Summary
-
A brief introduction of the current state of background verification companies in India, and how it has evolved over the years.
-
Challenges that companies face while implementing a background verification agency include hiring fraud, security risks, regulatory compromise,s and damage to the Brand’s reputation
-
Factors that one should consider while choosing background verification include the range of services, compliance standards, TAT, Amber rate, innovation in technology, integration capabilities, and customer support.
A curated list of the Top 10 background verification companies across cities, complete with company overviews, services offered, and a comparative turnaround time table.
Conclusion and FAQs
Introduction
A few years ago, most small to mid-sized companies viewed employee background verification as an optional activity - something only reserved for large enterprises that bulk hire or limited to senior roles. But today, with rising numbers of employee fraud and fraud techniques becoming increasingly sophisticated, background verification is no longer a choice but a necessity. But with hundreds of background verification companies in India, offering a large variety of services, how do you choose the one that is right for you?
In this blog, we will guide you through the top background verification agencies and help you determine which one best fits your hiring needs. But before that, let’s look at some of the challenges companies face without proper BGV and the key factors you should consider when choosing the right background verification company in India.
Already familiar with how to tailor the best background verification agencies that suit your needs?
Skip to the list of the Top 10 background verification companies in IndiaChallenges that companies face without proper BGV:
Hiring Fraud:
The biggest challenge companies across India face while hiring is the rising cases of employment fraud. According to our 2025 annual fraud report, high-risk employee fraud zones in India doubled from 5 cities in 2024 to 10 cities in 2025. Notably, the new additions came from tier-2 and tier-3 cities, marking a shift from the earlier concentration in tier-1 metros.
This trend highlights how employee fraud is no longer confined to major cities. With the growing availability of fake and forged documents, organizations across India are seeing elevated risk, accounting for 5.08% of all red flags across India.
Without a streamlined background verification process in place, hiring decisions rely heavily on self-reported information. This can open doors to fake experience, forged certificates, and proxy interviews. If ignored over time, these gaps lead to unqualified hires, higher attrition, and potential for large-scale fraud to take place.
Compliance compromises:
Inadequate BGV can put organizations at risk of failing regulatory and internal compliance requirements. Missing or unverifiable employee records often become big issues during audits, especially in regulated and stringent industries. This can result in penalties, legal exposure, and delays in business operations.
Security risks:
Employees frequently have access to sensitive systems, data, and financial information. Without thorough background checks, organizations risk onboarding individuals with undisclosed criminal records or identity mismatches. These blind spots increase the chances of insider threats and data security incidents.
PR Damage:
A single hiring lapse can quickly impact an organization’s reputation. Incidents involving fraudulent employees, particularly in senior or customer-facing roles, can attract negative attention from PR, clients, stakeholders, and the public. Over time, this erodes trust and weakens employer brand credibility.
Now that we have seen the repercussions companies face without BGV, let’s look at the factors you should consider before starting your research to onboard your next background verification partner.
Factors to consider before choosing the right background verification company in India:
Choosing a BGV company in India can be quite challenging, as you may not be aware of the differentiators you should look out for. E.g., Some background verification companies in India may claim that they have the fastest TAT, but their error rates might be high. In another case, the accuracy of the report of a BGV company might be good, but at the cost of high TAT.
In this section, we will take you through all the BGV lingo you should know and what factors you should consider when evaluating background verification services.
-
Range of Services: Some agencies in India may provide basic checks like employment, qualification, criminal, ID, and Address, while others may offer a full suite of services i.e. new age checks like social media, drug testing, and instant, digital checks like moonlighting. Regardless, you should know all the services a BGV company provides and select the one that fits your requirements.
-
Compliance and Data Security: You must check whether the BGV company you decide to onboard complies with all local and international regulations. Check whether they follow guidelines such as GDPR or equivalent to protect the personal data of your candidates. Some data security equivalents in India include ISO 270001, NASCOOM Certification, and SOC 2 compliance.
-
TAT (Turnaround Time): TAT is the time taken by the Background verification companies to complete the BGV process, right from the BGV initiation to generating the final report. But why is TAT so important?
Firstly, it's because it directly affects your hiring process. High TAT means you have to wait longer to find out whether the candidate you’ve chosen is fit for the job or not. Secondly, the average turnaround time varies, depending on the types of checks, whether the process is traditional or digital, and many other factors. The medium TAT of all standard checks can range from 14 days to even a month, depending on various factors.
However, as per a report by People Matters, with the help of technology and GenAI, some background verification agencies can bring these numbers down to a week or even less.
-
Amber Rate: A major indicator of the accuracy and reliability of employee background verification companies is the Amber rate. The term ‘’Amber Rate’’ refers to cases where the verification results could not be concluded due to discrepancies or missing information provided by the candidate.
Some background verification companies try to follow up with the respective candidate or HR to fill in the missing information. Similarly, some even opt for alternatives to close amber cases, but the closure of these cases is not guaranteed. Hence, amber cases are the last thing you would want, and you must choose a vendor that has the lowest amber rate in the industry.
A good amber rate range is between 1% to 4%, and companies exceeding this threshold might not prove to be reliable in the long run.
-
Technology and Integrations: Modern background verification solutions use advanced technology to improve the speed and accuracy of their BGV processes. The biggest example of this is the shift towards Instant digital checks, like EPFO, to verify employment and Digital Address Verification platforms. It is also important to ensure that your BGV partner can support integrations with your current HR tools, like your HRMS and ATS platform, to ensure a seamless flow of data.
-
Customer Support: Reliable customer support is very important to address any urgent queries and issues that need immediate attention. Check whether your provider has dedicated support channels and look at some online reviews to get an idea of the quality of the service offered.
