Survey: 57% of Indian Firms Use Title Inflation to Retain Staff

More than half of Indian employers use senior job titles to attract or retain talent, a survey by Indeed showed, a strategy that may mask stagnant compensation and risk employee turnover.

The survey, conducted by Valuvox for Indeed in May and June 2026, covered 1,211 employers and 2,533 employees across India. Nearly one in three employees who received a title change in the past two years got no raise or a raise of less than 5%, the data showed. And 52% said they would pick a higher salary over a better designation when choosing a new job.

The gap between title and pay creates retention risk for companies, especially when salary budgets are tight. "Titles remain meaningful because they signal opportunity and capability, but they are most effective when they reflect genuine career progression rather than becoming a substitute for it," Sashi Kumar, Managing Director of Indeed India, said.