SOC 2 attestation in India

SOC 2 attestation in India at a glance

RBI's Master Direction on Outsourcing of Information Technology Services allows regulated entities to rely on a pooled audit of a common provider by an independent third-party auditor, yet the request Indian IT and BPO firms hear most often from American buyers is simpler: a SOC 2 report. No Indian regulator mandates SOC 2; the customer contract does. What the buyer receives is an attestation, not a certificate, in which a licensed CPA firm reports on controls mapped to the AICPA trust services criteria the provider has put in scope. Type 1 speaks to design at a point in time; Type 2 adds evidence that the controls worked through a period. Because ISO 27001 shares most of those controls, providers serving both US clients and Indian regulated entities often build one programme. Sterling's Navi Mumbai office prepares the control set, policies and evidence, tests readiness and supports the CPA firm's fieldwork, with Effivity and Sterling Academy included. Questions specific to India follow.

Who needs SOC 2 in India, and what happens without it

In India the question rarely comes from a law. It comes from the buyer, the regulator or the partner that wants proof before it signs. These are the organisations that get asked.

• IT services, SaaS and BPO firms selling to US customersUS buyers commonly request a SOC 2 report in procurement.
• Technology providers to Indian banks and NBFCsRBI's IT outsourcing direction requires due diligence and allows pooled audits by an independent third-party auditor.
• Fintechs and payment firmsPartners and investors ask for independent assurance over controls.

SOC 2 requirements in India

Strip away the vocabulary and SOC 2 asks a service organisation to report on six things about the controls behind its service.

In India these six sit alongside the local laws and regulations listed under drivers below; one system can evidence both. The detail is on the global hub: SOC 2 explained →

How to get a SOC 2 report in India

One team from the Mumbai office carries the work from scoping to report. Across India from the Navi Mumbai office: on-site in Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, on-site or remote for other states; remote delivery for distributed teams.

1. Discovery call and scopeEntities, locations, regulators and target date, agreed before any proposal.
2. Gap assessment against SOC 2 and the Indian requirements that apply to youControls you already run for your regulators and customers are reused, not rebuilt.
3. Your system built with your team in EffivityRisks, controls, evidence, incidents and reviews in one live system the auditor can see.
4. Internal audit, management review and corrective actionsYour internal auditors trained by Sterling; the evidence proven before any external review.
5. The independent examination and reportA licensed CPA firm performs the examination and issues the report. Sterling supports the examination.

The Sterling Promise: 100% on-time completion, 100% success, 8,100+ client engagements.Sterling does not certify. Certification decisions stay with independent bodies.

• SOC 2 gap analysis
• SOC 2 implementation plan

How long does SOC 2 attestation take in India?

There is no standard duration: it depends on your scope and on how much of the system already runs. In India these are the factors that set the timeline.

• Type 1 versus Type 2 and the length of the observation period
• Number of trust services categories in scope
• Maturity of control evidence across delivery centres

Sterling agrees a dated plan with you on the discovery call, once the scope is known.

• What drives the SOC 2 timeline
• Scope and timeline estimator

How much does SOC 2 attestation cost in India?

The cost has two parts: the consulting work to build and prove the system, and the CPA firm’s fees, which are quoted separately. In India these factors move both.

• Number of trust services categories and systems in scope
• CPA firm fees quoted separately from consulting
• Tooling for evidence collection
• Number of delivery centres in scope

Sterling gives one customised, all-inclusive proposal after the discovery call, never before the scope is agreed.

• What makes up the cost of SOC 2

SOC 2 consultants and auditors in India

Two different organisations are involved. A consultant helps you build the system and prove it works; a licensed CPA firm then audits or assesses it and decides. Keeping the two separate is what makes the result credible to buyers and regulators.

• Check that the body’s accreditation or approval covers SOC 2 and your sector, and that its certificates can be verified online.
• Ask the consultant how the local requirements in India are mapped into the same system, so nothing runs twice.
• Ask for client references in your sector; Sterling’s client letters are available on request.
• Agree who owns the evidence and the tool after the engagement; with Sterling the system stays yours, in Effivity.

SOC 2 in India: questions clients ask

More on SOC 2 for Indian organisations

• SOC 2: the complete guide
• Watch: How to implement SOC 2
• Accounting and professional services: SOC 2 for the sector
• BPO and shared services: SOC 2 for the sector
• Fintech and payments: SOC 2 for the sector
• Healthcare IT and health BPO: SOC 2 for the sector
• HR, payroll and staffing: SOC 2 for the sector
• MSPs and data centres: SOC 2 for the sector
• SaaS and technology: SOC 2 for the sector
• Sterling in Mumbai
• SOC 2 attestation in India and every other standard Sterling delivers there

Other standards Indian businesses ask Sterling for

Organisations in India often combine SOC 2 with one of these, under one management system where the scopes allow.

All 23 standards Sterling delivers in India →