchronous communication is less feasible because there are no overlapping business hours.

Is hiring from Mexico more expensive than hiring developers in India?

While developer rates in Mexico are typically higher than those in India, often, you will find that working with Mexican developers delivers a better ROI due to more streamlined communication and efficiency, thanks to nearshore alignment.

Does Mexico or India offer better time-zone alignment for US businesses?

Mexico offers better time-zone alignment than India for US businesses. India is on the other side of the world, 13.5 hours ahead of San Francisco and 10.5 hours ahead of New York. Meanwhile, Mexico is ideally aligned with US time zones, just 1-2 hours behind New York and 1-2 hours ahead of San Francisco. This makes it easy to collaborate in real-time.