In this candid conversation with HRKatha, Girish Rowjee, co-founder and CEO, and Sayeed Anjum, Co-founder and CTO of greytHR, share insights on building a comprehensive HR platform that now serves 27,000+ businesses across 25+ countries. With their technical expertise and vision for simplifying HR, they’ve created not just software but an entire ecosystem supporting HR professionals.
HRKatha: Take us back to the beginning. What specific gap in the HR technology market did you see that inspired you to start greytHR? How has your initial vision transformed?
Girish: When we started, we identified a clear gap in the HR tech market – SMEs in India had virtually no access to reliable, affordable HR software that understood compliance requirements. Large enterprises had complex legacy systems, while smaller businesses were stuck with manual processes and had little awareness of automation’s potential.
There simply weren’t platforms designed to address the unique needs of Indian businesses – particularly around evolving labour laws, complex salary structures and monthly compliance deadlines. That was the problem we set out to solve.
We began by focusing on payroll and compliance automation, building a product that was intuitive, cost-effective and India-first in every aspect. We spent years educating the market, conducting workshops and helping businesses understand that HR tech wasn’t a luxury but a necessity.
Since then, our vision has expanded alongside our customers. Today, greytHR is a full-suite, hire-to-retire HRMS used by 27,000+ businesses across 25+ countries. We process over Rs 1.8 lakh crore in salaries annually, offer 50+ advanced tools, and our mobile app is trusted by millions of employees.
Beyond the platform, we’ve built a strong HR ecosystem with learning resources, compliance support and community engagement. With our recent strategic investment from Apax Digital in 2024, we’re doubling down on innovation while staying true to our original goal: simplifying HR for businesses across India and beyond.
HRKatha: You both came from technical backgrounds. How has this influenced your approach to solving HR challenges?
Sayeed: Our technical background has helped us approach problem-solving with a systems mindset – focusing on scalability, automation and data-driven decision-making. HR requires precision, compliance and adaptability – the same principles that define great software.
When we started greytHR, we recognised that most HR challenges stemmed from fragmented processes, manual workflows and compliance complexities. Rather than building isolated tools, we took a platform approach, designing a cloud-native, API-first HRMS that integrates across HR functions. This modular, scalable structure ensures businesses of all sizes can adapt, automate and grow without friction.
We continue to evolve the platform with the same mindset — solving real-world problems with clean architecture, thoughtful automation and user-centric design. That’s how we ensure greytHR remains relevant even as business needs change.
“Digital transformation in HR isn’t just about automation – it’s about creating space for HR to focus on what truly matters: building better experiences and driving impact.”
Girish Rowjee, Co-founder & CEO
HRKatha: Your brand manifesto says, “We know businesses become big because of a big dream and the people behind them.” How has this philosophy shaped greytHR’s product development and company culture?
Girish: We’ve always believed that behind every growing business is a team giving their best. That belief shapes everything we do – from the software we build to the culture we nurture.
On the product side, this means creating HR software that’s not just powerful but effortless to use. HR teams – especially in smaller businesses – juggle multiple responsibilities. Our goal has been to automate complexity while keeping HR accessible and human.
Our platform simplifies the entire employee lifecycle – from hiring and onboarding to payroll, compliance, performance and exit. By handling everyday processes like attendance, payroll and self-service, we help HR focus on what truly matters – their people.
By offering easy access to data and digitising manual tasks, we enable quicker, more informed decision-making. Our tools for performance evaluations, structured feedback and interactive features promote transparency and employee satisfaction, improving productivity and retention.
Beyond the platform, we’ve built an HR ecosystem that enables, empowers and connects. Through greytHR Academy, Parichay webinars, greytribe community and our greytFM podcast, we support HR professionals with learning, insights and shared experiences.
At the core, it’s simple: businesses grow when they have engaged and motivated teams. Our role is to make that growth easier – every step of the way.
“We saw that most HR challenges stemmed from fragmented processes, manual workflows, and compliance complexities. Rather than building isolated tools, we took a platform approach.”
Sayeed Anjum, Co-founder & CTO
HRKatha: You started with payroll software and have now evolved into a full-suite HRMS. What were the key milestones that pushed you beyond payroll?
