How to Set Up a 100-Seat Office in 7 Days

Your company has just won a new client contract. Or your GCC has greenlit Coimbatore as a satellite location. Or your leadership team has decided to expand operations by 100 people in the next quarter. The decision is made. Now you need an office.

Here is where most enterprises hit the wall.

A traditional commercial lease in India takes 6 to 12 months from site identification to employees sitting at desks. By the time you negotiate the lease, complete the fit-out, install IT infrastructure, handle statutory compliance, and furnish the space, the business opportunity that created the urgency may have passed.

This article breaks down exactly how a 100-seat enterprise office can go from signed agreement to fully operational workspace in 7 days — with zero CAPEX, no construction risk, and complete compliance readiness. This is not theoretical. This is the operational model that has been deployed at Innovspace across three enterprise locations in Coimbatore since 2017.

The Enterprise Office Setup Problem: Why Speed Matters

Speed is not a luxury in enterprise operations. It is a competitive weapon. Consider what happens during the months a traditional office setup consumes:

• Revenue delay: Every month without an operational office is a month of revenue-generating capacity sitting idle. For a 100-seat GCC with per-seat revenue contribution of ₹2–3 lakh annually, a 6-month delay represents ₹1–1.5 crore in unrealised revenue.
• Talent leakage: Offer letters issued without a confirmed office location create anxiety. Candidates — especially experienced mid-level professionals — drop out when joining dates keep shifting. In competitive hiring markets, a 90-day delay between offer and onboarding can result in 15–25% offer declines.
• Capital lockup: Traditional fit-outs require ₹2,500–5,000 per sqft in CAPEX — for a 100-seat office (approximately 10,000–15,000 sqft), that is ₹2.5–7.5 crore locked in leasehold improvements that depreciate the moment they are installed. This capital could be deployed toward hiring, technology, or product development instead.
• Operational complexity: Managing 8–15 vendors simultaneously (architect, contractor, furniture supplier, IT integrator, electrician, plumber, security systems, fire safety, signage, housekeeping, pantry services) creates a project management burden that most operations teams are not staffed to handle alongside their core responsibilities.

The question is not whether you can afford to set up an office quickly. The question is whether you can afford the cost of setting one up slowly.

Three Models Compared: Traditional Lease vs Turnkey vs EaaS

Enterprise office setup in India follows three distinct models. Understanding the differences is essential for making the right choice.

The EaaS (Expansion-as-a-Service) model is not simply a faster version of a managed office. It is a fundamentally different approach — where workspace becomes an operational service rather than a real estate commitment. The provider absorbs the CAPEX, manages all operational complexity, and delivers a guaranteed deployment timeline backed by contractual SLAs.

The 7-Day Timeline: Day-by-Day Deployment Breakdown

This timeline is based on the actual operational deployment sequence for a 100-seat enterprise managed office. Each day has defined deliverables, responsible parties, and verification gates.

Key deliverables: Signed agreement. Confirmed seat count and configuration. Location locked. IT requirements captured (internet bandwidth, VPN needs, server room specs, power backup requirements). Compliance requirements listed (STPI registration, GST, PF/ESI). Branding requirements noted.

Key deliverables: Final floor plan approved. Workstation placement map. Network topology designed. Internet ISP activation initiated (pre-existing circuits in managed office buildings eliminate the typical 15–30 day ISP lead time). Power load calculation completed. Access control zones defined.

Key deliverables: 100 workstations installed and tested (chair, desk, power, LAN port per station). Meeting rooms operational (minimum 2 for 100-seat office). Executive cabins ready. Pantry equipped. Branding installed. Fire safety compliance documented.

Key deliverables: All 100 workstations with verified internet. Wi-Fi coverage map validated. Access control operational. CCTV recording. Compliance documentation package. IT infrastructure acceptance certificate prepared for client sign-off.

Key deliverables:Signed handover certificate. Operations go-live. Facility manager assigned. SLA framework activated (response time commitments for maintenance, IT support, housekeeping). 24/7 security operational. Client employees begin working.

What Makes 7-Day Deployment Possible: The EaaS Model

A 7-day deployment is not magic. It is the result of specific architectural choices that pre-solve the problems traditional office setup encounters.

Pre-built inventory, not build-to-order: The single biggest reason traditional setups take months is construction. When you lease bare shell space, everything from false ceiling to flooring to electrical wiring must be built from scratch. In the EaaS model, the workspace provider has already invested the CAPEX to build and maintain ready-to-deploy enterprise floors. The infrastructure exists before the client arrives. This eliminates the 3–6 month construction phase entirely.

Pre-provisioned IT backbone: Traditional offices require the tenant to negotiate with ISPs (15–30 day lead time), procure networking equipment, hire an IT integrator, and commission the network. In an EaaS facility, internet circuits are already active, LAN cabling is pre-installed, Wi-Fi infrastructure is in place, and UPS/power backup is operational. The deployment task reduces from “build the network” to “configure the network for this client.”

Operational team in place: The provider’s facility management team, housekeeping staff, security personnel, and maintenance crew are already employed and trained. The client does not need to hire, train, or manage any of these functions. This eliminates the HR and operational setup that typically takes 4–8 weeks in a traditional model.

Compliance framework pre-established: STPI registration, fire safety certification, building occupancy permits, and facility licenses are the provider’s responsibility in the EaaS model. The client’s compliance requirements (company-specific GST, PF/ESI) are supported with documentation and process guidance, but the physical facility compliance is already in place.

Single contract, single provider: Instead of coordinating 8–15 vendors with separate contracts, timelines, and accountability structures, the client signs one agreement with one provider who is accountable for the entire workspace experience. This collapses project management complexity from a 6-month construction programme to a 7-day deployment checklist.

The Hidden Costs of Slow Office Setup

Most cost comparisons between managed offices and traditional leases focus on the per-seat monthly rate. This misses the most significant costs — the ones that do not appear on a rent invoice.

When you sum the visible and hidden costs, a traditional 100-seat office setup can consume ₹4–10 crore in Year 1 (CAPEX + revenue delay + talent leakage + PM overhead + deposit lockup). The EaaS model converts this entire burden into a predictable monthly operating expense of ₹4–7 lakh per month (₹4,000–7,000 per seat). The financial calculus is not just about saving money — it is about preserving optionality and deploying capital where it generates the highest return.

Enterprise Office Setup Checklist: Everything You Need

Whether you choose the EaaS model or a traditional setup, use this checklist to ensure nothing is missed. Items marked [EaaS: Included] are handled by the provider in the Expansion-as-a-Service model.

FAQs: Enterprise Office Setup