EV CXO Salaries in India — CEO, CTO, CHRO and Heads-of Pay

CXO pay in India's EV industry has fragmented sharply across listed OEMs, growth-stage venture-funded companies and early-stage startups. Cash CTC varies less than you'd think — the ESOP layer is where the real spread lives.

CEO

Listed OEM CEO cash CTC: ₹4-12 Cr. Growth-stage venture CEO cash CTC: ₹1.5-3 Cr + 1-3% equity. Early-stage founder CEO: ₹60 L-1.2 Cr + 5-15% equity.

CTO

Listed OEM CTO: ₹2.5-6 Cr cash. Growth-stage CTO: ₹1.2-2.5 Cr + 0.5-2% equity. Early-stage CTO: ₹50 L-1.2 Cr + 2-6% equity.

COO

Plant-heavy COO at OEMs: ₹2.5-5 Cr cash. Asset-light EV COO (charging / fleet): ₹1.5-3 Cr + ESOPs.

CFO

Listed OEM CFO: ₹3-7 Cr cash. Pre-IPO EV company CFO: ₹2-4 Cr + ESOPs.

CHRO + CPO

CHRO at listed OEMs: ₹2-4 Cr. CPO at venture-stage EV companies: ₹1.5-3 Cr + 0.5-1.5% equity.

Heads-of (one level below CXO)

• Head of Battery — ₹80 L-2 Cr
• Head of Software — ₹80 L-1.8 Cr
• Head of Manufacturing (plant) — ₹70 L-1.5 Cr
• Head of Charging Infra — ₹80 L-1.8 Cr
• Head of Sales — ₹70 L-1.6 Cr
• Head of After-Sales — ₹65 L-1.4 Cr

Where to go from here

CXO offers in EV come with significant ESOP components. Spend serious time on dilution scenarios, vesting cliffs and liquidation preferences before signing — those decide whether the headline number is worth what it looks like.

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