Sayeed: When we started, our goal was simple: eliminate the inefficiencies of manual payroll processing. We began by addressing challenges in one core area with the vision of tackling others later. HR teams juggle leave tracking, compliance, employee data and engagement, and we wanted to address these with a connected automation platform.
A pivotal moment came in 2011 when we moved to the cloud. That shift gave our customers the flexibility to manage HR from anywhere and allowed us to scale our offerings meaningfully. We could bring more value at lower costs, making comprehensive HR tech accessible to many more businesses.
We began expanding – adding modules for leave and attendance management, compliance automation and employee self-service, creating a more connected HR experience. As customer needs grew, so did our product. We built capabilities for recruitment, performance management and eventually developed a complete hire-to-retire suite.
Today, greytHR helps businesses manage every stage of the employee journey. Throughout this evolution, our focus has remained constant: simplifying HR through thoughtful technology so organisations can focus more on people, not processes.
“Our deep expertise in compliance is a key differentiator. We’ve invested years in ensuring businesses stay current with changing laws and confident as they scale.”
Girish Rowjee, Co-founder & CEO
HRKatha: Your platform processes payroll for 3 million employees monthly with 99.5% uptime. What technological architecture enables such reliability at this scale?
Sayeed: We’ve built a cloud-native, microservices-based platform designed to handle complexity without compromising speed or stability. We operate on a multi-cloud infrastructure, leveraging AWS and Google Cloud to ensure high availability and geographic redundancy.
Our use of containerisation and orchestration lets us scale individual components independently, isolate potential issues and respond quickly to changing demands. We’ve implemented advanced load balancing and automated failover mechanisms so disruptions in one part don’t affect the entire platform.
For maintaining uptime and performance, we rely on real-time monitoring and continuous data replication, enabling us to proactively detect and resolve issues before they impact customers.
This architecture enables us to consistently deliver 99.5 per cent uptime while processing payroll for over 3 million employees each month. More importantly, it ensures every business – whether a small startup or large enterprise – can rely on greytHR for their critical HR operations.
HRKatha: You serve businesses across 25 countries. What were the biggest technological challenges in creating a truly adaptable HRMS that works across different regulatory environments?
Sayeed: Building an HRMS that works across multiple countries meant solving for regulatory compliance, localisation and scalability – without adding complexity for users.
Every country has its labour laws, payroll structures and HR processes. The key challenge was designing a system to handle these variations while offering a consistent, intuitive experience.
Staying current with changing regulations has been crucial. We’ve built compliance into the platform’s core, with regular statutory updates so customers remain audit-ready without the stress of manual tracking.
Localisation meant understanding how HR works not just legally, but culturally. From leave policies to formats and processes, the platform adapts to local needs while keeping the user experience simple. We support payroll calculations in local currencies, enabling organisations to manage compensation across geographies efficiently.
Security and privacy have been equally critical. We follow global best practices – encryption, role-based access and audit readiness – and align with standards like ISO 27001 and SOC 2 to give customers confidence to scale.
From the early stages, we’ve focused on building for adaptability – so businesses can grow across regions without outgrowing their HR technology.
HRKatha: greytHR serves diverse businesses from startups to mid-sized enterprises. How do you ensure the platform remains relevant across this segment with varying HR needs and maturity levels?
Girish: We’ve always believed good HR tech should be accessible, adaptable and scalable. Our platform serves both fast-growing startups and complex medium enterprises without compromising on performance, usability or compliance.
For SMEs, priorities are simplicity, affordability and fast adoption. We deliver this through a modular, easy-to-configure HRMS that can be quickly deployed and scaled. Many of our 27,000+ customers are SMEs, and our focus on compliance-first automation, intuitive interfaces and mobile-first design ensures they can run HR operations efficiently, often with lean teams.
For mid-market enterprises, we support more complex workflows, integrations and security needs. Our cloud-native, API-driven architecture enables deep integration with enterprise systems, supports large volumes of employee data and provides advanced configurations without compromising speed or reliability.
What makes our approach effective is that every customer – regardless of size – gets access to the same core product built for scale and reliability. They can choose what they need through flexible pricing plans designed for different business stages. Whether it’s a small startup automating payroll or an enterprise managing operations across cities, greytHR adapts without adding complexity.
This balance comes from building for both breadth and depth, making the software highly configurable while keeping the end user central. Our mission is to make HR simpler for every organisation, regardless of where they are on their growth journey.
