Microsoft India Salary Hikes: 91% Get 5% or Less as Voluntary Buyout Rolls Out

Appraisal season at Microsoft India is feeling very different this year. A new survey shows most employees received small raises, while a company-wide voluntary exit offer is adding to job-security…

By Reetam Bodhak

November 5, 2026

2 min read

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What the Survey Found?

A Blind survey found that 91% of Microsoft respondents in India received hikes of 5% or less in 2026. The survey covered 2,178 India-based professionals and ran from October 15 to 26, 2026. Only 5% of Microsoft respondents got raises above 10%, down from 27% in the previous cycle, and 86% said they were dissatisfied. Explore more tech industry news on TechnoSports.

Microsoft India vs the Wider Market

Metric	2025	2026
Microsoft India: hike of 5% or less	45%	91%
Microsoft India: hike above 10%	27%	5%
Microsoft India: dissatisfied	n/a	86%
All Indian tech respondents: 5% or less	34%	59%
All respondents: no hike or pay cut	n/a	35%

Across the wider sample, 35% reported no hike or a pay cut, and the share receiving 5% or less rose to 59% from 34% in 2025. teamblind

The Voluntary Exit Offer

Microsoft has offered voluntary buyout packages to about 60,000 employees across selected teams in the US, Canada, India and the UK, including severance, continued stock vesting and health insurance. Employees have until early December to accept. The offer is aimed at employees at level 70 and below. The company has said availability differs by organisation, with some teams offering it and others not. Read our latest IT jobs and layoffs coverage for updates.

Why Employees Are Worried?

A voluntary buyout is not a compulsory layoff, since eligible staff can choose to leave in exchange for set benefits. Even so, some Indian employees are asking whether declining the offer could mean being laid off early next year. The buyouts come as Microsoft pours money into AI. Blind also reports that the share of Indian users searching for buyouts and voluntary exit programmes rose 60%. Microsoft Buyout Offer: 60,000 Employees Eligible For Voluntary Exit Programme +3

The Takeaway

Small raises plus a buyout window make this a tense moment for Microsoft India staff. Remember that the figures come from a self-selected, anonymous survey, so they show sentiment rather than official company data.