Cognizant offers ₹2.5 LPA job: ’A maid earns more than that’, netizens react as viral social media post ignites debate

A recent job vacancy by Cognizant has ignited a massive debate on social media. A social media user shared details about the IT major's entry-level salary offer of ₹2.5 lakh per annum (LPA) and highlighted the stark difference in the salaries of top executives at the firm and fresh graduates.

“Cognizant offering 2.25 LPA to recent graduates while the CEO’s salary is 186 crores, making him the highest salaried CEO in India. and they were offering the same ‘exciting’ 2.25 lakhs two decades back as well. Why can’t we have minimum wage criteria in all the sectors?,” shared social media user Swastika Yadav on X.

Note: LiveMint was unable to independently verify the claims of Cognizant offering a ₹2.52 LPA job. Mint tried reaching out to Cognizant. The response is awaited.

The post has garnered nearly 1,49,700 views and thousands of likes, and it has been reshared by nearly 500 social media users. According to media reports, the IT giant has maintained this salary package since 2002, which has garnered sharp criticism from social media users. Several social media users expressed their surprise over the low package. In contrast to the users, many more justified the package and called it a decent pay for entry-level graduates.

“Poor take. 2.25lpa is well above most jobs and minimum wage should definitely not be per sector. It's simple. If you think it's too low, find another job. If you want 186cr, start the next Cognizant. No one is stopping you,” wrote an Indian-origin former Google engineer, going by the username Deedy Das on the post.

“Test the average freshers knowledge these days you will get the reality what they are offering is too much,” wrote another user on the post.

“It’s best deal. How else can we train and make the young folks employable and still pay them for two years? That four years course for which they paid heavily doesn’t cut it. It’s pure investment from companies,” read another post on X.

“2.52 LPA offered by Cognizant. That's around 20k per month salary. Just for the reference, A maid who works for 30min in a house, works in 8-10 such houses get more salary than an Engineer,” wrote a social media user on X.

“Minimum wage is stupid and doesn’t help anyone. If you think 2.25 lakhs is too little, avoid the job opportunity and find something else. Somewhere there is someone without the skills and experience to get a higher paying job. Such a person can benefit from a low paying job to gain experience. These jobs are for those people. Minimum wage laws will make it difficult for such people to get jobs."