{"id":2554,"date":"2025-07-07T10:36:50","date_gmt":"2025-07-07T05:06:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.aquartia.in\/?p=2554"},"modified":"2025-07-07T10:36:51","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T05:06:51","slug":"the-great-indian-it-exit-whats-driving-engineers-away","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.aquartia.in\/index.php\/2025\/07\/07\/the-great-indian-it-exit-whats-driving-engineers-away\/","title":{"rendered":"The Great Indian IT Exit: What’s Driving Engineers Away?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For decades, a job at a top IT company like TCS, Infosys, or Wipro symbolized stability and success for Indian engineers. Today, that image is eroding. In 2025, a growing number of engineers are turning down IT job offers\u2014some even rejecting multiple offers outright. The cause? A lethal combination of low pay, poor work-life balance, toxic internal policies, and lack of real career progression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Salary Stagnation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most entry-level IT job offers in India have remained at a stagnant \u20b93.5\u20134 lakh per annum (LPA) for nearly a decade. In an inflationary economy where costs of living have significantly risen, this salary band now seems outdated, even exploitative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“After three years and a promotion, I was earning only \u20b94.2 LPA,” shares an engineer from Pune who recently moved to a startup with double the pay.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, global product companies and startups are offering fresher packages upwards of \u20b910 LPA for the same skills\u2014and often with better working conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs): Weaponised Pressure<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs), originally designed to help underperformers, have increasingly become a tool for arbitrary exits. Engineers report being put on PIP with no prior feedback, unrealistic targets, and no real chance of recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“The moment you question poor project management or deny extra hours, you’re threatened with PIP,” says a Bengaluru-based developer.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Such practices are fostering a culture of fear, insecurity, and burnout\u2014causing top talent to walk away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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High Workload, Low Ownership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Another major complaint is the repetitive and low-ownership nature of service-based IT work. Engineers often find themselves performing mundane tasks with minimal scope for creativity or decision-making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In contrast, startups and product companies offer roles that allow developers to own features, shape product roadmaps, and grow faster in technical depth and business understanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Rise of Alternatives: Startups, Freelancing, and Remote Roles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Indian engineers are no longer dependent on the traditional IT route. Alternatives include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n