“What sets greytHR apart is our ability to combine affordability, functional depth and real business value – especially for growing businesses that need more than basic automation.”
HRKatha: You’ve introduced an AI chatbot. How are you strategically implementing AI to enhance HR processes without replacing human judgment?
Sayeed: I’m excited about unlocking AI’s full potential at greytHR. I see AI as a powerful enabler – especially for driving efficiency, responsiveness and scale in HR operations.
We believe AI should support HR, not replace it. It’s meant to reduce repetitive workload so HR teams can focus on what truly matters – people and strategy.
Our AI-powered chatbot helps employees get instant answers to routine queries without waiting on HR. It’s already used by hundreds of thousands of employees across our customer base, making everyday interactions faster and more efficient.
We’ve also embedded AI-driven recommendations in our Engage module. These help employees articulate feedback better and recognise peers more meaningfully – especially valuable in large or distributed teams. For HR, it surfaces sentiment trends and provides clearer visibility into engagement levels.
That said, we’re mindful of where AI should stop. Final decisions – especially those involving people – should always rest with humans. Our goal is to use AI to bring clarity, speed and efficiency to HR, while keeping judgment, empathy and context firmly in human hands.
HRKatha: The HR tech space is incredibly crowded. What truly differentiates greytHR from other HRMS solutions? How do you ensure your product remains a leader?
Girish: What sets greytHR apart is our ability to combine affordability, functional depth and real business value – especially for growing businesses that need more than basic automation.
We offer a true hire-to-retire platform that’s simple to adopt yet powerful in capability. From recruitment and onboarding to engagement, payroll, performance and exit – our platform covers every stage of the employee lifecycle without the overhead or complexity typically associated with full-suite solutions.
Our deep expertise in compliance is another key differentiator. We’ve invested years in ensuring businesses stay current with changing laws and confident as they scale.
Beyond our 50+ HR and payroll tools, what strengthens our offering is the broader ecosystem we’ve built. This includes a professional community, structured training academy, extensive compliance resources, ready-to-use templates and thought leadership through expert webinars and podcasts. Our goal isn’t just to automate tasks – it’s to help organisations run great HR functions.
We also recognise that adoption is often the biggest barrier. That’s why we focus not just on what we build, but how it’s implemented – with clear objectives, data readiness and internal champions who help teams make the shift confidently.
greytHR stands out because we solve real problems – with simplicity, at scale and with a genuine focus on people.
HRKatha: What key factors should HR professionals consider when selecting a new HRMS to ensure optimal results and positive business impact?
Sayeed: Selecting the right HRMS is a strategic, long-term decision that touches every aspect of your business. The platform should leverage modern technology, seamlessly integrating with existing tools while scaling alongside your organisation. A cloud-native, API-driven system provides the flexibility and agility required in today’s dynamic business environment.
Security is equally critical. With sensitive employee data at stake, your HRMS should employ robust safeguards like end-to-end encryption, multi-factor authentication and role-based access controls. These features protect information and ensure compliance with standards such as GDPR, SOC 2 and local regulations.
User experience is just as important. A mobile-first, intuitive interface transforms everyday HR tasks – whether applying for leave, accessing payslips or updating personal details – into effortless interactions. This focus on simplicity drives higher engagement and smoother adoption.
Ultimately, your HRMS should be built for continuous evolution. It’s not simply a tool but a dynamic partner that grows with your business. By choosing a provider committed to regular updates, strong customer support and relentless innovation, you ensure your HRMS becomes a strategic enabler, empowering HR leaders to make data-driven decisions and create lasting business impact.
HRKatha: You’ve created an impressive ecosystem beyond software, with greytHR Academy, Parichay webinars, greytribe community and greytFM Podcast. What inspired this holistic approach?
Girish: From the beginning, we recognised that HR’s role extends beyond operational efficiency – it’s about driving business success through people. While greytHR provides technology to streamline processes, we wanted to offer more than just software. We set out to help organisations run effective HR and Payroll departments, which meant equipping professionals with knowledge, insights and peer networks to navigate the evolving workplace.
