Short answer: In 2026, a penetration test for a single business web application in India typically costs about ₹40,000 to ₹1.5 lakh. Network, mobile, API and cloud tests each have their own ranges (table below). The final price depends on scope: how many applications, user roles, IP addresses and environments are tested, and how much of the work is manual. A quote far below ₹25,000 for a full web application is usually an automated scan with a cover page, not a real penetration test.
Penetration Testing Cost in India: Typical Price Ranges (2026)
These are indicative market ranges compiled from pricing guides that Indian VAPT providers published in 2026 (sources at the end of this post). They are not a PS INFOSEC rate card. Use them to sanity-check any quote you receive, including ours.
| What is being tested | Typical range (INR) | Typical testing time |
| Web application (single app, moderate size) | ₹40,000 – ₹1,50,000 | 5–10 working days |
| Mobile app (per platform: Android or iOS) | ₹50,000 – ₹1,80,000 | 6–10 working days |
| API (standalone) | ₹40,000 – ₹1,50,000 | 4–8 working days |
| External network (internet-facing IPs) | ₹30,000 – ₹1,20,000 | 4–7 working days |
| Internal network / Active Directory | ₹60,000 – ₹3,00,000 | 7–15 working days |
| Cloud configuration review (per environment) | ₹50,000 – ₹1,50,000 | Depends on environment size |
Complex or enterprise-scale engagements (many user roles, several integrations, large Active Directory estates, or regulator-format reports) can go well beyond these ranges. Published enterprise-tier figures start around ₹3 lakh and reach ₹15 lakh or more. Reporting and retesting usually add 2–3 working days on top of testing time.
What Actually Decides the Price of a Penetration Test
Testers price in person-days, not tool licences. Six things move the number most:
1. Scope size
The number of applications, endpoints, IP addresses and cloud accounts being tested. Network testing scales with live hosts, not the number of IPs on paper.
2. User roles and business logic
Every user role multiplies the authorisation tests. A web app with two roles and one with eight roles are very different jobs even if they look alike from outside. If nobody asks how many roles your application has, nobody is planning to test access control properly.
3. Testing approach
Black-box (no inside knowledge), grey-box (test accounts provided) or white-box (code and architecture shared). Grey-box usually finds more per day, which is why many providers recommend it for web applications.
4. How much is manual
Automated scanning is cheap. Manual exploitation and business-logic testing is where both the cost and the value sit. See our guide on how to choose a penetration testing company in India for the questions to ask.
5. Report format and compliance needs
A report for your own team is simpler than one that must satisfy an auditor, a customer’s vendor questionnaire, ISO 27001, SOC 2 or a regulator. Audit-ready evidence takes more effort to produce.
6. Retesting and timeline
Whether a retest after fixes is included (and how many rounds), and whether you need the work done on a rush timeline.
Why a Very Cheap Penetration Test Is a Red Flag
One published Indian pricing guide puts the rule of thumb plainly: a quote under roughly ₹25,000 for a full web application is almost always automated scanner output with a new cover page (TCSA, 2026). Watch for these signs:
- A price is quoted before anyone asks about your scope, roles or environments.
- The sample report is a raw list of CVEs with no proof-of-concept or business impact.
- The provider won’t show a redacted sample report.
- Retesting after you fix the issues is charged separately or not offered.
To be fair, a low-cost automated scan can be a sensible first look at a small brochure website. It just shouldn’t be bought, or accepted, as a penetration test for an audit or a customer requirement.
Vulnerability Assessment Cost vs Penetration Testing Cost
A vulnerability assessment scans for known weaknesses and validates what it finds. A penetration test goes further and exploits those weaknesses to show real impact. One Indian provider’s guide describes the effort difference as hours for a vulnerability assessment versus days per application for a penetration test (CyberSigma, 2026). That is why a vulnerability assessment usually costs less.
| Vulnerability assessment | Penetration test | |
| What it does | Scans for known weaknesses and validates findings | Actively exploits weaknesses to prove impact |
| Effort | Hours | Days per application |
| Typical use | Regular checks (monthly or quarterly) | Annually, before launch, or when an auditor or customer asks |
| Relative cost | Lower | Higher |
Many businesses use both: frequent vulnerability assessments to catch new issues, and a penetration test once a year, before a major launch, or whenever a customer or auditor asks for one.
Penetration Testing Cost for Businesses in Pune, Mumbai and Dhule
Price depends on scope, not on city. PS INFOSEC works with businesses in Pune, Mumbai, Dhule and across India, and most testing is done remotely, so location rarely changes the price. What does differ is what businesses in each place usually need first.
Pune: IT services, SaaS and product companies
Companies in tech clusters such as Hinjewadi, Baner and Kharadi typically start with a web application plus its API, and often add a cloud configuration review. The trigger is usually a customer security questionnaire or an ISO 27001 or SOC 2 audit. A web application and API test is the common first scope, with a cloud security assessment added when the product runs on AWS, Azure or GCP.