It is also important for you to look at client testimonials, case studies, and online reviews to gauge the reliability of the background verification services that a company offers.
Is this your first time exploring BGV? Things might look complex, but they don’t have to be. Check out our blog, which acts as an ultimate guide to getting started with background verification.
Complete BGV in 5 days with zero fraud assurance?
Now that we have that out of the way, let’s look at the best background verification companies you can find in India
Here are the Top 10 background verification companies in India.
| Company Name | HQ | Description | Services Offered |
|---|---|---|---|
| IDfy | Mumbai |
IDfy is a leading Integrated Identity Platform with its sole mission to prevent fraud and establish trust among businesses. They boast the fastest TAT and the lowest amber rate in the industry. They are also the only BGV agency that has a dedicated fraud investigation team and has caught over 1000+ fraud companies in India that produce fake employment certificates. Check out more about IDfy here. |
AI-enabled digital background checks, such as:
Other services: |
| Authbridge | Gurgaon |
Authbridge is a widely used background verification solution in India with a full suite of services, including employee screening, risk and compliance, and Instant API verifications. Some of their products include iBridge which is a user-friendly platform for candidates and HRs, and they offer customized solutions based on industry-specific requirements. |
Other services:
|
| Ongrid | Gurgaon |
Ongrid is a digital trust platform that helps HRs do BGV to meet their compliance requirements. They have one of the fastest TATs in the industry and have proven to be reliable over the years in this space. However, ongrid’s services are limited to employee background verification and vendor due diligence and do not offer full-suite solutions like KYC and customer onboarding. |
|
| Sterling | Cleveland |
Sterling offers comprehensive background verification solutions for enterprises globally. They are known to use advanced technology and tailor BGV for specific industries. Similar to ongrid, Sterling’s solutions are also limited to employee background verification and may not be the best for someone looking for an end-to-end customer/vendor onboarding platform. |
|
| FADV | Atlanta |
First Advantage, also known as FADV is one of the older players in the Background verification space. Founded in 2003, it is recognized as one of the top background verification providers in the world. They have proved to be fairly reliable in the long run. However, companies looking for a digital-first background verification solution may not be inclined towards FADV, as most of their BGV checks are conducted by traditional methods |
|
| HelloVerify | Noida |
HelloVerify provides an automated employee background screening solution and an individual risk evaluation platform aimed at uncovering lies in a candidate’s profile. |
|
| Factsuite | Bangalore |
FactSuite offers employee screening and background verification services. They call it a ‘one-stop solution for all verification & authentication needs’ |
|
| Quinfy | Gurgaon |
Quinfy is known to provide tailored background verification, ensuring reliable hires for every role across industries. They prioritize speed and a seamless user experience. |
|
| Vfact services Pvt Ltd | Maharashtra |
VFact provides employment screening services to companies to mitigate the risk with transparency. At present, VFact is associated with more than 50 clients for multiple services across all states and union territories in India. |
VFact helps in reducing the risk of wrong hiring through Pre and post employment Screening & currently covering the given services. |
| Sirius Info Services | Telangana |
Sirius Info Services Pvt. Ltd. is a verification services provider that provides employee background verification services at affordable prices. Sirius aims to assist in this endeavor. They support their clients in recruiting the right personnel. |
They provide services such as address verification, education and employment verification, and identity and reference checks. |
| Company | Median TAT (Across all checks) |
|---|---|
| IDfy | 5 days |
| AuthBridge | 10-12 days |
| FADV | 8-10 days |
| Ongrid | 6-8 days |
| Sterling | 8-10 days |
Conclusion
To summarize, choosing the right background verification company for your specific needs may have seemed complex. But by the end of this blog, it’s clear that the process is far simpler than it appears.
Now that you’re ready to make a decision, the only question that might remain is cost. Don’t worry - we’ve got you covered on that too. Click the link below to estimate how much a background check will cost, with the industry’s lowest turnaround time and amber rate for your organization.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the top BGV companies in India:
Q1. What checks should I opt for when choosing a background verification company?
Companies typically opt for checks like employment history, reference checks, education qualifications, criminal history, credit history, and address verification.
These are standard across most firms, from small companies to large enterprises.
Q2. What is median TAT?
TAT, or Turnaround Time, refers to the duration needed to complete a background check for an employee, starting from initiation until the final report is delivered. Similarly, the median TAT represents the time taken to complete 50% of all initiated cases.
Q3. How long does a BGV check take?
In the industry, the typical median TAT for BGV companies in India is 21 days for all standard checks that were mentioned above. However, multiple companies like IDfy have digital-first solutions that have significantly reduced the TAT to 1 day for instant pre-onboarding checks and 5 days for comprehensive checks.
Q4. What is digital background verification?
Digital background verification is the process of conducting background checks using digital platforms and technologies.
For example, with digital verification, the physical address check that used to take a week can now be completed within a day via a video call. These digital alternatives help with a quicker and more efficient verification process compared to traditional methods.
Q5. How do I know which background verification company is right for me?
Answering these key questions will help you evaluate and decide whether a background verification company is right for you or not.
Is a quick BGV TAT my top priority?
What is my budget?
Does the solution offer all the verification checks I need?
Can the BGV solution seamlessly integrate with my existing HRMS or ATS?
Q6. Can I handle background verification on my own if my hiring volume is low?
While there's no definitive right or wrong answer, it's highly recommended to entrust your BGV to experts. These BGV companies leverage cutting-edge technology to deliver unmatched speed and accuracy, ensuring a smooth and reliable hiring experience.
Q7. Is it necessary to choose a BGV company located in my city?
Not at all! Most background verification companies in India operate on a PAN-India scale, allowing you to seamlessly verify new hires across the country, regardless of their location or yours.