A viral X post questioning whether ₹50 LPA is the new ₹25 LPA in Bengaluru has sparked a blunt reckoning among tech workers in India’s IT capital, with many claiming ₹1 crore-plus salaries are now the norm—not the exception.
“50LPA for 3 years’ experience is a norm in Bangalore,” one user responded, as others piled on with eye-popping salary benchmarks. “People with 8–12 years are in the ₹1Cr–1.25Cr range now. Above 15 years, they’re making ₹2Cr+.”
The debate began with a post by user Sourav Dutta, who wrote, “I hear so many people earning 50LPA in Bangalore IT sector. Either they’re stating inflated CTC or 50LPA is the new 25LPA. Can some techies confirm?” The question immediately lit up X, triggering hundreds of replies from tech professionals dissecting Bangalore’s booming pay scale.
While many confirmed that top talent is indeed pulling in crore-plus packages, others warned that the numbers can be misleading. “Microsoft offers 50LPA, but only 16L is base salary,” one tech worker wrote, explaining that the remainder is often in the form of stock options or bonuses. “Monthly take-home might be just ₹1.2 lakh.”
Some users argued that even a ₹50LPA salary doesn’t stretch far in a city plagued by high rents, steep living costs, and relentless peer pressure. “50L is the new 10L,” one commenter quipped. Another was more blunt: “If you’re not earning 1 Cr++ in Bengaluru then it’s a waste of time. Better to pack up and leave.”
Still, not everyone agreed with the hyperbole. “You should have some baseline—are you comparing 50LPA to 10LPA from 2005, 2015, or 2020?” one user asked. Others pointed out that such salaries remain accessible only to a select group. “In a way, yes—but only for top-tier professionals,” another wrote.
The conversation also exposed regional salary gaps. “Just Bengaluru things,” a user posted. “In Hyderabad, 25L is still 25L.”
Meanwhile, the city’s prominence continues to grow. A new CBRE report confirms Bengaluru now hosts over 1 million tech workers—making it the largest tech talent hub in Asia-Pacific, and placing it alongside global powerhouses like San Francisco and London.
