‘Uber Pool, Maggi dinners, EMIs…’: IIM grad’s viral post breaks ‘earning in lakhs’ placement illusion

Placements from India’s newer IIMs may promise glittering salaries on paper, but the reality for many top performers is far from glamorous. A recent viral Reddit post lays bare the financial strain graduates face — even from the top 10% — with high EMIs, modest take-home pay, and the struggle of city living cutting into the sheen of “elite” jobs. It’s a sobering account that challenges the LinkedIn-fueled perceptions of post-MBA success.

A viral post on Reddit is stirring debate after exposing what it calls the “reality of top 10% placements in new IIMs.” The post dismantles the perceived dream of financial security tied to elite B-school jobs.

“Oh, you thought getting into the top 10% of your batch at a new IIM meant you were set for life? Let me pop that dream bubble with my EMI-ridden, Uber Pool-sharing, Maggi-for-dinner reality,” the author wrote.

The post lists actual roles and packages seen on LinkedIn, contrasting their impressive cost-to-company (CTC) figures with what really hits the bank account:

Amazon Account Manager – 32 LPA: “Except the in-hand is a spicy ₹75,000. Welcome to being broke in style.”
Startup with 35 LPA: “20L in shares—I’m sure you’ll go public one day! (they won’t).”
BCG – 19 LPA: “More like 85k a month, and oh? A back office role!”
JP Morgan Analyst – 19 LPA: “After taxes and deductions, you’re taking home ₹90,000. You can almost afford a 1BHK in Thane. Almost.”
Aditya Birla Capital – 20 LPA: “₹80,000 in your pocket. And by pocket, I mean the one with holes in it.”

The user highlighted how even top-tier roles barely cover the cost of living. With an average education loan EMI of ₹25,000/month, disposable incomes shrink to ₹55K-₹65K — often less than what freshers at Infosys earn. “You’re basically earning less than a fresher at Infosys but with significantly more LinkedIn posts about synergy and value creation,” he quipped.

Living in a Tier-1 city only adds to the pinch. The breakdown? “Rent: ₹30K/month (if you enjoy wall-sharing with cockroaches). Utilities, internet, groceries, Swiggy guilt orders: ₹15K-₹20K/month. Social life? Sorry, that’s been repossessed by your loan provider.”

The post ends with a mix of irony and resignation: “Congrats on the 25 LPA dream. Hope you enjoy living paycheck to paycheck while pretending to be a ‘future CXO’ on Instagram. But hey, at least we’re ‘earning in lakhs,’ right?”

The frankness resonated widely.

One user countered, “My friend is CA and is getting 85k in hand. His CTC is around 12L . And you would be done with your MBA till 25-26 . Earning close to 1 Lakh is not bad . Financial discipline for few 2-3 years and your loan is cleared.”

Another shared their trajectory: “I did, big time. I can only advise you to optimise for learning, skills and growth instead of money… I am a New IIM grad from 2019 batch… Finally I was able to crack into a better job with great pay. It wasn’t easy. But it was totally worth it.”

Some tried to balance the view: “Quite the pessimistic view… You’re in almost top percentile of Indians in earning… A little optimism will get your body language looking better to better opportunities ahead.”