u/Practical_Hurry_4595

I graduated from one of the top IITs and got my first job through campus placements at ₹30 LPA + ESOPs.

My compensation progression has been roughly:

• July 2023: ₹30 LPA (Base) + ESOPs — joined as SDE
• Jan 2024: ₹32 LPA
• Jan 2025: ₹38 LPA - Promoted to SDE 2
• Jan 2026: ₹48 LPA
• July 2026: ₹60 LPA — Promoted to SDE 3

I've been with the same company throughout and have had good growth in both compensation and responsibilities. However, I'm now considering a job switch for two reasons:

1. I want to work on more challenging/interesting engineering problems.
2. I want to see how much higher I can go in terms of compensation.

For people who have been in a similar situation:

• What companies/roles should I target at this experience level?
• Is it realistic to target ₹80L–₹1Cr+ TC in India with ~3 YOE?
• Should I focus on FAANG/Big Tech, high-growth product companies, fintech, HFT, or international remote roles?
• How much does being an SDE 3 at my current company help/hurt when interviewing elsewhere?

Would especially appreciate advice from people who have made a similar jump from a product company at around 3 YOE.

Also interested in hearing about international/remote opportunities that hire engineers from India.