Asking for a Raise: Build the One-Page Evidence Packet

The page, section by section

1. Scope then and now

Write the change as a comparison, not a list of duties.

The comparison makes a specific argument: the job this salary was priced for is not the job you are doing now.

2. Outcomes with evidence

Choose three or four results and, for each, the place your manager can confirm it. All examples here are hypothetical.

Avoid adjectives in this section. "Significantly improved reliability" gives your manager nothing to repeat to their own manager; "9% to 3%, see eval report" does.

3. The ask

One number, on one component: fixed pay of ₹36,00,000 from the next cycle. That is ₹4,00,000 more, or 12.5%. State the rupee figure first and the percentage second, because a percentage can be recalculated against a different base. Salary hike percentages shows how that happens.

4. The fallback

Decide in advance what you would accept, so you are not improvising in the meeting. A common shape is part of the rise now and a one-off payment for the rest.

At ₹32,00,000 you are already in the 30% slab under the tax year 2026-27 new regime, with 4% cess. Every extra rupee is therefore taxed at 31.2%, below the ₹50 lakh surcharge threshold. The full ask is worth ₹2,75,200 a year after tax, about ₹22,933 a month. The fallback pays the same ₹2,75,200 in year one, then ₹1,37,600 a year after that. The rates are on the department's slab page.

# Hypothetical ask vs fallback. 30% slab + 4% cess, tax year 2026-27 rates.
MARGINAL = 0.30 * 1.04

def extra_after_tax(fixed_rise, one_off=0, years=3):
    out = []
    for y in range(1, years + 1):
        gross = fixed_rise + (one_off if y == 1 else 0)
        out.append(round(gross * (1 - MARGINAL)))
    return out, sum(out)

print("full ask:", extra_after_tax(400000))
print("fallback:", extra_after_tax(200000, one_off=200000))

Over three years the full ask is worth ₹8,25,600 after tax and the fallback ₹5,50,400, before counting that later raises compound on the higher base. That ₹2,75,200 gap is what you give up by accepting the fallback. Knowing the figure lets you decide calmly whether it is worth holding out. The flat marginal rate is only valid while every rupee of the rise stays in the 30% slab and below the surcharge threshold; check that holds for your own figures.

5. Timing and the decision you need

End with a date and a clear request: "Can this be considered in the April cycle? I would like to know by the end of February whether it is possible, so that I can plan."

What to leave off the page

• Threats to leave. If you hold an outside offer, that is a separate conversation; counter-offer scripts cover how to use one.
• Personal costs. Rent or loans are real, but they are not the employer's reason to pay more.
• Colleagues' pay. Even if you know it, citing it moves the discussion away from your evidence.
• Unsourced market figures. See the first FAQ.

After the meeting

Send a short email the same day recording what was agreed: the figure, the fallback if one was discussed, and the date for a decision. If the answer is no, ask what evidence would change it by the next cycle, and add a row for it to the outcomes table. A refusal with a stated condition gives you a plan. A refusal with no condition tells you something about how the next cycle will go.

Scoping, evidencing and pricing a change is the same craft as a client change request. Our FDE for Professionals programme is a proposed advanced track, taught live online with optional in-person labs at our Noida centre. Eligible learners who meet the attendance and capstone criteria get assured job interviews through our hiring network.