Zoho People + Keka/GreytHR Migration: Moving Indian HRMS Data to Zoho

Q: Is historical payroll data from Keka usable in Zoho Payroll?

Historical payroll data cannot be reprocessed in Zoho Payroll, but prior year-to-date figures must be entered as opening balances for accurate Form 16 generation. Archive all historical payslips as PDFs in Zoho WorkDrive and enter TDS deducted and PF contributions as previous employer details in Zoho Payroll.

Migrating from Keka or GreytHR to Zoho People is a common project for Indian companies outgrowing their first HR software. Both Keka and GreytHR are well-adopted platforms for Indian payroll compliance, but companies switching to the Zoho ecosystem often need Zoho People as their central HRMS to integrate tightly with Zoho CRM, Zoho Payroll, and Zoho Books. This guide covers the complete migration from Keka to Zoho People or GreytHR to Zoho People: what to export, how to map data, import sequences, leave balance transfer, and a cutover checklist for zero-disruption go-live.

Why Indian Companies Migrate to Zoho People

The most common reasons Indian companies move from Keka or GreytHR to Zoho People include:

Zoho ecosystem integration: Companies already using Zoho CRM, Zoho Books, or Zoho One want a single-vendor HR system that connects without middleware. Zoho People integrates natively with all other Zoho apps.
Cost consolidation: Zoho One bundles Zoho People with 40+ other apps, making standalone Keka or GreytHR licences redundant once a company commits to the Zoho ecosystem.
Custom module flexibility: Zoho People allows custom modules, forms, and workflows through its low-code builder, which many growing companies find more flexible than Keka’s fixed structure.
Global expansion: Companies with offshore teams or international employees find Zoho People’s multi-currency and multi-geography support easier to manage than Keka’s India-first architecture.

Phase 1: Pre-Migration Audit and Data Export

Before touching Zoho People, complete a thorough audit of your current system. The goal is to know exactly what data exists, what is clean enough to migrate, and what should be left in archive-only mode.

Data to Export from Keka

From your Keka Admin panel, export the following categories. Keka provides bulk CSV exports for most of these under HR > Reports and Payroll > Reports:

Data Category	Keka Export Location	Format	Migration Priority
Employee master data	HR > Reports > Employee	CSV	Critical
Department and designation hierarchy	Settings > Organization	Manual copy	Critical
Leave balances (current year)	Leave > Reports > Balance	CSV	Critical
Leave transactions (history)	Leave > Reports > Transactions	CSV	Optional
Attendance records	Attendance > Reports	CSV	Archive only
Payroll history (payslips)	Payroll > Payslips	PDF bulk export	Archive only
Salary structures	Payroll > Salary Structures	Manual document	Recreate in Zoho
Employee documents	HR > Documents	ZIP download	Upload to Zoho WorkDrive

Data to Export from GreytHR

GreytHR export paths differ slightly. Access most reports under Reports > Employee Reports and Reports > Payroll Reports. Notably, GreytHR’s leave balance export is under Leave > Reports > Leave Balance Statement, and you must select a specific “as of” date (use the migration go-live date).

Phase 2: Map Source Data to Zoho People Data Model

Zoho People organises employees differently from Keka and GreytHR. Before importing, map each source field to its Zoho People equivalent:

Keka / GreytHR Field	Zoho People Field	Module	Notes
Employee ID	Employee ID	Employee	Keep same if possible
Full Name	First Name + Last Name	Employee	Split into two fields
Date of Joining	Date of Joining	Employee	Format: DD/MM/YYYY
Department	Department	Employee	Must pre-create departments
Designation	Designation	Employee	Must pre-create designations
Reporting Manager	Reporting To	Employee	Import managers first
Work Location	Location	Employee	Must pre-create locations
PAN Number	PAN	Employee > Personal	Statutory compliance
Aadhaar Number	Aadhaar	Employee > Personal	Handle as sensitive data
Bank Account	Bank Details	Employee > Pay	Import separately
PF Number	PF Account Number	Employee > Statutory	EPF compliance field
ESI Number	ESI Number	Employee > Statutory	If applicable

Phase 3: Import Sequence in Zoho People

The import order matters. Zoho People validates references between records, so parent records must exist before child records can reference them. Follow this sequence precisely:

Configure Organisation Settings: Set your company name, GSTIN, PAN, registered address, and Indian payroll settings (PF/ESI thresholds, professional tax state).
Create Departments and Designations: Go to Settings > Organisation > Departments and create all departments from your export. Do the same for Designations.
Create Leave Types: In Leave > Leave Types, create leave types matching your source system (Earned Leave, Sick Leave, Casual Leave, and any company-specific types). Configure accrual rules and carry-forward policies to match your existing policy.
Import Managers First: If employees report to other employees, import senior employees first so the Reporting To field can reference them. Export your org chart and sort the CSV by level before import.
Import Employee Master Data: Use HR > Employees > Import. Map CSV columns to Zoho People fields. Run a test import with 5 records first to validate field mapping.
Import Leave Balances: After employees are imported, go to Leave > Leave Balance > Adjust Balance and use the bulk import CSV option. This is the most error-prone step — validate each employee’s balance against the source export.
Upload Documents: Upload employee documents (offer letters, ID proofs) to Zoho WorkDrive and link them in each employee’s Document tab.

