I WENT FROM RS 10.25 LPA TO 4.75 LPA: WOMAN TAKES MASSIVE PAY CUT TO TRANSFORM DAD'S FURNITURE BUSINESS

Success is often measured by a rising salary, but not every career move follows that path. A young professional’s decision to take a pay cut and return to a family business is drawing attention for its clear focus on long-term value over short-term gain.

In a move that stands apart from the usual race for higher pay, Shifanaz Sharief has explained why she chose to reduce her income to support her father’s long-running business. Sharing her story on Instagram, she said the shift from Rs 10.25 lakh a year to Rs 4.75 lakh was a planned decision, not a setback.

In the viral video, Sharief said, “I went from making a salary of 10.25 lakhs a year to 4.75 lakhs. I’m not saying it the other way around. I did go from 10 to 4.75.”

She began her career soon after finishing college, stepping straight into a responsible role in the marketing field. She explained, “So I got my first job right after college as an account director and a brand strategist in a marketing agency. I did that for a year and then I switched to a part-time job as an entrepreneur in residence.” The experience helped her understand branding, strategy and how businesses operate.

But instead of continuing on a typical corporate path, she made a different choice. One key reason was her father’s furniture business, which has been running for many years. Talking about this, she said, “I don’t have a lot of advantages in my life, but I have one advantage, which is unlike most kids with family businesses, my dad actually listens to my suggestions.”

She further shared, “He’s built a furniture business and sustained it for 17 years and I did not want to abandon it.”

Now, she is actively working on improving how the business runs. She explained, “So what am I doing with the rest of my time? I’m helping in streamlining a traditional furniture business, which is very tricky if you know how unorganized sectors perform.” Her focus is on bringing better systems and structure to a sector that often lacks both.

At the same time, she is also thinking about the future. She said, “While I’m at it, I’m also trying to find a market gap to build a business of my own in the same industry. And I nerd out on a lot of marketing and business concepts. So yeah, let’s see.”

People online responded with support and encouragement. Many praised her decision and mindset. One wrote, “Keep going girl so proud of you.” Another commented, “This is so cool!!!”

A user said, “Appreciate your long term vision and resilience.” Others simply wished her well, writing, “Best of luck, more power to you.” and “All the best.”

Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content shared on social media. Moneycontrol has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.

2026-05-06T08:17:29Z