Startup Originals Team
A Tata Consultancy Services employee’s online post claiming his salary dropped over his tenure has drawn attention to performance review and appraisal issues in the IT sector. An IT professional on a public forum said his monthly pay fell from ₹25,000 to ₹22,800 over 5½ years at TCS, and he faces difficulties with appraisals and external job offers due to his salary history.
Employee Shares Personal Experience
A software professional shared his career journey on the popular forum r/developersIndia, stating that he joined Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in 2020 with a monthly in-hand salary of ₹25,000. As of early 2026, he said his pay had declined to ₹22,800 per month despite being with the company for more than five years.
In his post, the employee, who described himself as a Java Developer, explained that after joining the company, he largely focused on preparing for government exams rather than advancing his technical skills in IT. Over the years, he said he received lower performance ratings, often in bands C to D, and was eventually placed on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) in mid-2025. He reportedly managed to secure a new project without informing his manager about the PIP, and though he was not asked to leave, his appraisal was halted.
Impact on Career Mobility
The employee said that after upskilling as a Java Backend Developer in January 2026, he began clearing job interviews, only to have prospective employers withdraw once they saw his relatively low salary slips. He wrote that HR teams became suspicious upon reviewing his compensation history, leading to job offer discussions being dropped.
He described the situation as stressful, with concerns about sustaining a career in IT. His post attracted responses offering advice on strategies like joining startups with smaller salary expectations, pursuing an MBA, or clearly articulating technical competencies to recruiters.
Community Reaction and Broader Debate
The post quickly gained traction, with users on Reddit expressing sympathy and sharing career advice. Some suggested that joining early-stage firms could accelerate skill acquisition, while others recommended structured education such as an MBA to broaden prospects. Several comments emphasized the importance of continuous upskilling and clear communication of technical capabilities during external hiring processes.
Although the story reflects one individual’s experience, it has sparked broader discussion about performance management, appraisal practices, and salary progression in India’s IT services sector.
Context: Appraisals and Salary Growth at TCS
Separately, Tata Consultancy Services has been in the news for changes to its appraisal and salary revision practices. Recently, the company faced media reports that it has suspended final anniversary appraisals for some employees who did not comply with its work-from-office policy, effectively freezing salary increments for staff who failed to meet attendance requirements. This policy aligns salary growth and performance reviews with physical office attendance, marking a stricter enforcement of return-to-office mandates.
While unrelated to the individual salary claim, this policy backdrop highlights ongoing shifts in how appraisal outcomes and pay revisions are being administered at TCS and within the broader Indian IT industry.
