Delhi founder gave up ₹36 LPA Dubai salary 7 years ago. Today he calls his India career ‘far more lucrative’

A Delhi-based founder's decision to walk away from a ₹36 LPA job offer in Dubai has struck a chord on social media, with the entrepreneur saying that 7 years later, he does not regret the choice one bit — even though he could not find a job in India paying anywhere close to that figure at the time.

Kanan Bahl, founder of Fingrowth Media, shared his career journey in a post on X, recalling that the overseas offer came with a tax-free salary and was, by his account, the highest offer made during ICAI campus placements in that period.

A Tax-Free Offer, And The Highest Of Its Kind

"7 yrs back, I rejected a ₹36 Lakh job offer in Dubai. It was a tax-free salary and it was the highest ICAI campus placement offer at that time," Bahl wrote in his post.

By his own estimate, the numbers were hard to argue with. After accounting for expenses, he said he could have saved close to ₹20 lakh a year had he taken the job. Back home, the picture was very different — at the time, he said, he could not find a job in India that offered more than ₹12 lakh a year.

Why He Still Said No

Despite the wide gap in pay, Bahl chose to stay back. "I still rejected it. Staying close to my family and culture mattered more," he wrote.

The decision, he said, has held up. Reflecting on where he stands 7 years later, the founder wrote, "And today - I don't regret it a bit," adding that the career he has built in India has turned out to be "far more lucrative" than what the Dubai opportunity could have offered him.

"India May Not Be Perfect"

In the same post, Bahl went beyond the salary comparison to talk about his connection with the country and what he believes lies ahead for it. "India may not be perfect, but we need to make it perfect," he wrote.

He also touched on his family's history, saying that India had given shelter to his forefathers after they were persecuted and forced out of their homes in 1947.

"We all owe a lot to our freedom fighters and motherland, India," Bahl wrote, signing off with, “Happy Independence Day! Jai Hind!”

Internet Reacts

The post drew a stream of reactions, with several users praising the founder for staying back despite the financial pull of the Dubai offer.

"Very nice though. I have no doubt about the rise of India. When we have youth like you will make it happen. Kudos to your parents too. Have a happy Independence day…" one user wrote.

"Correct : India may not be perfect, but we need to make it perfect. I see you making efforts to do it," another commented.

"Done a great job..pl motivate others too.. Inspiring," a third user wrote.

Not everyone agreed with the reasoning, though the respect came through anyway. "although i have a totally opposite thought, but i have some damm respect for this type of thinking. well done brother," a fourth user wrote.

A fifth user shared a strikingly similar experience from much further back. "Well done. 19 years back i rejected a 60 lakh plus incentives job offer in Dubai. It happens. No big deal. Even if things go wrong, don't regret it, because u did it for the right reasons. Remember that," the user wrote.