Techie Making 1.3 Crores Rejects Rs 96 Lakh Job. Internet Says "Hume Rakh Lo"

A job offer worth Rs 96 lakh per annum was recently turned down by a senior tech professional, sparking debate online over salary expectations in the Indian tech industry. Juned Khatri, a recruiter, shared the incident on X (formerly Twitter), where it quickly gained traction with over 2 lakh views.

According to Khatri, he was hiring for a "Head of Engineering" position at an undisclosed company. The company was keen on a candidate with 17 years of experience. However, the candidate declined the offer, stating he expected a fixed salary of Rs 1.3 crore-significantly higher than the Rs 96 lakh budgeted for the role.

Khatri said he attempted to find middle ground, but negotiations failed. "Hurts to reject this one candidate, he is at 1.3cr and the budget for the role is 96L," he posted. 

hurts to reject this one candidate,
he is at 1.3cr and the budget for the role is 96L.

tried talking a mid ground on both ends, didn't work.

— Juned Khatri | Engineer Turned Recruiter 🇮🇳 (@hijunedkhatri) October 8, 2025

The post triggered a wide range of reactions online, from humorous comments like "hume rakh lo" (hire us instead) to discussions on industry compensation trends.

One user joked, "Me and my entire friend group of five will come together for Rs 96 lakh!"

Another added, "Only remote work, good tech stack, meaningful work, and work-life balance can convince someone to accept an offer lower than their current CTC."

A third user humorously wrote, "Brother, just offer me Rs 6 lakh and I'll do the job. God has given me enough brains-if I don't know something, I'll learn it quickly!"