Average employee salaries in India are set to increase by 9 per cent in 2026, with a renewed focus on short-term incentives and skills-based systems, a report said on Wednesday. According to Mercer's Total Remuneration Survey 2026, organisations in India are shifting toward broader, more holistic value propositions and the top factors influencing salary increases include individual performance, inflation and the organisation's competitiveness in the job market, among others.
'We frequently discuss AI, but we're waiting for other countries to develop solutions rather than creating intellectual property ourselves.' 'We haven't yet produced comprehensive AI solutions developed in India for global markets.'
India has managed high government debt-to-GDP, a slowing domestic revenue engine, lower household savings and a more hostile geopolitical environment separately in the past. But together, they threaten to undo the growth narrative on which today's optimism rests, warns Debashis Basu.
BSE 200 companies together paid 5,819.75 crore as remuneration to their CEOs and directors in FY25, up from 5,352.8 crore a year earlier.
By publicly attaching such a large sum to this job, OpenAI is telling the world that fears of rogue-AI has entered the boardroom
Current situation risks rendering ongoing operations untenable: ISL clubs to AIFF
'Refusal does not invite immediate legal penalty; it invites Constitutional unease.'
Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani drew nil salary from his oil-to-telecom-and-retail conglomerate Reliance Industries for the fifth year in a row and dividends remain his main source of earnings. Ambani, 68, had capped his annual remuneration at Rs 15 crore from financial year 2008-09 (April 2008 to March 2009) to 2019-20 (FY20); and since FY21, he opted to forego his salary, due to COVID-19 pandemic, until the company and all its businesses were fully back to their earnings potential.
The size or turnover of a company, or even the salary package offered, no longer prevents employees from quitting, notices rediffGURU Pradeep Pramanik.
'More and more people from the middle class will become self-employed gig workers mostly working from home, rather than as office workers with salary, promotion, bonuses, etc.'
Angry fans hurled bottles and damaged fibreglass seats, forcing the police to intervene as they struggled to bring the situation under control at the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday.
The best way for India to prepare is by preserving and strengthening the RBI's hard-won credibility, point out Rajeswari Sengupta and Vaishali Garga.
The US has replaced random H-1B selection with a wage-weighted lottery and a new $100,000 fee for applications, raising uncertainty for students and junior hires.
'Companies will need to revisit compensation structures, contracts, staffing models, and human resources system.'
rediffGURU Nayagam PP advises young aspirants how to pick the right course and career.
The change in the government's engagement with the economy's need for reforms is more nuanced than how analysts have so far perceived it, points out A K Bhattacharya.
Reigning Indian Super League champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant on Saturday suspended all their football activities indefinitely a day after the AIFF failed to receive a single bid for ISL's commercial rights, and said they will review contracts of players and support staff next month.
Lionel Messi's much-hyped visit to the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Saturday lasted 22 minutes, just enough to underline everything that is wrong in Indian football and the state administration's mismanagement.
Understanding severance pay isn't just for those who are losing their jobs
'Don't look at Russia only as a place to earn quickly and then leave.' 'Try to build experience in serious companies, skills and certifications that will serve you anywhere in the world.'
'There'll be extended periods where things aren't working in your favour. But if you believe in the cause profoundly, then you simply persevere.'
Yes, the entry of private bankers, particularly with global experience will add value to PSBs, points out Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
Opening up the corner office is fine, but will the government be able to attract talent without giving a market-rate salary?, asks Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
'They are saying that there is a pilot shortage which is not correct, but if it was true, did they suddenly come to know this on December 5?' 'If they didn't have crew, why did they seek approval for a winter schedule? To get the approval, the operator has to show crew strength and also a buffer of crew available.' 'If they had a crew crunch, why did they ask for extra flights? Or was it something else that made them so sure that they would get away with this exemption and bans?'
Younger customers should opt for increasing cover as their financial commitments are likely to rise in the future.
As deposit growth lags credit expansion, Indian banks face shrinking low-cost Casa inflows, rising funding costs, and structural shifts driven by UPI, e-Kuber, and digital savings trends, points out Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
'Why would a highly qualified doctor with a promising future choose to wage war against his own country?'
A 10-part series that explains all you want to know about how India's EPF turns a slice of your monthly salary into long-term savings, pension, and life insurance.
Anant Ambani, the youngest son of billionaire Mukesh Ambani and the first among three siblings to be appointed executive director on flagship Reliance Industries, will be paid Rs 10-20 crore salary annually plus a host of perks including a commission on company profits, according to a shareholder notice. While the richest Asian's all three children - twins Akash and Isha, and Anant - were inducted on board of the oil-to-telecom-and-retail conglomerate in 2023 as non-executive directors, the youngest of the three was in April this year appointed executive director of Reliance Industries Ltd.
'Employers increasingly want candidates who can take AI pilots from proof-of-concept to production-ready systems.' 'That requires governance, monitoring, and ROI measurement -- skills that go beyond coding and into business impact.'
'I try to convince myself to stay calm, do my work and not let his behaviour get to me. Some days it works; most days, it doesn't.'
The initial public offering of non-banking financial company Tata Capital Ltd got fully subscribed on the final day of bidding on Wednesday. The company's Rs 15,512 crore share sale received bids for 45,84,78,044 shares against 33,34,36,996 shares on offer, translating into 1.38 times subscription, according to NSE data till 13:36 hours.
The All India Insurance Employees' Association has opposed the government directive seeking to open up top posts in the state-owned insurers to the private sector, saying this would lead to greater private influence and "eventual privatisation".
'Techies who did a master's there and moved to US companies look down on Indian companies who they consider as just doing body shopping.'
'As the team builds, each of them will bring in a different perspective, new thinking.'
The discord between the Samsung workers affiliated to the Samsung India Thozhilalar Sangam and the company management over wage hike has been amicably resolved with the company agreeing to increase the wages, Tamil Nadu Labour Minister C V Ganesan informed on Monday. Noting that employee welfare remained a top priority for it, Samsung India said the company 'constructively engaged' with all its workers at the Chennai plant and was delighted to announce a mutual agreement to enhance wages and benefits for the next three years.
10 ISL clubs slam AIFF for delay in tender process, allege "breach of trust"
The average Indian worker must labour for an extraordinary 160 full working days to afford Apple's latest iPhone 17 Pro.
Ask rediffGURU Naveenn Kummar your insurance mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
HUL managing director Rohit Jawa's total remuneration in FY25 has witnessed an increase of 3.75 per cent to Rs 23.23 crore, according to the latest annual report of the FMCG major. Jawa's annual package included a salary of Rs 3.65 crore, allowances of Rs 11.45 crore, a bonus of Rs 3.78 crore and a perquisite long-term incentives of Rs 2.76 crore.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances