A0 pay is 80k, i.e 9.6LPA for bombay. However for laterals they will pay basis the previous salary drawn. If you're coming from a low paying firm then you can expect something around 60k. But the work culture is very toxic. Partners here love to scream at, humiliate and ridicule the associates.

Regarding PPO, they massively screwed the 2024 batch. They took around 8-10 people on assessment and hired only 2. That too after dilly-dallying with all of them for months. Ruined careers of more than half of them because by the time they declared their selection/rejection, most firms were done hiring. Most of them had to settle for peanuts in random firms and companies no one's heard of. They declare their results by June and by then you're practically f****d. All in all a huge shit show. If you're aiming for ppo at samvad mumbai, be prepared for hanging by a thin thread for months at a stretch with no surety of whether or not you're in. My suggestion is it's not worth it, please go elsewhere.

On the contrary i don't know about the pay at BLC (heard it's between 8-11 lpa but I'm not sure) but have mostly heard good things about the work culture and mandates.

The misinformation on this thread is alarming - Samvad Bombay, while toxic, will teach you a lot. Moreover, they pay a standard of 80k pm to A0s.

While the partners tend to scream, I dare you to name a firm where this isnt an issue. On the other hand, BLC is a new firm that has yet to prove its track record. Samvad is a known commodity.

Yes they pay a standard 80k to A0's except for lateral hires.

Source - Been there

Secondly, there exist firms which will teach you without humiliating and ridiculing you. No doubt these guys too will teach you the trade but at what cost, do make note of that and decide accordingly.

Honestly avoid Samvad. It is a terrible place from what I know. No learning is worth humiliation. When you start off as an A0 even if it means less pay, you want to go with a firm where someone will actually take an interest in your career instead of treating you like a number in a computer. Their high attrition rate will tell you everything you need to know. Here's how you judge where you want to work. Do a search on Linkedin with "Ex Name of Firm" See how long people worked at a place before their left. The firms where more people stayed, are the firms where you want to be. This can also in many cases be a Tier 1 like SAM and CAM. They may have bad reputations but nothing compares to bad reputations that some mid size places can get. Remember, look at the lawyers you want to work with and go and try and work with them. Don't go by big brands and things like that. You're going to join as an A0. You want a place where people will invest you in for the long haul.