He expected 25 LPA. The offer landed at 15.

A software engineer with five years of experience went through a full interview cycle expecting compensation in the 25 LPA range, consistent with his current role and market benchmarks. When the offer arrived, it was 15 LPA — a 40 percent cut. "Is this the market now?" he asked on Reddit. The thread drew hundreds of responses from engineers reporting similar lowball offers across Indian tech firms, with many blaming a supply glut of mid-level candidates and companies testing how little they could pay.