# Selling software company data to AI companies in India

> Can a software company in India sell its data to AI companies? Which buyers accept you, published payouts in INR, and the rules that apply.

Canonical: https://origindatapartners.com/sell-company-data/india/software-companies
By: Origin Data Partners
Published: 2026-10-26
Sources checked: 2026-10-26

## Quick answer

Yes. AI companies buy records from software companies, and micro1, Mercor and Handshake AI accept companies in India. Published payouts for this kind of company run ₹47 lakh to ₹4.7 crore ($50K to $500K), from Mercor's private-code listing. Services work is usually assigned to clients by contract, so license only product code you own; scan for secrets first.

## Key facts

- Published payout: ₹47 lakh to ₹4.7 crore ($50K to $500K)
- Buyers that accept you: 4 (micro1, Mercor, Handshake AI and Turing)
- Privacy law: DPDP Act 2023 (Plus the industry rules below)
- US tax withheld: 15% (With a W-8BEN-E)

## What software company records AI buyers want

Product companies with clean English commit histories fit Turing; services codebases usually belong to clients.

Mercor runs a software company listing for private code; Turing buys codebases and full operating records.

| Record | Why buyers want it |
| --- | --- |
| Repositories with full history | Turing buys codebases alone for $10K to $100K+. |
| Tickets linked to commits | Linkage multiplies value. |
| Product specs and design docs | Show why decisions were made. |
| Support histories | Real user problems and fixes. |


## Which AI data buyers accept Indian software companies

English-language records and large service industries make India one of the stronger markets outside the West.

| Buyer | Fit for India | What to know |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [micro1](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/micro1-company-data-partnerships) | Partial fit | Closed companies with 50+ peak staff; operating companies considered case by case; lists technology companies |
| [Mercor](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/mercor-data-monetization-program) | Strong fit | Software company listing (private code): $50K to $500K published |
| [Handshake AI](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/handshake-ai-data-partnerships) | Possible | Names software; 20+ staff and 3+ years; accepts companies outside the US |
| [Turing](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/turing-project-lazarus) | Possible | Full operating records up to $1M; strongest demand in the US, UK, Canada and EU |


## Published payouts in INR

Mercor's private-code listing is the closest published figure for software companies, converted to INR. Larger programs pay more for long, linked histories.

| Published figure | USD | INR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mercor, private-code listing | $50K to $500K | ₹47 lakh to ₹4.7 crore |
| micro1, large-scale datasets | $500K to $2M | ₹4.7 crore to ₹19 crore |
| Handshake AI, advertised range | $100K to $4M+ | ₹95 lakh to ₹38 crore+ |


## Indian rules for software companies

Services work is usually assigned to clients by contract, so license only product code you own; scan for secrets first.

Any personal data left in the records falls under Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023; the [Indian privacy steps](https://origindatapartners.com/sell-company-data/india#rules) apply to every industry. Before anything leaves, exclude:

- Secrets, keys and credentials in code.
- Customer data in support tickets and databases.
- Open-source code under licenses that travel with it.

Source: [MeitY: Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023](https://www.meity.gov.in/data-protection-framework)

## How much do AI companies pay for a codebase?

Turing says a repository alone typically pays $10K to $100K or more, and Mercor publishes $50K to $500K for private code. Code linked to its tickets, reviews and design docs earns the upper end.

Our guide covers this in depth: [Can a company sell its source code to AI companies?](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/sell-source-code-ai-training).


## US tax on the license fee

For India: 15% with a treaty form (W-8BEN-E), creditable at home.

Source: [IRS: Tax treaty tables](https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/tax-treaty-tables)

## Questions and answers

### Do AI companies buy software company data in India?

Yes. micro1, Mercor, Handshake AI and Turing accept companies in India. Product companies with clean English commit histories fit Turing; services codebases usually belong to clients.

### How much do AI companies pay for software company data?

Published payouts for this kind of company run ₹47 lakh to ₹4.7 crore ($50K to $500K), from Mercor's private-code listing, with larger tiers for big or unique datasets. Actual offers depend on your records and rights.

### Is it legal for a software company in India to sell company data?

Services work is usually assigned to clients by contract, so license only product code you own; scan for secrets first.

### How much do AI companies pay for a codebase?

Turing says a repository alone typically pays $10K to $100K or more, and Mercor publishes $50K to $500K for private code. Code linked to its tickets, reviews and design docs earns the upper end.

## Sources

- [micro1: Data partnerships](https://www.micro1.ai/data-partnerships)
- [Mercor: Monetize your data](https://www.mercor.com/data/)
- [Handshake AI: Data partnerships](https://joinhandshake.com/ai/data-partnerships/)
- [MeitY: Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023](https://www.meity.gov.in/data-protection-framework)
- [IRS: Tax treaty tables](https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/tax-treaty-tables)
- [European Central Bank: euro reference rates](https://www.ecb.europa.eu/stats/policy_and_exchange_rates/euro_reference_exchange_rates/html/index.en.html)