India’s information-technology and IT-enabled services industry remains the country’s best-paying sector, according to the latest PayMap survey by global recruitment platform Indeed. The report, based on responses from 1,311 employers and 2,531 employees, shows tech freshers earning up to Rs28,600 a month, while professionals with five to seven years of experience take home about Rs68,900. Product and project-management roles command the highest compensation, reaching roughly Rs85,500 a month for employees with comparable experience. The survey also highlights a geographic shift in purchasing power. Hyderabad and Chennai have overtaken traditionally dominant metros such as Delhi and Mumbai as the most competitive pay hubs, with salaries in the two southern cities rising faster than the national average increase of 15%. Yet 69% of workers across India say their earnings fail to keep pace with living costs, a sentiment that is especially pronounced in high-cost centres like Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Bengaluru.