Hiring a nanny in Mumbai
Daily care of a baby or young child — feeding, routine, sleep, play and hygiene. Live-in or live-out, five to seven days a week.
What she does, and what she does not.
Getting this wrong is the most expensive mistake in this market, so we would rather be blunt about the boundary than sell you the wrong person.
This is the job
- Feeding, bottles, weaning and mealtimes
- Naps, bedtime and a routine that holds
- Bathing, nappies, laundry for the child
- Play, early learning and getting outdoors
- School run and activities, if agreed
This is not
- Postnatal care of the mother — that is a japa
- Clinical care, medication or wound care — that is a nurse
- Cooking for the whole family, unless you pay for it
- Housekeeping for the household, unless you pay for it
What a nanny actually costs in Mumbai
Most agencies will not tell you until you have paid them. Here is the arithmetic we use, and it is the same arithmetic on the phone.
| Requirement | Adds | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Starting salary | ₹30,000 | Live-out, six days, one child, no special requirements |
| Live-in rather than live-out | + ₹5,000 | She is available around the clock and gives up living at home. |
| Fluent English essential | + ₹8,000 | The single thing that moves a nanny’s price most in Mumbai. |
| At least 5 years’ experience | + ₹10,000 | Ten years adds sixteen. |
| A newborn, 0–3 months | + ₹5,000 | Night feeds and safe sleep. A much smaller pool does it well. |
| A second child | + ₹4,000 | Two children is not the same job as one. |
| Nights only | + ₹8,000 | The hardest shift in this work to staff. |
| Passport and international travel | + ₹10,000 | Very few hold a passport, and fewer will travel. |
| Housekeeping alongside childcare | + ₹5,000 | Duties beyond childcare are capped at +₹12,000 combined. |
Five days instead of six takes ₹3,000 off; part time takes ₹8,000 off. We never place anyone below ₹25,000 a month, whatever the arithmetic says.
Seven gates. Most people don’t get through.
Screening is only worth something if it can fail someone. Here is exactly where ours does.
Application and first call
Why she left the last two households, in her words. What she can and cannot do. Anything she says here is written down, and checked against what comes later.
Identity and address
Government photo ID and PAN, seen in the original — not a forwarded photograph. Current and previous addresses, both supported by documents.
Two employers, telephoned
We ring two named people who actually employed her and write down what they said, in their words. Not a letter she brought with her.
Work history gaps
Dated, in order. Where a year is missing we ask why, and we put the answer in the profile whether or not it flatters her.
In person
A conversation, not a form — usually the first one over video call so she is not losing a day’s pay to travel. Handling, feeding, hygiene, sleep and what she would do in an emergency.
Health and registration
A health declaration signed by her, with a fitness certificate where the role calls for one.
Consent and declaration
She signs to say her answers are true, and consents to us sharing the profile with families considering hiring her. Nothing goes out without it.
What screening cannot do
- India has no national criminal-records database a private company may search. Anyone promising a “complete criminal check” is overstating it.
- Police verification is filed by you, the household, at your local station. We prepare the file and walk you through it; the certificate comes back in your name.
- Every profile we send ends with a paragraph headed What we could not confirm. If a reference never picked up, you will read that sentence.
- She becomes your employee, not ours. We present what we found; we do not warrant her character or guarantee her performance.
Published. The same for every family.
| What you pay | ||
|---|---|---|
| Search retainer | Non-refundable. Adjusted in full against the fee. | ₹10,000 |
| Total placement fee | One month of the salary you agree with her. Due at ten service days. | 1 month |
| Balance on confirmation | The fee, less the ₹10,000 already paid. | Fee − ₹10,000 |
| Her salary | Paid by you, directly to her, from day one. | Paid by you |
| Charged to the professional | Nothing. Not a fee, not a deduction. | ₹0 |
Exclusive of GST where applicable. The full terms are in the written agreement you sign before any money changes hands.
Questions families ask before hiring a nanny
How much does a nanny cost in Mumbai?
A full-time nanny starts at about ₹30,000 a month in Mumbai for live-out work, six days, one child. Live-in adds around ₹5,000; fluent English adds about ₹8,000; five years’ experience adds about ₹10,000. Our salary calculator gives you a figure for your own requirements in eight questions. That salary is paid by you, directly to her.
What is the difference between a nanny and a japa?
A nanny cares for a child day to day — routine, feeding, play, sleep — usually for months or years. A japa caregiver looks after a newborn and the mother in the first weeks after birth: massage, recovery support, feeding help, night care. Hiring one when you need the other is the most expensive mistake families make in this market.
Do you charge the nanny anything?
No. Not a fee, not a deduction, not a cut of her salary, ever. She is paid her full agreed salary by you from her first day. We are paid by the family, and our fee is published on this page.
How long does it take to find a nanny?
The search runs 30 days from the day the retainer clears. Most families meet their first profile inside a week. We send up to three profiles, one at a time — you meet one before we release the next, rather than being handed a stack of PDFs to compare.
What if she leaves soon after starting?
If she leaves within 30 days of starting, we run one replacement search at no further fee. That is a replacement search, not an unlimited guarantee — we will tell you plainly what we can and cannot promise before you pay anything.
Can I get a live-in nanny in Mumbai?
Yes, and it is common in South Mumbai and Bandra. It needs a separate room or a properly defined sleeping space, a weekly day off, and a salary that reflects being available around the clock — about ₹5,000 a month above the live-out rate. We will ask about the room at the first call, because it decides who will take the job.
Tell us about your family.
Five minutes. We call you within one working day.