A Nostalgic Look Back at a First Job Offer
In a heartwarming social media post, retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Rohit Kumar Singh shared a glimpse into the beginning of his career. He posted a picture of his first offer letter from Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), which offered him a salary of Rs 1300 per month.
Singh, who served in the Rajasthan cadre as part of the 1989 IAS batch, reminisced about how this amount was considered a "princely salary" four decades ago when he embarked on his professional journey. The offer letter, dated June 26, 1984, indicated that Singh was hired as a trainee at TCS in Mumbai. He revealed in his post that he secured the position through campus placements at the Indian Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University (IIT-BHU).
"A little more than 40 years ago, I got my first job at TCS Mumbai through campus recruitment at IIT BHU," Singh wrote, adding, "With a princely salary of 1,300 Rupees, the ocean view from the 11th Floor of Air India Building at Nariman Point was regal indeed!"
Rohit Kumar Singh currently serves as a member of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) and holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from IIT-BHU. After his stint at TCS, he moved to the United States to pursue a Master's in Computer Engineering from Clarkson University, New York. Later, he cleared the UPSC civil services examination to join the IAS, where he enjoyed a distinguished career spanning over three decades.
In the comments section of his post, Singh addressed a user's query regarding his starting salary as a probationary officer in the IAS, revealing that he earned Rs 2200 per month when he joined the service in 1989. This prompted reflections from other users, with one commenting, "From TCS to Civil Service! Indeed a Great Journey!" and another humorously noting the disparity in salary growth over the decades.
Taking a sharp jibe at the tech major, another user commented, "1300 in FD for 40 years at 8% would be around 28k. TCS pays freshers 16k in 2024. Good you left @TCS . It's killer of careers."
As discussions furthered, one user compared the Rs 1300 salary in 1984 to contemporary values, suggesting it would equate to approximately Rs 21000 today, commenting on TCS's historical pay scale.