The question comes in the first screening call, usually before anyone has described the role properly. It feels like a test, and in a way it is — the interviewer is trying to see whether your expectations and their budget can meet. You do not have to answer it badly.
Be accurate about your fixed pay
Your CTC and your take-home are different numbers, and confusing them is how candidates accidentally mislead. Be precise about the components:
- Fixed — the guaranteed monthly figure.
- Variable — bonus or performance pay, and whether it was actually paid last year.
- Notional — stock, insurance, food card, and the rest of the package that is not cash.
"My fixed is 8.4 lakh, with a variable of roughly one lakh that paid out at about seventy percent last year" is a far stronger answer than "around ten". It shows you understand your own compensation, and it prevents a nasty surprise when the offer arrives against a lower fixed number.
Pivot to expectations quickly
Answer the question, then move the conversation forward:
"My current fixed is 8.4 lakh. For this move I am looking at 12 to 13 fixed, based on the scope of the role — but I would like to understand the band you have in mind before we settle on a number."
Two things happen. You have answered honestly, which protects you when they verify. And you have shifted the frame from what I earn to what this role is worth — which is the conversation you actually want.
When you do not want to go first
If you genuinely do not know the band and do not want to anchor low, say so plainly without being evasive:
"I would rather not put a number first, because I do not yet know the full scope. Could you share the range you are working with? If it lines up, I am confident we can make it work."
That is reasonable, and most recruiters accept it. Refusing twice, though, starts to read as difficult. Answer on the second ask.
Things that cost you money
- Rounding up your current CTC. Verification will catch it, and it damages your credibility at exactly the moment you need it.
- Quoting only your take-home. It makes your package look smaller than it is and anchors you low for the whole negotiation.
- Giving a single number instead of a range. A range gives you room; a number is a commitment.
- Accepting the first number without asking about the band. "That works for me" is a phrase that costs lakhs.
Before the call
Write down your fixed, your variable, your last payout percentage, and your target range. Have the numbers in front of you. The candidates who negotiate well are not the most aggressive — they are the ones who know their own figures and can say them without hesitation.