For leaders in India
There is no official salary scale for a country head in India: pay is negotiated company by company, usually as fixed pay plus variable pay plus, at some companies, stock options, and the only place Indian law sets hard limits is when the country head is also a managing director, whole-time director or manager of a public company under the Companies Act, 2013. That is why the numbers on salary websites disagree so widely, and why the structure of an offer tells you more than its headline figure.
This guide explains what a country head does, which parts make up the pay, what the Companies Act says about managerial remuneration, and what to ask before you sign. It does not quote salary ranges: none could be checked against an official source. At the end we compare an employed country head with the founder who leads NIJIN Academy India.
In this article
- Country head meaning: what the job is
- Why country head salary figures disagree
- The parts of a country head pay package
- What the Companies Act, 2013 says about managerial remuneration
- Questions to ask before you sign
- Employed country head vs NIJIN Academy India Country Head
- Is this a job or a business?
- Questions and answers
Country head meaning: what the job is
A country head, often called a country manager or country director, is the person accountable for everything an organisation does in one country: strategy, revenue, the team, compliance and reputation. In a multinational, the country head of India usually reports to a regional or global head outside India. In an Indian company that is entering one new market, the title can mean the person who builds that market from nothing.
The three titles overlap. What matters for pay is the scope behind the title: does the role own a profit and loss account, how many people report into it, can it sign contracts for the company, and is the person a director of the Indian entity. A fuller description of the role, and of the three classic pay models, is in our guide to country manager compensation in education.
Why country head salary figures disagree
If you have searched “country head salary in India” you will have seen ranges too wide to use. Most come from self-reported data that mixes very different jobs under one title: the head of a ten-person subsidiary and the head of a listed group’s Indian operation share a title and little else. Some figures include options at an assumed value; few tell you the year.
Instead of a number, look at what drives it. These are the factors an employer weighs, and the ones you can test in an interview.
| What moves the pay | Why it matters | How to check it |
|---|---|---|
| Scope of the P&L | The revenue you answer for is the clearest proxy for responsibility | Ask for this year’s revenue target and last year’s actual |
| Stage and team | Launching a market and building a team differs from running a mature operation | Ask how long the company has traded in India, and how many hires you must make in year one |
| Legal position | Being a director or “manager” under the Companies Act brings duties, approvals and, in some cases, limits | Ask whether you will be appointed to the board of the Indian company |
| Mix of fixed and variable | The same total can carry very different risk | Ask what share of pay is variable, and what it was in practice last year |
| Equity | Options can be worth a lot or nothing | Ask for the grant, vesting schedule and exercise price in writing |
The parts of a country head pay package
Almost every country head offer is built from the same four blocks. Offers differ in the weight of each block and in who bears the risk.
- Fixed pay. A monthly amount that does not depend on results. It pays for your time, and the risk sits with the employer.
- Variable pay. A bonus or commission tied to targets such as revenue or profit. Read the formula, not the “target” amount: who sets the target, and whether it can change mid-year.
- Long-term incentives. Shares or options that pay only if the company grows. The Companies Act defines an “employees’ stock option” as a right to buy or subscribe for shares at a future date at a pre-determined price (section 2(37)); shares are issued under such a scheme only by special resolution (section 62(1)(b)). It also recognises “sweat equity shares” for know-how or value additions (section 2(88)).
- Perquisites and benefits. Housing, car, insurance and similar items. In the Companies Act, “remuneration” includes perquisites as defined under the Income-tax Act, 1961 (section 2(78)). How each is taxed is a question for a tax adviser.
A simple way to compare two offers. Write each one as three lines: what you receive if the business misses its targets, what you receive if it meets them, and what you own if you leave after three years. The headline salary is only the first line.
What the Companies Act, 2013 says about managerial remuneration
Indian company law does not regulate the title “country head”. It regulates certain positions in a company incorporated in India. Some country heads are employees below the board of the Indian subsidiary; others are appointed as its managing director or whole-time director. Which one you are changes who approves your pay and whether statutory limits apply.
Which legal position are you in?
| Position in the Companies Act | Definition (summarised) | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Managing director | A director entrusted with substantial powers of management of the company’s affairs, by whatever name called | 2(54) |
| Whole-time director | Includes a director in the whole-time employment of the company | 2(94) |
| Manager | An individual who, under the board’s superintendence, manages the whole or substantially the whole of the company’s affairs, by whatever name called, whether under a contract of service or not | 2(53) |
| Key managerial personnel | Includes the CEO, managing director or manager, the company secretary, whole-time directors and the CFO | 2(51) |
Note the words “by whatever name called”. A “country head” who in fact runs substantially the whole of the Indian company’s affairs may fall within the definition of manager. Whether you do is a question for the company secretary or a lawyer.
Appointment: term, age and approval
Under section 196, a managing director, whole-time director or manager is appointed for no more than five years at a time, must be at least 21 and under 70 (70 or above needs a special resolution), and is approved with their pay by the board, subject to the next general meeting. Part I of Schedule V adds conditions, including residence in India, explained as a continuous stay of at least twelve months before appointment (companies in Special Economic Zones are excepted).
Remuneration limits in section 197
Source: Companies Act, 2013, sections 196 and 197, as amended. Net profits are computed under section 198.
Section 197(1) applies these ceilings to a public company. The general meeting can authorise more, subject to Schedule V and, for the 5% and 10% limits, by special resolution. Pay may be monthly, a percentage of net profits, or both (section 197(6)). A director paid above the limit, or without the required approval, must refund the excess within two years (section 197(9)). Listed companies disclose each director’s pay as a ratio to the median employee’s (section 197(12)).
When a company has no profits or inadequate profits, Part II, Section II of Schedule V applies. It sets yearly ceilings in a table tiered by the company’s “effective capital”, in four bands from under 5 crore to 250 crore and above. Paying more needs a special resolution, with a notice that sets out the appointee’s background, past remuneration and a comparison with industry pay. This is the closest Indian law comes to a salary table, and it is a ceiling for low-profit companies, not a market rate.
The wording “public company” in section 197(1) matters: how these rules apply to a private company, and to your specific appointment, should be confirmed with a company secretary or lawyer. This article is not legal or tax advice.
Questions to ask before you sign
A general checklist for any country role is in our country manager compensation guide, and school leadership roles are mapped in education leadership jobs in India. These questions are specific to a country head’s pay and legal position in India.
- Will I be appointed as a director, whole-time director or manager of the Indian company, or employed below the board?
- If I am appointed, who approves my pay: the board, the nomination and remuneration committee (required for listed public companies under section 178), the general meeting?
- Is variable pay calculated on revenue, on profit, or on targets set each year, and what did it actually pay last year?
- If options are offered: which company’s shares, how many, at what exercise price, over what vesting period, and what happens to unvested options if I leave?
- Who can change my targets, and how much notice do I get?
Would you rather build the company than be hired to run it?
NIJIN Academy is an alternative school in Japan, opened in September 2023 and run by NIJIN Inc. Children join from home through a metaverse campus, choose from about 100 live online classes a month, and can also go to 52 physical classrooms across Japan. NIJIN is looking for one person to start and lead NIJIN Academy India as both its business head and its principal. Teaching experience is not required.
