HR stuck at 18 LPA unless I show another offer – need advice

[Sunita]

Current CTC: 12 LPA

Capgemini HR said they can offer a maximum of 18 LPA right now because:
- I have only one offer in hand
- They are comparing the "tier" of companies I'm interviewing with

I mentioned I'm in talks for other roles around 18-20 LPA, but those offers aren't formally released yet (still on hold/in process).

HR said if I get another strong offer (like from HCL or similar), they may revise the compensation.

Now I'm confused about a few things:
1. Do companies actually cross‑check competing offers if we mention them?
2. Is sharing the full offer letter necessary for negotiation?
3. How much should I push here considering 18 is already a 50% hike from my current salary?
4. Should I accept 18 if they stay firm, or keep interviewing and try for better leverage?

YOE: 4.8 years

Tech stack: Backend, Golang, Kubernetes, Postgres, GCP

Would appreciate straightforward advice from people who've negotiated with service companies recently.

[Hari]

Yes, the answer to all your questions is yes. The basic rule is trust, but verify – HR will believe you but will also check your claim. Also, if you push too hard in this market, another more desperate candidate might under‑bid you.

[Ishita]

Service companies love the "show us another offer" game because they know candidates are desperate. Don't lie – get a real offer first, then negotiate. If 18 LPA meets your needs, take it; hunting for a better one right now is tough, the market is rough. My resumes never reached anyone; they got filtered out. I only started getting interviews after using a tool that rewrites resumes for each job. Search for "jobbowl" on Google.

[Aishwarya]

Accept the offer, start your notice period, and if you get a better one during that time let them know and ask for a revision. Keep doing this until you land a package you're happy with and then join.

[Vikram]

Wow, you're getting a solid hike, bro, and it includes SBC. Take it and serve the 90‑day notice period.

[Nisha]

Take the offer – you'll have enough time to shop around later.

[Riya]

I got a 25 LPA offer from Capgemini when I was at your experience level – it was my first offer and I had a similar CTC before switching. They're low‑balling you.

[Manish]

Just state your worth and negotiate. You don't have to show any formal documents. If they truly value what you bring, they'll pay you accordingly. Otherwise it's a red flag – they may be trying to underpay and exploit you later. Hold your ground.

[Vidya]

I thought you were HR and stuck at 18 LPA.

[Bharat]

I have a very similar profile – same experience. I jumped from 7 LPA to 23 LPA in a C2H role at a product company in December and received four offers after 1.5‑2 months of searching. The market was great for Go developers until January; I was getting 3‑4 calls daily, but now I hardly get any, maybe because I'm not applying seriously.
Check how many callbacks you get each day and how long you've been applying. You should be able to command 25‑30 LPA for your role and experience. You could join this company and, if a better offer comes, simply not report on the joining date. You have a window until they set up your PF account to do that.

[Kamal]

Can someone join a new company with a 1‑month notice period and leave after 7‑10 days if a better offer comes up? Asking for a friend.