How Agentic AI Startups Can Scale Their Engineering Teams in India

Ask any founder what keeps them up at night, and “hiring the right team” will almost always be on that list.

When we first spoke to the founders of Lyzr, an AI-first startup in the US, building domain-specific GenAI products, they were at that exact crossroads–wanting to scale their engineering teams in Bangalore. Their product roadmap was ambitious, client interest was growing, and demand for talent was high. But….there’s always a but, isn't it?

But there was a big gap: they wanted to scale quickly, but the company had very little visibility in the market to attract top engineers.

For Lyzr, the challenge was not just filling seats. They needed to build a team from the ground up, software engineers, full-stack engineers, backend engineers, the very foundation of their engineering backbone.

"Uplers has been an excellent talent partner for Lyzr, helping us successfully close key positions with speed and efficiency. The team’s professionalism, responsiveness, and collaborative approach have made it a real pleasure working with them. We truly value this partnership and look forward to achieving more together." - Shalini S , Director HR, Lyzr AI

The first month was spent simply setting the foundation right. With no hiring structure in place, even aligning on processes took time. By January 2025, six critical roles were on the table. Deadlines were tight, product timelines couldn’t wait, and yet there was no room to compromise on quality.

We tweaked our approach 

Instead of trying to cast a wide net, the strategy was to stay sharp and focused:

• Target engineers who were already working in GenAI, so they came in with relevant experience.
• Prioritize immediate joiners because speed was non-negotiable.
• Pitch Lyzr’s story directly to candidates ,and because their vision was solid, we knew people with that same excitement could fit really well. 

What usually takes startups four to five months of searching, interviewing, and losing candidates along the way was compressed into just two months.

Four critical roles were closed, the fastest one in only two weeks. Every engineer joined onsite in Bangalore, and not one backed out. 

And here’s the best part: every single hire stayed on, contributing to Lyzr’s growth and culture.

“I had a great experience working with Uplers. They handled my interview scheduling professionally and managed the entire process smoothly from start to finish. The team was responsive and kept me informed throughout each step of the process. Their communication was clear and timely, which made the whole experience stress-free.” - Subramanya Hegader, Full Stack Developer, Lyzr

Scaling with stability

From those initial six requirements, Lyzr has now grown to over 15+ team members in a matter of months. Their engineering team has tripled in size, but what’s more important is that it has scaled with stability. The hires have stuck. The culture has taken shape. The company is building faster without the drag of constant hiring cycles.

A lesson for startup founders? Don’t just look at hiring as filling gaps.

Think of it this way–your first ten hires will define what the next hundred will look like. Their ways of working, their values, and their attitude towards growth will echo through the organization for years. That’s why hiring at a startup should never be treated as a quick fix. It’s about laying down the foundation of your company’s future. And foundations, if set right, can hold the weight of everything you plan to build.