Mumbai: banks, NBFCs, fintechs and broking firms
Financial-services businesses work under RBI and SEBI expectations, and reports must be audit-ready (executive summary, CVSS-scored findings, remediation plan, retest evidence). That affects both scope and price. If your regulator, tender or customer specifically requires a CERT-In empanelled auditor, confirm that with the vendor and check their listing on CERT-In’s official site before you sign. Tell us the exact wording of your requirement at the scoping call and we will say plainly whether we are the right fit.
Dhule and North Maharashtra: MSMEs and growing local businesses
Manufacturing and trading units, agro-processing businesses, local finance and co-operatives, colleges and growing online sellers are often asked for a security review for the first time, by a bank, a bigger customer or a vendor form. Most don’t need an enterprise-size test. A starter scope, such as the website or web application plus the external network, is usually enough to get a documented report and a clear fix list. Being outside a metro adds no price premium for remote testing, and on-site work, where needed, is scoped separately.
Is Penetration Testing Worth the Cost?
Compare the price of a test with what a breach costs. IBM’s 2026 India report puts the average cost of a data breach in India at ₹25.5 crore, and found offensive security testing (penetration testing and red teaming) to be the largest cost-reducing factor, associated with average savings of ₹2.47 crore per breach (IBM India newsroom). Those are averages across surveyed organizations, not a guarantee for any single business.
Many smaller firms are still early on this. A 2026 survey of Indian SMEs found 84% plan to increase cybersecurity spending, yet 46% put less than 5% of their IT budget into it (CIOL report on the TTBS–CMR study). For a small business, cybersecurity pricing is usually per project (a one-off test) or monthly (ongoing monitoring), and a scoped first test is the cheapest way to learn where you actually stand.
How to Get an Accurate Penetration Testing Quote
Share these six things and any provider can quote you properly:
- List what is in scope: web applications and URLs, mobile apps, APIs, IP ranges, cloud accounts.
- Count the user roles in each application (for example admin, staff, customer).
- Say whether testing will run on production or a staging copy, and whether a WAF sits in front.
- State why you need the test: your own assurance, a customer, an auditor or a regulator, and the report format required.
- Give your deadline.
- Ask whether a retest after fixes is included and how many rounds.
How PS INFOSEC Quotes and Delivers Penetration Testing
We don’t publish a flat price list, because a fair quote depends on your scope. Every engagement starts with a scoping call. A consultant manually tests your systems (not just automated scanning). You receive a report with an executive summary, CVSS-scored findings with proof-of-concept evidence and a prioritized remediation roadmap, and a retest once your team has fixed the issues. For wider coverage in one project, see our Enterprise Cybersecurity Assessment.
Request a scoped penetration testing quote or message us on WhatsApp. Send the six points above and we will reply with a scope and price, not a generic brochure.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a penetration test cost in India?
Most single-application tests fall between ₹40,000 and ₹1.5 lakh in 2026, with network, mobile, API and cloud tests in their own bands (see the table above). Complex or enterprise-scale work costs more. The exact figure depends on scope, number of user roles, testing depth and reporting needs.
Why do penetration testing quotes vary so much for the same application?
Because the work behind two quotes can be very different. One may be a few hours of automated scanning; the other may be several days of manual testing with business-logic checks, a compliance-ready report and a retest. Compare scope, method and deliverables, not just the price.
Is a ₹10,000–₹25,000 penetration test worth it?
For a full web application, usually not. Providers who publish pricing treat quotes in this range as automated scan output. It can work as a first look at a very small site, but it won’t satisfy an auditor or a customer who asked for a penetration test.
How much does a vulnerability assessment cost compared with a penetration test?
A vulnerability assessment usually costs less because the effort is measured in hours rather than days per application. The exact price depends on the number of assets scanned. Many organizations run vulnerability assessments often and penetration tests periodically.
Is penetration testing cheaper in Dhule than in Pune or Mumbai?
Not meaningfully. Remote testing is priced by scope, not by city. A smaller business in Dhule simply tends to have a smaller scope, so the total is often lower.
How long does a penetration test take?
A typical web application or API test takes about 5–10 working days of testing plus 2–3 days for reporting. Internal network tests can take up to about three weeks for larger environments.
Is a retest included in the price?
At PS INFOSEC, yes: once your team fixes the findings, we retest to confirm they are closed. Always confirm this, and how many retest rounds are included, before you compare quotes.
Final Takeaway
Penetration testing in India costs anywhere from a few tens of thousands to several lakh rupees, and the difference is almost entirely scope, depth and how much is manual. Share your scope, ask what you will receive, and be wary of any quote that skips both. When you are ready, get a scoped quote from PS INFOSEC.