Tech professional Shashank Rustagi's viral tweet has ignited a significant debate online regarding the stagnant salaries offered to fresh graduates by IT companies, with a particular focus on his former employer, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). Rustagi, who was employed at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) until 2020, disclosed that his salary in 2019 was Rs 21,000 per month. At that time, his monthly expenses amounted to Rs 30,000, which meant his salary was insufficient to cover his living costs.
Highlighting the lack of salary progression, he pointed out in a post on X (formerly Twitter), "My TCS salary was 21K, My expenses were 30K. This was back in 2019. The worst part is they still offer the same package now.” He expressed concern over the fact that the compensation for new hires has remained unchanged despite inflation and rising living costs.
The tweet attracted more than 1.1 million views and received hundreds of comments from individuals sharing similar experiences, sparking a discussion about compensation trends within the IT industry.
One user pointed out that things have not changed in years and wrote, “As a matter of perspective, I joined tech mahindra in 2006 on 3.0 lpa. I am shocked that the salaries have barely moved in almost 18 years.”
Another user highlighted the high cost of living in a metropolitan city and how it is impossible for someone to survive with these kinds of low salaries that IT firms are offering even today. “In Bangalore, you will get 1 BHK for 21k these days. Plus food, transport, and medical emergency costs etc. How can one survive?” the user wrote.
A third user wrote, “Yes even I was surprised. One of the person who I knew studied in the same college of mine. And when I asked what was his package, to my surprise it was the same what they were offering in my clg presently. What astonishes me is that he is a father of a primary school child now.”
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