New Delhi, April 6 -- March to April is performance review time for many employees across in India, and on average salary increments are expected to remain steady near 9% this year, with moderate differentiation across industries, according to a Deloitte report.

"Against the backdrop of a resilient macroeconomic environment and sector-specific growth dynamics, salary increment budgets across India Inc. are expected to remain stable in 2026," as per the Deloitte India Talent Outlook 2026.

Findings indicated that companies are projecting 9.1% average pay hikes in 2026, against 9% the past year. The overall objective balances "need to retain critical talent with a strong push towards productivity and cost discipline", it added.

Among indu...