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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

HCL

Software Engineer · ₹4.5L–₹9L

HCL TechBee + campus route: know your track

ICICI

Service

Software Engineer / IT Analyst · ₹5L–₹9L

Banking IT: no equity, but stable employment; domain knowledge of BFSI systems valued

Tech Mahindra

Service

Software Engineer · ₹4L–₹7L

ELP (Entry Level Programme): 90-day notice, ₹50K bond penalty

Mphasis

Service

Software Engineer · ₹4L–₹7L

Blackstone ownership since 2016: stable employer, moderate pay

Deloitte

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Analyst / SWE

USI vs. Deloitte Consulting: very different comp

OYO

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Software Engineer

Pre-IPO ESOP: OYO IPO timeline uncertain; verify ESOP liquidity before signing

Rapido

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Software Engineer

Pre-IPO ESOP: Rapido raised Series E in 2024; IPO timeline not announced

McKinsey

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Strategy Consultant

Base is fixed for MBA entry: negotiate bonus target and early performance review cycle

BCG

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Strategy Consultant

BCG bonus ceiling highest among MBB: negotiate performance-bonus cap explicitly at offer stage

Bain

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Strategy Consultant

Bain India bonus ceiling highest in MBB globally: benchmark against McKinsey before signing

OpenAI

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AI Engineer / Researcher

Research-paper quality bar: fewer than 20 India hires per year; LeetCode prep is insufficient

Anthropic

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AI Engineer / Researcher

Remote India hires only: SF-anchored bands; safety alignment focus is a differentiator

Optiver

–

Quantitative Researcher / Trader

Pure cash HFT: similar comp profile to Tower Research but derivatives-specialist focus

Millennium Management

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Quantitative Analyst

Multi-strategy hedge fund: pure cash + PnL bonus; Bengaluru office is a quant research centre

Barclays

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Software Engineer

Barclays Pune GCC is a mid-tier finance employer: RSU + role scope is the negotiation lever

Upstox

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Software Engineer

Pre-IPO ESOP (RKSV group): Upstox IPO expected but not filed; discount ESOP accordingly

Perplexity

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AI Engineer / Researcher

SF-anchored RSU: latest valuation $14B (2025); India remote hires in AI research and backend

Krutrim

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AI Engineer / Researcher

Ola spinoff (Bhavish Aggarwal): ESOP credibility linked to Ola group trajectory; India-first AI mission

BigBasket

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Software Engineer

Tata-group RSU: listed via Tata Digital parent; compensation below pure-play unicorns

Blinkit

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Software Engineer

Zomato-group RSU (listed on NSE): RSU credibility solid post-Zomato IPO; comp below Zepto

Netflix

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Software Engineer

Netflix India is a tiny, elite team: pay is among the highest in India; mid starts at ₹65L

EY India

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Consultant

Big 4 cash-only: no equity at EY India; comp below MBB but broader roles across audit, tax, advisory

KPMG India

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Consultant

Big 4 cash-only: KPMG India; audit + advisory; below EY avg at senior consultant level

PwC India

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Consultant

Big 4 cash-only: PwC India; strong tax and deals practice; advisory similar to EY/KPMG

Mamaearth

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Software Engineer

Honasa Consumer RSU (NSE listed): Mamaearth parent; listed equity but small tech team

boAt

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Software Engineer

Pre-IPO ESOP: boAt (Imagine Marketing) IPO pending; ESOP credibility moderate; consumer electronics

Wakefit

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Software Engineer

Pre-IPO ESOP: Wakefit; D2C furniture; smaller tech team; credibility tied to eventual IPO

Axis Bank

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Relationship Manager

Listed NSE/BSE: Axis Bank; retail banking and RM roles dominate hiring; no standard SWE grade data

Kotak Mahindra Bank

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Relationship Manager

Listed NSE: Kotak Mahindra; strong wealth management and retail banking franchise; RM pay above Axis

Cashfree Payments

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Software Engineer

Pre-IPO ESOP: Cashfree; payment gateway; no entry band data; mid starts at ₹18L

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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.