Software engineers design, write, test and maintain software, from enterprise systems and mobile apps to cloud services.
Read this first. This page rests on 2 dated pay figures, each from a named source. That is evidence of what those sources state, not of what Software Engineer roles pay across India.
India's IT services companies hire large numbers of new engineers every year at fixed entry cadres; product companies and start-ups hire fewer and set pay one person at a time. The figures on this page are TCS's published entry cadres from its National Qualifier Test.
A B.E. or B.Tech, an MCA, or a science degree with programming.
IT services companies run national tests. TCS's National Qualifier Test (NQT) decides whether a candidate is offered the Ninja, Digital or Prime cadre.
Data structures, a programming language, databases and cloud basics are what tests and interviews check.
Two dated figures are on file. Both come from employers' own notices. The latest took effect on 18 February 2026. Each card says what the figure is; open "How the figure is read" for the method and what it leaves out.
Employer cadre bands: Digital ₹7.50–7.72L · Prime ₹9.45–9.66L One employer's published cadre bands
Low end of the Digital cadre range for UG candidates with 1–2 years (₹7.50 LPA); band high is the top of the Prime UG 1–2 year range (₹9.66 LPA).
Limits. One employer; NQT lateral cadres only; 1–2 years is the lower edge of the 2–4 year band this site uses, so the match is approximate.
Tata Consultancy Services — TCS All India NQT Hiring page (Batch of 2026, 2025, 2024)
Employer cadre bands: Ninja ₹3.4L min · Digital ₹7.09–7.30L · Prime ₹9.09–9.30L One employer's published cadre bands
Value is the low end of the Digital cadre CTC range for UG candidates with 0–1 year (₹7.09 LPA); band low is the minimum Ninja CTC for a UG candidate (₹3.4 LPA); band high is the top of the Prime UG 0–1 year range (₹9.30 LPA). All from the employer's page.
Limits. One employer; the cadre offered depends on test performance; "actual compensation basis relevant work experience and job location". Employer data, not a market benchmark.
Tata Consultancy Services — TCS All India NQT Hiring page (Batch of 2026, 2025, 2024)
Tata Consultancy Services, Digital · Prime (UG, 1–2 years): Employer cadre bands: Digital ₹7.50–7.72L · Prime ₹9.45–9.66L, recorded here as ₹7,50,000 a year (TCS All India NQT hiring, 2026 batch, 1–2 years, UG). Tata Consultancy Services, Ninja · Digital · Prime (UG, 0–1 year): Employer cadre bands: Ninja ₹3.4L min · Digital ₹7.09–7.30L · Prime ₹9.09–9.30L, recorded here as ₹7,09,000 a year (TCS All India NQT hiring, 2026 batch, 0–1 year, UG).
No. A figure given as cost to company (CTC) includes the employer's contributions and any variable pay, so monthly take-home is lower than CTC divided by twelve. The CTC breakup calculator on this site works out a monthly in-hand figure from a CTC.
Three entry cadres offered through TCS's National Qualifier Test. Which one a candidate gets depends on test performance, and the cadres carry different pay bands, shown above.
| Figure | Statistic | Period | Effective | Kind | Conf. | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ₹7,50,000 | employer-band | TCS All India NQT hiring, 2026 batch, 1–2 years, UG | 2026-02-18 fresh | employer-data | 0.75 | Tata Consultancy Services — TCS All India NQT Hiring page (Batch of 2026, 2025, 2024) |
| ₹7,09,000 | employer-band | TCS All India NQT hiring, 2026 batch, 0–1 year, UG | 2026-02-18 fresh | employer-data | 0.75 | Tata Consultancy Services — TCS All India NQT Hiring page (Batch of 2026, 2025, 2024) |
One employer; NQT lateral cadres only; 1–2 years is the lower edge of the 2–4 year band this site uses, so the match is approximate. One employer; the cadre offered depends on test performance; "actual compensation basis relevant work experience and job location". Employer data, not a market benchmark.
software developer · sde · software development engineer · programmer · developer · sde 1 · sde 2 · member technical staff
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