See the Country Head role in IndiaEmployed country head vs NIJIN Academy India Country Head
NIJIN uses the title Country Head, but the role is closer to a founder’s than an employee’s.
| Typical employed country head | NIJIN Academy India Country Head | |
|---|---|---|
| What you are | An employee (sometimes also a director) running an existing company’s Indian operation | The founder who starts NIJIN Academy India, as its business head and its principal |
| How pay is set | Negotiated package: fixed pay, variable pay, sometimes options | As a guide, 10% of revenue (excluding consumption tax). You shape your own pay as the business grows |
| Examples | Set by each employer; no official scale | Revenue of JPY 100 million gives JPY 10 million; JPY 200 million gives JPY 20 million. These illustrate the calculation and are not a forecast |
| Cap | Depends on the employer; statutory limits in some cases (see above) | JPY 50 million, reached at JPY 500 million of revenue or more |
| If there is no revenue | Fixed pay continues while you are employed | The formula pays nothing. Income is not guaranteed |
| Currency | Usually rupees | Stated in Japanese yen only; payment details are discussed in the interview |
| How you start | Employment contract | Your choice: co-own a local company set up together (for example, you 20%, NIJIN 80%; if you invest, the guide is JPY 1 to 2 million from you and JPY 4 to 8 million from NIJIN), or start on a service contract, even as a side job. Investment is optional; the 10% guide is the same either way |
| Delegated work | Paid by the employer | If you ask someone else to do part of the role, they are paid out of your 10% |
NIJIN’s terms are those stated on its recruitment pages; every other term is discussed in the interview. NIJIN Academy is not a franchise: you do not pay to copy a format. NIJIN publishes that more than 1,000 children have enrolled since 2023.
Is this a job or a business?
An employed country head has a job: someone else owns the company, sets the targets and carries the risk of a bad year. The NIJIN Academy India Country Head is closer to a business. You decide which families to serve first, in which city and language, and you build the team. Your pay follows revenue, up to the cap. On a service contract, you can keep your current work while you test whether the school can grow.
If you want a predictable salary, an employed role fits. If you have led and hired people and want to build a school for children who do not fit school, the second route may fit better. How the economics of a school in India can work is covered in is school a profitable business in India.
Questions and answers
What is the salary of a country head in India?
There is no official salary scale. Pay is agreed with each employer and depends on the revenue and team you answer for, the stage of the business, the fixed-variable mix and any equity. Salary-website ranges are self-reported and mix very different jobs, so we do not repeat them.
What does country head mean?
The person accountable for everything an organisation does in one country. Country manager and country director often mean the same role.
Is a country head the same as a managing director?
Not necessarily. “Country head” is a job title. Managing director, whole-time director and manager are positions defined in the Companies Act, 2013 (sections 2(54), 2(94) and 2(53)). A country head may or may not hold one of them; ask whether you will be appointed to the Indian company’s board.
Can a country head get ESOPs in India?
Yes, if the company offers them. The Companies Act defines employees’ stock options as options given to directors, officers or employees of the company or of its holding or subsidiary company (section 2(37)), and requires a special resolution to issue shares under such a scheme (section 62(1)(b)). Ask for the grant, vesting and exercise price in writing.
Is the NIJIN Academy India Country Head a job or a business?
Closer to a business. You lead NIJIN Academy India as founder, business head and principal, either as a co-owner of a local company or, to begin with, on a service contract. As a guide, compensation is 10% of revenue, capped at JPY 50 million. It is not guaranteed.
Do I need to invest to become NIJIN’s Country Head?
No. Investment is optional. You can start on a service contract, even as a side job. The formula and cap are stated in Japanese yen only; payment details are discussed in the interview.
Lead a school in India as its business head and principal
NIJIN is looking for one person to start and lead NIJIN Academy India. Teaching experience is not required. If you have led an organisation and hired people, and you want to solve a problem in education, read the role.
See the Country Head role in IndiaWhere to go next
Related guides
- Country manager in education: the role and three pay models
- Education leadership jobs in India
- School principal jobs in India
- Franchise vs your own business
- How to start a school in India
- Country Head Meaning: Role, Duties and How It Differs
Sources
Legal references are to the Companies Act, 2013 (Act No. 18 of 2013) as amended, including Schedule V as amended on 18 March 2021, in the consolidated text published on WIPO Lex. Please check the Ministry of Corporate Affairs for later amendments.