This led us to build an HR ecosystem complementing our product. The greytHR Academy offers structured learning on HR best practices, payroll and compliance. Parichay webinars bring together leaders and experts to discuss trends and strategies. greytribe, our community platform, fosters peer-to-peer learning, while our award-winning greytFM podcast shares thought leadership and real-world experiences. We also maintain the greytHR Compliance Wiki, a trusted repository of statutory information, alongside comprehensive resources for HR professionals.
What makes this ecosystem powerful is that it evolves based on real-world challenges and feedback. By combining technology with continuous learning and collaboration, we ensure greytHR is not just a software provider but a true partner in the success of HR professionals and their organisations.
HRKatha: What are the biggest challenges HR professionals face when adopting technology, and how does greytHR address these pain points?
Girish: One of the biggest challenges is getting people to shift from manual, familiar processes to digital ways of working. Even when teams know the benefits of automation, there’s often hesitation – usually because the new system feels too complex or the change seems too overwhelming.
Another major concern involves compliance and data security – especially for businesses handling sensitive employee information without dedicated legal or IT teams.
At greytHR, we’ve focused on making the transition feel manageable, not daunting. Our platform is simple, intuitive and designed with real HR workflows in mind. Most customers can get started quickly without extensive onboarding or technical support.
We also put compliance at our core, with built-in statutory updates, audit-ready reports and strong data security practices aligned with ISO 27001:2022, SOC 2 and GDPR readiness.
Ultimately, the challenge isn’t just adopting technology – it’s building confidence in it. That’s what we work towards daily: helping HR teams feel in control, supported and ready to take the next step.
HRKatha: With increasing emphasis on employee experience, how does greytHR help organisations create a more engaging and efficient HR environment?
Sayeed: At greytHR, we believe employee experience starts with removing friction from everyday HR interactions. Our full-suite HRMS simplifies everything from payroll and compliance to leave, attendance, performance management and workforce analytics, enabling HR teams to focus more on people than processes.
A seamless self-service experience is central to our approach. Our mobile app, with over a million downloads, empowers employees to apply for leave, mark attendance, access payslips, submit IT declarations, raise queries, request documents and even submit resignations – anytime, anywhere. Attendance can be recorded through online check-ins, facial recognition, geofencing or biometric integrations, offering flexibility across work environments.
We also enable continuous engagement and performance. Our Engage module includes polls, surveys, feedback and kudos, enabling organisations to gather real-time insights and recognise employees, fostering a more connected workforce. Additionally, our performance management tools help track goals, reviews and feedback, ensuring continuous growth and alignment with business objectives.
By unifying automation, mobility, engagement and performance in one platform, greytHR helps organisations build an HR environment that’s not just efficient but truly employee-centric.
HRKatha: What’s next for greytHR? Can you share any upcoming features or expansion plans for the next 2-3 years?
Girish: In the coming years, our focus will be on two key priorities: expanding our global footprint and continuously enhancing the platform to stay ahead of HR’s evolution.
To support global expansion, we’re strengthening our multi-country payroll and compliance capabilities, enabling organisations to manage local regulations easily as they scale across regions.
On the product side, we’re working daily to make the experience more intuitive and impactful. A major focus is our mobile experience – enabling employees to handle routine HR tasks effortlessly, whether marking attendance, checking payslips or accessing documents, all from their phones.
We’re also enhancing our performance management suite to support continuous feedback and development. Additionally, we’re exploring how AI can support HR teams beyond basic automation. We already offer an AI-powered chatbot for routine queries and have introduced AI-driven recommendations in our Engage module to strengthen employee experience.
Our vision remains consistent: to make HR simpler, smarter and more impactful – with tools that are intuitive, flexible and ready for the future of work.
HRKatha: If you could give one piece of advice to HR leaders considering digital transformation, what would it be?
Girish: Treat digital transformation as a journey – not a one-time project. It’s about taking thoughtful, steady steps that align with your people and business goals. Start with a platform that’s scalable, flexible and easy to adopt – something that simplifies what you’re already doing without overwhelming your teams.
Look for technology that’s cloud-native, API-friendly and built with compliance and usability in mind. But just as important as the platform is the mindset. Focus on enabling your people. Ensure your HR teams are supported, trained and confident to lead the change. Communication plays a crucial role – transformation sticks when everyone understands the “why” behind it.
Digital transformation in HR isn’t just about automation – it’s about creating space for HR to focus on what truly matters: building better experiences, responding faster and driving impact across the organisation.
