Hello everyone,
I’m looking for guidance on hiring talent in India for a video game project in Unreal Engine 5, and I’d like to know where to look, which platforms to use, and how to reach truly high-quality candidates.

Positions I need to fill

• 1 Team Lead (solid experience leading small/medium teams)
• 2 3D Modelers (high quality, realistic or semi-realistic style)
• 1 Senior Animator with a lot of creativity and experience (complex animations, combat, cinematics, etc.)
• 1 VFX Artist specialized in UE5
• 1 Sound Designer experienced in UE5 (MetaSounds/Wwise implementation)

What I want to know

I’d love to hear from someone with experience working with game-dev talent in India

I’ve already tried looking for candidates on Naukri, but I’m not sure if it’s enough or if there are better platforms. Each job post there costs around $55, so I want to make sure I’m using the most effective options.

1. Where to post job offers or contact talent

• Which platforms work best?
• Are there India-specific game-dev communities?
• Is LinkedIn enough or are there better alternatives?

2. How to identify high-quality talent

• What should I look for in portfolios?
• How do I avoid inflated profiles or studios pretending to be freelancers?
• Any recommended technical tests?

3. General advice

• Approximate salary ranges (optional)
• How to manage time-zone differences
• Good or bad experiences hiring in India

Why India

Because of cost, availability, and the fact that there is a lot of great talent there — but it’s hard to know exactly where to look if you’re not familiar with the ecosystem.