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Salary Guides · India 2026

Know the number before the offer.

CTC ranges across India's top companies, from TCS to Goldman Sachs, freshers to senior engineers.

In-demand salary searches

Qualcomm India

Software Engineer · ₹16L–₹25L

QCOM RSU (NASDAQ): semiconductor premium; Hyderabad is India's largest chip-design hub

Acko Insurance

Startup

Software Engineer · ₹9L–₹25L

Pre-IPO ESOP: Acko; insurtech; wide entry range ₹9–25L reflects very junior vs. campus hire spread

MediaTek India

Startup

Software Engineer · ₹16L–₹24L

MediaTek RSU: Taiwan-headquartered semiconductor; India team focuses on SoC and connectivity chipsets

SAP Labs India

Startup

Software Engineer · ₹15L–₹24L

SAP SE RSU: Germany's largest software co; Bengaluru is largest India engineering hub

Scaler Academy

Startup

Software Engineer · ₹16L–₹24L

Ed-tech/coding bootcamp: powers InterviewBit; Tiger Global-backed; ESOP

CleverTap

Startup

Software Engineer · ₹16L–₹24L

Mobile analytics SaaS: 2,000+ global apps; ESOP; Mumbai HQ; Tiger Global-backed

Target India (TCI)

Startup

Software Engineer · ₹14L–₹24L

US retail GCC Bengaluru; NYSE; RSU; data science + supply chain engineering

JPMorgan Chase

Startup

Software Engineer · ₹14L–₹22L

No RSU at India offices: compensation is base + annual bonus

Nykaa

Startup

Software Engineer · ₹14L–₹22L

FSN RSU listed on NSE: check stock trajectory before ESOP value estimates

BrowserStack

Startup

Software Engineer · ₹17L–₹22L

Bootstrapped and profitable: fixed-heavy offers; ESOP is real but modest vs VC-backed peers

BharatPe

Startup

Software Engineer · ₹14L–₹22L

Pre-IPO ESOP: BharatPe; fintech SME lending and payments; ESOP credibility moderate at Series F

Ola Cabs

Startup

Software Engineer · ₹14L–₹22L

Pre-IPO ESOP: Ola Cabs (ANI Technologies); post-restructure; ESOP credibility tied to potential IPO

Samsung R&D India

Startup

Software Engineer · ₹14L–₹22L

Samsung R&D India: Korean chaebol RSU; Bengaluru is Samsung's largest India R&D centre

Juspay

Startup

Software Engineer · ₹14L–₹22L

Payments infra: powers BHIM and Amazon Pay; Haskell-first backend; strong eng bar

Fi Money

Startup

Software Engineer · ₹14L–₹22L

Neo-bank on Federal Bank rails: ESOP; strong engineering team ex-Google, Flipkart

PolicyBazaar

Startup

Software Engineer · ₹14L–₹22L

Listed (NSE: POLICYBZR): RSU liquid; insurance + lending marketplace at scale

Navi Technologies

Startup

Software Engineer · ₹14L–₹22L

Sachin Bansal (ex-Flipkart) fintech: health insurance + loans; ESOP pre-IPO

MoneyView

Startup

Software Engineer · ₹14L–₹22L

Personal finance unicorn: credit scoring + loans; ESOP at $1B+ valuation

Fibe

Startup

Software Engineer · ₹14L–₹22L

Salary-advance fintech (EarlySalary renamed Fibe): Pune HQ; ESOP pre-IPO

Darwinbox

Startup

Software Engineer · ₹14L–₹22L

HCM SaaS (HR platform): 700+ enterprises; ESOP unicorn; Hyderabad HQ

InMobi

Startup

Software Engineer · ₹14L–₹22L

Mobile ad platform: Glance, Roposo portfolio; ESOP; Bengaluru; SoftBank-backed

Udaan

Startup

Software Engineer · ₹14L–₹22L

B2B commerce unicorn: $3B valuation; ESOP; supply chain + trade financing tech

Moglix

Startup

Software Engineer · ₹14L–₹22L

B2B industrial marketplace: $2.6B valuation; ESOP; manufacturing supply chain tech

Licious

Startup

Software Engineer · ₹14L–₹22L

D2C meat unicorn: cold-chain logistics tech; ESOP; first Indian FMCG-tech D2C unicorn

Rebel Foods

Startup

Software Engineer · ₹14L–₹22L

Cloud kitchen unicorn: Faasos, Behrouz brands; ESOP; Mumbai HQ; IPO aspirant

Purplle

Startup

Software Engineer · ₹14L–₹22L

Beauty marketplace D2C: Goldman Sachs-backed; ESOP; Mumbai; AI recommendations

Gupshup

Startup

Software Engineer · ₹14L–₹22L

Conversational AI unicorn: WhatsApp Business API leader; ESOP; $1.4B valuation

Plivo

Startup

Software Engineer · ₹14L–₹22L

Profitable CPaaS: bootstrapped and cash-flow positive; ESOP; Bengaluru HQ

INDmoney

Startup

Software Engineer · ₹14L–₹22L

Wealth super-app: US stocks for India investors; ESOP unicorn; Gurugram HQ

Niyo Solutions

Startup

Software Engineer · ₹14L–₹22L

Neo-bank: zero forex card popular with travelers; blue-collar payroll; ESOP; Bengaluru

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Salary FAQs

What is a good salary for a software engineer fresher in India in 2026?

For freshers in India in 2026, salary ranges by company tier: Service companies (TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Cognizant): ₹3.5–7 LPA depending on track. Mid-tier product companies (Freshworks, Zoho, LTIMindtree): ₹6–12 LPA. Indian startups and unicorns (Razorpay, PhonePe, Meesho, CRED): ₹15–30 LPA. FAANG India campuses (Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta) from IIT/NIT: ₹35–60 LPA all-in. These are total CTC figures including variable pay and benefits.

What components make up a software engineer's CTC in India?

Indian tech CTC typically has 4–6 components: (1) Fixed base salary, the guaranteed monthly component. (2) Variable pay, a performance bonus typically 10–20% of base at service companies and 15–30% at product companies. (3) Joining bonus, a one-time payment common when buying out notice period. (4) ESOPs or RSUs, equity at Series B+ startups and public companies, vesting over 4 years with a 1-year cliff. (5) Employer PF contribution, 12% of basic, excluded from gross CTC at some companies. (6) Other allowances such as HRA, transport, and food. Total CTC is the full cost to company; in-hand salary is significantly lower.

How accurate are AmbitionBox and Glassdoor salary figures for Indian companies?

AmbitionBox and Glassdoor India salary data is directionally accurate but has known biases: (1) Self-reporting bias, where employees who are especially happy or unhappy with their salaries over-represent the dataset. (2) Vintage lag, since salary data can be 1–3 years old in fast-moving markets. (3) Variable exclusion, as many self-reported figures exclude variable pay, ESOPs, and joining bonuses. HireStepX sources primarily from AmbitionBox, with Glassdoor as a secondary cross-check where available, and labels each entry with a verification date.

How much can I negotiate above the initial offer in Indian tech?

For most Indian tech companies, counter-offering 15–25% above the initial offer is the standard negotiation range. Service companies (TCS, Infosys, Wipro) have compressed negotiation room for freshers, typically 5–10%. Product startups and unicorns have more room, 15–25% on base, with additional room on joining bonus, ESOPs, and variable cap. FAANG companies in India have structured bands; negotiation works best by requesting the higher end of the band rather than exceeding it. Knowing your BATNA (Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement) before the call is essential.