If you are budgeting for security staff in Gachibowli, HITEC City or anywhere across Hyderabad, the first question is always the same: what does one guard actually cost per month? The honest answer is that the sticker price hides four separate things, and the cheapest quote is often the most expensive choice.
What goes into a monthly guard rate
A compliant per-guard rate is built from four layers, not one:
- Minimum wages — Telangana notifies minimum wages for private security by skill category and zone. This is the legal floor; anyone quoting below it is cutting a corner you will pay for later.
- Statutory contributions — Provident Fund (PF, 13% employer share) and ESI (3.25% employer share) sit on top of wages. These are not optional.
- Supervision and reliefs — a supervisor, a paid standby pool for no-shows, uniforms, and training. This is where "cheap" agencies quietly disappear.
- Agency margin and GST — a modest service margin, plus 18% GST on the total.
Why the cheapest quote is a red flag
When an agency quotes far below the market, one of these is happening: wages are below the notified minimum, PF/ESI is not actually being deposited, or there is no relief pool — so when a guard is sick, your gate simply goes unmanned. Each of these becomes your liability as the principal employer under the Contract Labour Act.
A quote that skips PF and ESI isn't cheaper. It's a deferred bill with your company's name on it.
What to ask before you sign
- Is the quoted wage at or above the current Telangana notified minimum for this guard category?
- Are PF and ESI shown as separate, deposited line items — with challans you can verify?
- Is there a paid standby pool, and what is the guaranteed replacement time for a no-show?
- Is the agency PSARA-licensed for Telangana?
- Is 18% GST included or added on top?
The SafetyWall approach
Every SafetyWall deployment shows PF and ESI as verifiable line items, staffs from a paid standby pool so sites never go dark, and uses only PSARA-licensed personnel. We would rather lose a bid on price than win it by shortchanging the person standing at your gate at 4 AM.
If you want a transparent, line-item quote for your site in Hyderabad, call +91 81210 03192 — we will walk you through every number.