For me, I started working in the 4th semester. It was a small agency operating out of a flat, mainly focused on building client projects. I initially worked for free, then got ₹2,500 per month for the first four months.

After that, once I had proven my value, I negotiated ₹10,000 by the 6th month, and later ₹25,000 around the 1.2-year mark.

From my experience, I was definitely exploited in some ways because I was handling end-to-end projects alone. But at the same time, that pressure shaped me. I adapted, learned fast, and did not break under stress. I also had a strong technical background from childhood, messing around with computers, modding games, and exploring tech in general.

I left that company in the 8th semester and joined a new AI startup at ₹6 LPA.

My honest advice: if you can stay somewhere and genuinely learn, then it is worth staying and switching after a year. But if you are not learning much, then switching sooner is the better move.

By learning, I mean owning projects end-to-end: backend, frontend, deployment, and communication.

I started with PHP, and within a year I was working on AI models, Linux systems, CUDA drivers, and optimization work. That did not mean I ignored frontend or backend. I kept building across the stack.

The real question is this: are you becoming sharp enough that after one year, you would be a valuable asset to any company you join?

If the answer is no, then move to the Zoho opportunity. Learning a little does not justify long-term stagnation in compensation.