Phase 4: Transfer Leave Balances

Leave balance migration is the most sensitive part of the project. Errors here directly affect employee payouts and morale.

Preparing the Balance Import CSV

Zoho People’s leave balance import CSV requires these columns:

Employee ID, Leave Type, Balance Type, Number of Days, Notes
EMP001, Earned Leave, Opening Balance, 12.5, Migrated from Keka
EMP001, Sick Leave, Opening Balance, 5, Migrated from Keka
EMP002, Earned Leave, Opening Balance, 8, Migrated from Keka

Key rules for the balance import:

Use the exact Leave Type name as configured in Zoho People (case-sensitive).
Set the balance as of your go-live date, not the financial year start. Any leave taken between the financial year start and go-live date must already be deducted from the balance in your export.
Half-day balances should be expressed as 0.5 increments (e.g., 12.5 days).
Verify the total balance for each employee matches the source system before finalising.

Phase 5: Payroll History and Zoho Payroll Setup

Historical payroll data from Keka or GreytHR cannot be processed retroactively in Zoho Payroll. Handle it this way:

Archive Payslips

Export all historical payslips as PDFs from Keka or GreytHR. Upload them to a structured folder in Zoho WorkDrive (organised by Financial Year > Month > Employee ID). Link the folder access to the HR team only.

Configure Zoho Payroll Opening Balances

In Zoho Payroll, for each employee, set:

Previous employer YTD earnings: Total gross paid in the current financial year from the previous system before migration.
Previous employer TDS deducted: TDS already deducted in the current financial year — critical for accurate Form 16 generation at year-end.
PF opening balances: Employee PF and Employer PF contributions made so far in the current year.

These values feed into the annual Form 16 computation, so accuracy is essential for statutory compliance.

Cutover Checklist

Run through this checklist on your go-live day:

All employees imported and validated (headcount matches source system)
Leave balances verified for 100% of employees
Zoho Payroll salary structures configured and test payroll run completed
PF, ESI, and professional tax settings validated against state rules
Employee self-service portal enabled and login credentials sent
Leave approval workflows configured and tested
Integration with Zoho CRM (if used) tested for employee data sync
Source system set to read-only (do not process new payroll in Keka/GreytHR after go-live)
HR team training completed

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I export all employee data from Keka before migrating to Zoho People?

Yes. Keka provides bulk export options for employee master data, leave balances, attendance records, and salary structure data from the Admin panel. Export each category as separate CSV files. Keka also provides payroll reports including monthly payslips and Form 16 as PDFs, which should be archived separately before migration. GreytHR offers similar exports under Reports.

How do I handle leave balance carry-forward in Zoho People?

Zoho People allows manual balance adjustment. After importing employees, use the Leave Balance Adjustment feature in Setup to upload a CSV with employee ID, leave type, and balance units. Map Keka or GreytHR leave type names to your configured Zoho People leave types before importing. Validate every employee’s balance against the source system export before go-live.

Does Zoho People support the same leave policies as Keka?

Zoho People supports configurable leave policies including earned leave accrual, sick leave, casual leave, compensatory off, and company-specific leave types. Most Keka and GreytHR leave configurations can be replicated in Zoho People. Complex encashment and carry-forward rules may need to be manually reconfigured in Zoho People’s Leave Settings after consulting the Zoho People documentation for your specific policy requirements.

How long does a typical Keka to Zoho People migration take?

For a company with 100-500 employees, the technical migration takes 2-4 weeks including data cleaning, import, and validation. Add 1-2 weeks for a parallel-run period where both systems remain active. Training and change management add another 1-2 weeks. Budget 6-8 weeks total for a complete cutover with minimal disruption to HR operations.

Is historical payroll data from Keka usable in Zoho Payroll?

Historical payroll data from Keka cannot be reprocessed in Zoho Payroll, but prior year-to-date figures must be entered as opening balances in Zoho Payroll for accurate Form 16 generation. Export all historical payslips from Keka as PDFs and archive them in Zoho WorkDrive. Enter TDS already deducted, PF contributions, and gross earnings for the current financial year as previous employer details in Zoho Payroll for each employee.

Migrating from Keka or GreytHR to Zoho People? Aaxonix manages end-to-end HRMS migrations for Indian companies with zero payroll disruption.

Talk to Our Migration Team