Delhi founder gave up ₹36 LPA Dubai salary 7 years ago. Today he calls his India career ‘far more lucrative’

Delhi Founder Gave Up 36 LPA for India

Theindiapostdaily.com – When Kanan Bahl, founder of Fingrowth Media, shared a post on X recounting how the Delhi founder gave up 36 LPA in tax-free Dubai compensation seven years ago, the thread quickly gathered thousands of views and sparked a wide conversation about career geography. At the time of the offer, the package represented the highest salary extended through ICAI campus placements. Today, Bahl describes his India-based career as “far more lucrative” than the Gulf alternative ever would have been, and he says he does not regret the decision in the slightest.

The Salary Gap He Walked Away From

The arithmetic Bahl outlined in his post is blunt. Accepting the Dubai role would have left him with roughly ₹20 lakh in annual post-expense savings after housing, food, and other living costs. Meanwhile, the best domestic offers available to him at that moment topped out around ₹12 lakh per year. The gap was enormous, and he did not shy away from acknowledging the magnitude of what he was turning down.

“7 yrs back, I rejected a ₹36 Lakh job offer in Dubai. It was a tax-free salary and it was the highest ICAI campus placement offer at that time.”

For context, the Delhi founder gave up 36 LPA not because the number was small, but because the variables beyond the paycheck outweighed it. He framed the decision around staying near his family and remaining rooted in his cultural environment, factors he placed above any single-year income differential.

“I still rejected it. Staying close to my family and culture mattered more.”

From Personal Choice to National Sentiment

The post did not stop at a salary comparison. Bahl wove in his family’s migration narrative — ancestors displaced during the upheavals of 1947 who ultimately found refuge on Indian soil. He connected that inherited history to a forward-looking pledge about the country’s trajectory, framing his personal career choice as one small thread in a much larger story of belonging and responsibility.

“India may not be perfect, but we need to make it perfect.”

“We all owe a lot to our freedom fighters and motherland, India.”

He signed off with “Happy Independence Day! Jai Hind!” — a closing that anchored the entire narrative to the national calendar and gave the post its emotional register.

How Commenters Reacted

The reply section filled rapidly, and most voices were admiring. One commenter linked Bahl’s choice to a broader faith in India’s upward trajectory, praising both him and his parents for instilling that conviction from an early age.

“Very nice though. I have no doubt about the rise of India. When we have youth like you will make it happen. Kudos to your parents too. Have a happy Independence day…”

Another user echoed the “make it perfect” refrain, crediting Bahl’s personal hustle toward that goal. A third urged him to keep motivating others, labeling the story “inspiring” and asking him to share more of his journey.

Not every reply shared the same philosophy. One commenter confessed to holding the opposite view on whether to stay or leave, yet still expressed deep respect for the conviction behind the decision. A fifth drew a parallel from his own past, recalling a rejection of a ₹60-lakh-plus-incentives Dubai offer nineteen years earlier, and offered a parting thought about rightness of reason over rightness of outcome.

“Well done. 19 years back i rejected a 60 lakh plus incentives job offer in Dubai. It happens. No big deal. Even if things go wrong, don’t regret it, because u did it for the right reasons. Remember that.”

FAQ

Who is the Delhi founder who gave up 36 LPA? Kanan Bahl, founder of Fingrowth Media, a Delhi-based media company. He made the decision roughly seven years before posting about it on X.

What exactly was the Dubai offer? A tax-free salary of ₹36 lakh per annum, which at the time was the highest offer extended through ICAI campus placements. Post-expense savings would have approached ₹20 lakh annually.

Why did he decline despite the size of the package? Bahl cited proximity to family and cultural roots as decisive factors, stating those mattered more than the salary differential. He described the choice as non-negotiable at the time.

What does he say now, seven years later? He describes his India career as “far more lucrative” than the Dubai path and says he does not regret the choice “a bit.” He frames the outcome as validation of his original reasoning.

When was the post published? The post was shared around India’s Independence Day, as indicated by the closing greeting “Happy Independence Day! Jai Hind!”