'Zamindaari nahi jaayegi...': Tier 1 student turns down ₹10,000 job offer, sparks backlash

A recent exchange between a startup founder and a college student has ignited a heated debate on whether the prestige of one’s college should dictate salary expectations. 

Entrepreneur and former software engineer Vinayak Sarawagi took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a screenshot of his conversation with a student who declined an internship offer citing 'low pay'.

The student, from a “Tier 1” college, turned down the offer of ₹10,000 per month, stating, “I am sorry it won't work for me. Being from a Tier 1 college, this is too low for me. Hope you understand.” Sarawagi replied briefly with, “okay cool,” before posting the exchange online with the caption, “I thought this mindset was going away, but sadly it’s not.”

The post quickly went viral, drawing mixed reactions online.

Criticism poured in over the ₹10,000 stipend, with one user commenting, “Founder gets sad when someone from a Tier 1 college refuses to join at ₹10,000 per month. Zamindaari nahi jaayegi is desh se (Feudal mindset won’t leave this country).”

Sarawagi responded by explaining his rationale. He stated that the stipend was low because he is using his savings to fund the open-source framework he is building. “I know the stipend is low, hence I try to offer other comforts like flexible hours. There are many others paying much more than I am. So calling me a zamindar without knowing it all is not cool,” he wrote.

According to Sarawagi, the student had reached out to him after seeing a job posting in a group. During their call, Sarawagi explained the role, stipend, and benefits, which included remote work and flexible hours to accommodate the student’s college schedule.

After the student declined, Sarawagi noted, “The candidate is not wrong here, and I wish him the best of luck! I just posted this screenshot because I could see that the ‘Tier 1’ debate is still not over yet.”

He added that other candidates had also bluntly declined the stipend offer, highlighting the ongoing debate about pay, prestige, and expectations in the job market. The exchange has reopened discussions on whether college pedigree should influence pay expectations and how startups balance limited resources with attracting top talent.