Manpower consultancy in Bangalore, costed for Karnataka's 2026 wages
In May 2026 Karnataka raised minimum wages sharply. Unskilled rates in Greater Bengaluru are now well above ₹21,000 a month, which changes ESI, bonus and professional-tax treatment on almost every blue-collar rate card. Godstone Consultech recruits, onboards and pays contract and temporary staff for Bengaluru plants, warehouses and tech parks, managed from our Chennai office, with rate cards built on the new rules.
Share the area, roles and shift pattern. We send an itemised rate card that shows how the 2026 Karnataka rates affect your cost.
Local sourcing in Bengaluru, payroll and compliance run from Chennai
We are a Chennai company, and we do not have a branch in Bengaluru. The city is about 350 km from our Guindy office, roughly five to six hours by road or train. We recruit locally in Bengaluru, hold interviews and onboarding at your premises, appoint a coordinator for larger teams and visit on a schedule. Payroll, PF, ESI, Karnataka professional tax and labour welfare fund are handled centrally.
For companies with sites in both Chennai and Bengaluru, which is common in auto, electronics and GCC operations, that means one agreement, one payroll process and one person who knows both States' rules.
- ✓Contract and temporary staff for plants, warehouses and tech-park facilities
- ✓Permanent recruitment, RPO and executive search
- ✓Rate cards built on the 22 May 2026 Karnataka notification
- ✓Karnataka PT, LWF and Shops Act compliance handled
- ✓A named coordinator for your site, plus scheduled visits from Chennai
What Karnataka's new minimum wages change on a Bengaluru rate card
Most agencies simply raise the wage line. The bigger change is what happens to the statutory lines once entry-level wages cross ₹21,000 and ₹25,000.
Many workers now fall outside ESI
ESI covers employees earning up to ₹21,000 a month. With Zone 1 unskilled rates at roughly ₹23,000–₹24,500, many new joiners are above the ceiling. That removes 3.25% from your cost, but leaves workers without ESI medical and injury cover, so you need an employees' compensation policy and group health cover in its place.
Statutory bonus eligibility shifts
Under the Code on Wages, statutory bonus applies to employees whose wages do not exceed ₹21,000 a month. Whether a worker qualifies now depends on how their pay is structured. We show this line explicitly instead of hiding it inside a mark-up.
Higher PF, and professional tax from ₹25,000
The EPF wage ceiling rose to ₹25,000 on 17 September 2026, so employer PF rises with the new wages. Karnataka professional tax of ₹200 a month (₹300 in February) applies once gross salary reaches ₹25,000, which now includes many skilled roles.
The notification is under challenge
Employers have challenged the 22 May 2026 notification in the Karnataka High Court. The State treats it as in force and there is no stay. We price on the notified rates and add a clause that adjusts, or refunds, if the Court changes them.
Five Bengaluru belts, and what each one needs
Bengaluru's blue-collar jobs sit in a ring of industrial estates around the tech city. Pick a belt to see the employers there, the roles in demand and the commute and shift issues to plan around.
Site in Tumakuru, Mysuru or Kolar? Send the location. These fall in different Karnataka wage zones, and we will price them accordingly.
Karnataka rules a Bengaluru employer should check in 2026
Karnataka changed several labour rules in 2026. These are the ones that affect contract and temporary staff in Bengaluru.
| Rule | What applies in Bengaluru | What we handle |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wages | A consolidated notification of 22 May 2026 covers 81 scheduled employments in three zones. Zone 1 is the Greater Bengaluru Authority area. Unskilled monthly rates there are roughly ₹23,000–₹24,500 depending on the employment, and highly skilled rates are above ₹31,000. The VDA is revised annually. The notification has been challenged in the High Court, with no interim stay. | We price on the notified rates for your employment and zone, and include a revision clause in the contract. |
| Professional tax | Monthly: nil below ₹25,000 gross; ₹200 a month from ₹25,000, with ₹300 in February (₹2,500 a year). | We register with the Karnataka commercial taxes department, deduct and remit monthly. |
| Labour welfare fund | From 7 January 2026, the Karnataka Labour Welfare Fund applies to establishments with 10 or more employees (previously more than 50). Contributions are ₹50 from the employee and ₹100 from the employer each year, due by 15 January. | We register, deduct in December and pay by the due date for every worker on our rolls. |
| Shops & establishments | The Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Act 2026, in force since 4 September 2026, made registration valid for the life of the business and exempts establishments with 10+ workers already registered under the OSH Code. Employers may no longer keep employees' original certificates, and must issue a service certificate within seven days of a request. | We never hold original documents: we verify and return them the same day. Service certificates are issued on request. |
| Gig workers | The Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Act 2025 and its November 2025 rules require aggregators to register and pay a welfare fee of 1–5% on payouts to platform workers. | If you use delivery riders, we help you decide whether they are employees on our rolls or platform workers under the Act. The obligations are different. |
| Labour Codes & contract labour | The four Labour Codes apply from 21 November 2025. Karnataka published draft State rules in 2026, and earlier State rules continue where they do not conflict. Contractor licensing under the OSH Code applies at 50 or more contract workers. | We confirm registration and licensing needs for your headcount before deployment. |
Sources: Karnataka Labour Department minimum wage notification (22 May 2026); Karnataka Labour Welfare Fund (Amendment) Act 2025; Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Act 2026; Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers Act 2025. Positions are as of 29 September 2026. Figures are indicative. Check the notification for your scheduled employment.
