Over the last two decades, India’s information technology (IT) sector has experienced tremendous growth - in turnover, and corporate profits. This has obviously led to a massive increase in manpower too, creating jobs across the length and breadth of India. However, beneath the surface of this economic boom lies a disheartening reality: the entry-level salaries of engineers and graduates, placed from the campuses of India’s burgeoning engineering colleges, have not kept pace with not just the aspiration but even inflation. While these companies continue to flourish, the fresher placed from these engineering colleges, struggles to maintain a decent standard of living — a clear sign that salary growth has failed to reflect the real cost of living.
The registration for JEE Main 2026 Session 1 will close on November 27, 2025. Candidates should complete the application process and pay the fee by this date to be eligible for the January session engineering entrance exam.
This Story also Contains
India’s major IT companies — TCS, Infosys, Accenture, Cognizant, and Wipro — have seen a huge rise in employee numbers from 2010 to 2025, rising between 116% to 291% across the top 5 companies in the IT Services segment.
Company | Employees (2010) | Employees (2025) | Growth (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
Infosys | 1,27,779 | 3,23,578 | 153% |
TCS | 1,60,429 | 6,07,979 | 278% |
Wipro | 1,08,071 | 2,34,054 | 116% |
Cognizant | 1,04,000 | 3,36,300 | 223% |
Accenture | 2,04,000 | 7,99,000 | 291% |
India’s IT sector has become a magnet for job seekers, driven by booming demand for digital services. Yet, the same level of growth hasn’t translated to higher starting salaries.
Despite inflation and rising living expenses, the entry-level compensation has barely changed at India’s top IT firms over 15 years. We sourced the salaries offered for a similar role and position across two companies:
Role: Assistant Systems Engineer Trainee
2007: 3.15 LPA
2012: 3.16 LPA
2022: 3.36 LPA
2024: 2.95–3.36 LPA (depending on skill level)
Role: Systems Engineer Trainee
2010: 3.25 LPA
2018: 3.25 LPA
2022: 3.6 LPA
2024: 3.6 LPA
In both these companies, as is the case in every company that we examined, the salaries stagnated. And when you compare with inflation, they actually fell.
From 2010 to 2025, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) nearly doubled — rising from 100 to 197 — indicating a 97% increase in the cost of living. In contrast, entry-level salaries increased by just 49% to 60%, leading to a serious decline in real income.
Company | Year | Actual Salary (₹) | Inflation-Adjusted Salary (₹) | Shortfall (₹) | % Shortfall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
TCS (ASE) | 2007–2025 | 3,36,875 | 7,89,467 | 4,73,680 | 60% |
Infosys (SET) | 2010–2025 | 3,60,000 | 6,40,265 | 3,15,257 | 49% |
While salaries increased on paper, they fell in real value, leaving today’s freshers financially worse off than those 15 years ago.
It is not that the companies were struggling, that they did not even consider raising the salary to match it to inflation. While salaries stagnated, profits soared. This is the classic case of a sweat shop. These IT companies recorded massive profits — growing at rates of 400% to 800% from 2010 to 2025.
Company | FY 2010 Profit | FY 2025 Profit |
|---|---|---|
Infosys | ₹5,755 crore | ₹26,750 crore |
TCS | ₹7,001 crore | ₹48,553 crore |
Wipro | ₹4,003 crore | ₹13,500 crore |
Cognizant | $734 million | $2.5 billion |
Accenture | $1.78 billion | $7.68 billion |
Profits grew exponentially — but this wealth was not passed down to entry-level employees.
Adding to the woes, layoffs became increasingly common between FY23 and FY24, as many firms began reducing their headcounts:
Company | FY23 Headcount | FY24 Headcount | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
Infosys | 3,43,234 | 3,17,240 | -25,994 |
TCS | 6,14,795 | 6,01,546 | -13,249 |
Wipro | 2,48,813 | 2,34,054 | -14,759 |
Cognizant | 3,47,700 | 3,36,800 | -10,900 |
Accenture | 7,33,000 | 7,74,000 | +41,000 |
Most companies are downsizing while expecting more output from fewer people.
This massive recruitment from IT firms led to a mushrooming of engineering colleges and also an increased tuition fees being charged by these colleges. In 2010, a 4-year B.Tech degree from IITs cost around 2 lakh. By 2025, it has surged to 8 lakh — a 400% increase.
Average fees at top 10 private colleges rose from 2.75 lakh to 11.67 lakh (~324%).
