A surprising case has emerged from India’s IT sector, where a TCS employee claimed that his salary dropped after more than five years of service. The developer’s experience has reignited discussions around pay growth, appraisals, and the real financial progression of tech employees in India.
The Shocking Salary Decline
The Java developer stated that his monthly salary decreased from ₹25,000 in 2020 to ₹22,800 in 2026 despite his tenure at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). He said he had received low performance bands in the past and did not get any appraisal, even after showing consistent improvement. This situation, if accurate, raises serious questions about how performance metrics and salary structures operate within large IT companies.
Challenges Faced During Job Switch Attempts
The employee also shared that while trying to switch jobs, he cleared technical interviews but encountered issues during HR discussions. According to him, recruiters became hesitant after seeing his salary slips and ended the process abruptly. This highlights a systemic challenge where low appraisals and stagnant salaries can affect employability and negotiation power in future job moves.
Industry Reactions and Discussions
The claim has sparked debate on social media, with IT professionals expressing frustration over slow salary growth and inconsistent appraisal policies in major firms. Many employees pointed out that salary stagnation is common, especially for those who don’t switch companies frequently. Others noted that the gap between market rates and internal pay scales continues to widen across India’s tech industry.
Understanding the Broader Pay Gap
In the last few years, IT giants like TCS, Infosys, and Wipro have struggled to balance large workforces with inflation and attrition pressures. Freshers joining at lower packages often remain at the same pay level for years, leading to dissatisfaction and high turnover. For mid-level engineers, the problem intensifies due to limited appraisal cycles and rigid band structures.
Employee Sentiment: “My Salary Is Lower Than What I Joined With”
“My salary is lower than what I joined with, even after years of experience,” said the TCS Java developer whose story went viral. His statement mirrors the concerns of many IT employees who feel trapped in slow-growth salary models despite increasing workloads and skill upgrades.
What This Means for India’s IT Workforce
The incident underscores the growing frustration among tech workers about pay stagnation. Experts suggest that companies need to adopt transparent performance metrics and regular pay adjustments to retain skilled talent. As AI and automation reshape the IT landscape, fair compensation and career mobility will become even more critical in keeping the workforce motivated.
Final Thoughts
This TCS salary drop case has brought to light a harsh reality in the Indian IT ecosystem — not everyone’s career graph moves upward. With public attention now on such stories, it may push organizations to rethink how they reward loyalty and performance.