Bengaluru roles we are asked for, and the checks we run
Bengaluru's demand splits between skilled shop-floor roles in the estates and support roles in the tech corridors. Each gets a different screen.
| Role | Where the demand is | What we check before deployment |
|---|---|---|
| CNC / VMC operators | Peenya, Bommasandra, Bidadi | Machine-specific trade test, offset setting, first-piece inspection with instruments |
| Assembly & electronics operators | Narasapura, Devanahalli, Bommasandra | Dexterity and ESD awareness, reading work instructions, shift and transport fit |
| Pharma packing & line staff | Bommasandra, Jigani, Peenya | GMP and hygiene briefing, gowning practice, documentation discipline |
| Warehouse & forklift | Hosur Road, Hoskote, Nelamangala | Licence verification and load test for operators, scanner and pick-accuracy trial |
| Housekeeping & facility staff | ORR, Whitefield, Electronic City | Reference check, chemical-handling and site SOP briefing, grooming standard |
| Back office & telecallers | ORR, Koramangala, Electronic City | Language test (Kannada, English, Hindi or Tamil, as the process needs), typing and system trial |
How we run a Bengaluru deployment
Our model for sites outside Chennai: everything that must happen at your gate happens there; everything else runs centrally.
Scope and cost
A call and a site visit to agree roles, shifts, transport and the Karnataka cost lines (wage, PF, ESI or EC cover, bonus, PT, LWF), before any sourcing starts.
Local sourcing
Job portals, referrals, ITI and polytechnic contacts, and walk-ins held at your premises or a hired venue near the estate.
Screen and verify
Trade or skills test, identity and address checks, previous-employer reference. Original documents are checked and returned the same day.
Onboard on site
Appointment letters, UAN and ESIC enrolment (or EC and medical cover above the ESI ceiling), bank details, induction and PPE.
Coordinator and visits
A named coordinator for your site handles attendance and daily issues, supported by scheduled visits from our Chennai team.
Central payroll and compliance
Wages on a fixed date with payslips. PF, ESI, Karnataka PT and LWF remitted centrally, with a monthly compliance pack.
Bengaluru staffing FAQs
What Bengaluru HR, admin and plant teams ask us, answered plainly.
Ask us about your Bengaluru site →Do you have an office in Bangalore?+
No. We manage Bengaluru deployments from our Chennai office in Guindy. We recruit locally, onboard at your site, appoint a coordinator for larger teams and visit on a schedule. Payroll and compliance run centrally.
What is the minimum wage in Bangalore in 2026?+
Under Karnataka's notification of 22 May 2026, unskilled rates in Zone 1 (Greater Bengaluru) are roughly ₹23,000–₹24,500 a month depending on the scheduled employment, and highly skilled rates are above ₹31,000. The notification is being challenged in the High Court but has not been stayed. Check the exact figure for your employment.
Do contract workers in Bengaluru still get ESI?+
Only those earning ₹21,000 a month or less. Because many entry-level wages are now above that, those workers fall outside ESI. They need an employees' compensation insurance policy, and we recommend group medical cover too. Workers already covered stay covered until the end of the current contribution period.
What does a contract worker cost in Bengaluru now?+
The gross wage, at least the Karnataka minimum for the employment and zone, plus employer PF (12% of PF wages up to ₹25,000), ESI at 3.25% only where gross wages are ₹21,000 or less (otherwise EC and medical cover), bonus where applicable, leave and gratuity provisions, our service fee and 18% GST. We send an itemised rate card.
Can you staff our Chennai and Bengaluru sites together?+
Yes. That is a natural fit for us: one agreement with State-specific annexures, one payroll process, and a contact who understands both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka rules.
Can your recruiters keep a copy of workers' certificates?+
Copies, yes, for verification records. Originals, no. Since September 2026 Karnataka law prohibits employers from holding employees' original certificates, and we never hold them anywhere.
Related services for Bengaluru employers
Budgeting Bengaluru headcount after the 2026 revision?
Send the roles, area and headcount. We will send a line-by-line rate card on current Karnataka rates, with a revision clause in case the High Court changes them. Call +91 860 850 6800. Or write to info@godstoneconsultech.in.