Institute Type | 2010 Fee | 2025 Fee | Growth (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
IITs | ₹2 lakh | ₹8 lakh | ~400% |
Top 10 Private | ₹2.75 lakh | ₹11.67 lakh | ~324% |
Graduating with a B.Tech degree is now four times more expensive, yet starting salaries remain almost the same.
To provide a broader perspective, here’s a year-wise snapshot of the estimated starting salaries (CTC in LPA) for freshers across leading IT firms:
Year | TCS | Infosys | Wipro | Accenture | Cognizant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | 3.15 | 3.25 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
2011 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
2012 | 2.75 | 2.75 | 2.75 | 2.75 | 2.75 |
2013 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
2014 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
2015 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.15 | 3.35 |
2016 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.3 |
2017 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
2018 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
2019 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
2020 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
2021 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.6 |
2022 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.6 |
2023 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.6 |
2024 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 2.5 |
2025 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.6 |
The IT job landscape is now a recruiter's market — where job supply outpaces demand, and employers exploit the situation to increase profits, the education institutes continue to increase fees while the aspirational youth sink deeper into debt while being employed by low paying firms. While Inflation has nearly doubled since 2010, Real salaries for freshers have declined, not improved. Education costs quadrupled, but job compensation remained nearly stagnant.
All this led to education loans rising dramatically. A loan that could be repaid with a maximum of 1 year salary in 2010 now requires at least 8 years payback period to repay the same loan. Students are now increasingly burdened with education loans that they find it hard to repay.
This article is a clarion call for policymakers to consider how to create an ecosystem where cost of education doesn't outpace the salaries being offered for fresher graduates. It is a call for both companies and workers to share in India’s economic boom.
On Question asked by student community
Hey there,
Your OBC-NCL certificate will not be valid for the JEE Mains 2026 application as it is from June 2024. You can apply for a new one as soon as possible. For the JEE Mains, the OBC-NCL certificate should be issued on or after 1 April 2025.
And as for your Aadhar, the mistakes in your name and Date of Birth will be an issue during the document verification process. The details should match your 10th-class certificate. So you will also need to update it as soon as possible.
Hope it helps!!!
Hello Satyam,
Yes, your EWS certificate is valid.
In Bihar, the EWS certificate can be issued by the Circle Officer, BDO, SDO, or DM. So a certificate signed by the Circle Officer (Revenue Officer) is acceptable.
If the format of your certificate is the same as the Central Government EWS format, then it is valid for JEE Main registration and also for JoSAA counselling. The heading “Government of Bihar” does not create any problem.
Just remember one point:
For
JoSAA 2026
, you will need an EWS certificate issued on or after 1 April 2025. Even if your current certificate works for registration, you must update it before counselling.
Hope it helps !
Hello murali
No, your son is not eligible for OBC NCL for IIT JEE because you fall in the "creamy layer" occupational category, regardless of your current employment status or family income. Students whose family income is less than Rs. 8 lakhs annually and they are not belong to the "creamy layer".
Note -
Thank You
Hello,
You can fill the JEE Main form even if you are a private candidate
Write the
name of the school/board from where you are appearing as a private candidate
.
If your Class 12 admit card or registration slip shows a school/centre name, use that exactly.
If your board lists you as a “Private Candidate” under the board name , then write:
CBSE – Private Candidate
(or your board name – Private Candidate)
Use the pin code of the examination centre/school mentioned on your Class 12 private candidate admit card or registration details.
If your board does not give any school address and only shows the regional office address, then use the regional office address pin code given by your board.
Hope it helps !
Hello Aspirant
You should not leave the OBC-NCL certificate ID blank in the JEE Main form it can create problems later.
NTA wants the certificate details while filling the form, not just at counselling. If you can, apply for the OBC-NCL certificate immediately so you get the ID on time.
If you fail to submit the certificate during counselling, your category will shift to General. It’s safer to enter OBC-NCL only if you’re sure you’ll get the certificate before counselling.
Hope it will help you
Among Top 30 National Universities for Engineering (NIRF 2024) | 30+ Specializations | AI Powered Learning & State-of-the-Art Facilities
Recognized as Institute of Eminence by Govt. of India | NAAC ‘A++’ Grade | Upto 75% Scholarships
Attempt JEE Main online mock test based on the updated syllabus. Check your preparation and identify your weak points.
Ranked #43 among Engineering colleges in India by NIRF | Highest Package 1.3 CR , 100% Placements
NAAC A++ Grade | Recognized as Category-1 Deemed to be University by UGC | 41,000 + Alumni Imprints Globally
60+ Years of Education Legacy | UGC & AICTE Approved | Scholarship Worth 6 Crores | H-CTC 35 LPA
