Anchoring bias plus first-job comp drift means the median Indian engineer is 25-30% below true market by year 5.

A first job in Indian tech anchors your perceived market value. Internal hikes of 8-12% compound from that anchor for 3-4 years before the first lateral. By year 5, the median engineer is 25-30% below true market — and they don't know it because they have no data points outside their own paycheck. The fix is uncomfortable but simple. Interview at three companies a year even when you're not actively looking. Calibrate your number against real offers, not Glassdoor. The engineers who do this consistently end year 7 at packages 60-80% above their peers who didn't. The compounding is brutal in both directions.