A recent post highlighting the salary structure at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), one of India's top IT companies, has sparked a debate on X. Shedding light on the stagnant pay, Shashank Rustagi revealed that in 2019, he was offered a starting salary of ₹21,000 per month by TCS. At the time, his living expenses were ₹30,000. However, despite inflation and rising living costs, TCS has not adjusted its entry-level salaries. New hires are still receiving the same ₹21,000 monthly salary as Mr Rustagi did five years ago.
''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,'' Mr Rustagi wrote in a tweet.
See the tweet here:
The post shared just two days ago, has ignited a firestorm of discussion online, with millions of views and countless comments. Users pointed out that the problem of stagnant salaries is not unique to TCS, but rather a common challenge faced by employees across the IT industry.
Many techies from other companies shared similar experiences, with some revealing that they were offered the same salary as far back as 2008. Several demanded attention from companies and HR leaders to address the issue and ensure fair compensation for employees.
One person wrote, ''In Bangalore, you will get 1 BHK for 21k these days. Plus food, transport, and medical emergency costs etc. How can one survive?''
Another commented, ''Even worse part is they offered the same 21k back in 2011 too Surprising to see they didn't change the entry package much.'' A third said, ''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.''
A fourth added, ''My IBM salary in 2013 was 21k. Nothing much has changed in the past 10 years.'' A fifth user had a different view. She wrote, ''I agree that the minimum package needs to be increased. But 30k expense at the beginning of the career? I would understand the expense if it were a family.''
TCS chief human resources officer Milind Lakkad suggested that freshers or existing employees should upskill to earn more.
