Know the number before the offer.

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.

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.

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.

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.