Founder Offering Rs. 10,000 Internship Salary Leaves Internet Divided

Vinayak Sarawagi, a software engineer turned entrepreneur, has ignited a debate about whether one’s college prestige should impact salary expectations. Sarawagi shared a screenshot of a WhatsApp exchange with a college student, who turned down an internship offer because the salary was Rs. 10,000.

The student texted, “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 responded with a simple “okay cool.”

The post quickly went viral, sparking mixed reactions. Some criticized Sarawagi for offering such a low stipend, while others supported his explanation. In response to one critical comment, Sarawagi explained, “I’m using my savings to pay interns for an open-source framework I am building. I know the stipend is low, so I offer other comforts like flexible hours. There are many others who pay more, so calling me a zamindar is not cool.”

Sarawagi elaborated that the student had reached out after he posted the job opening and had been informed about the stipend and remote work details. “The candidate is not wrong here, and I wish him the best of luck! I just posted this screenshot because the ‘Tier 1’ debate is still not over yet,” he said. Sarawagi also mentioned that he received blunt messages from other candidates regarding the Rs. 10,000 stipend.