Offer letter generator
Fill in the role and the pay, pick a template, and get an Indian offer letter or appointment letter with a CTC annexure that splits itself. Print it to PDF or copy the text. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
Letter details
Sample values are filled in so you can see the layout. Replace every one before you send anything.
Offer letter preview
Loading preview…
How to use it, and what to check before sending
Choose the template first. Formal offer and friendly startup are pre-joining offers: short, conditional, with an acceptance deadline after which the offer lapses. Appointment letter is the post-joining employment contract: it drops the deadline and adds the clauses an Indian appointment letter needs (probation, notice, confidentiality and IP, policy acknowledgement, verification, termination for cause, governing law). Read the difference in appointment letter vs offer letter before you pick.
Then fill the fields in order. The preview updates as you type; anything left blank shows as a grey placeholder so you cannot miss it. "Print / Save as PDF" opens your browser's print dialog with only the letter on the page (choose "Save as PDF" as the destination); "Copy text" puts a plain-text version on your clipboard for pasting into an email or a Word document. If you attach a logo it is read by your browser and never uploaded.
The salary annexure
With the annexure switched on, the annual CTC is split as: basic = CTC × basic %; HRA, employer PF and gratuity provision = basic × their percentages; special allowance = whatever is left. Gross (A) is basic + HRA + special allowance; retirals (B) are PF + gratuity; A + B equals the CTC. The defaults (basic 40% of CTC, HRA 50% of basic, employer PF 12% of basic, gratuity 4.81% of basic, which is 15/26 of a month's basic per year) are common conventions, not rules. Two things to check against your own payroll: whether your employer PF is 12% of full basic or 12% of PF wages up to the statutory ceiling (₹25,000 a month since 17 September 2026; see what the new EPF ceiling changes), and whether your HRA percentage follows the metro/non-metro convention. The annexure deliberately leaves out ESI, professional tax, TDS and variable pay; add those lines by hand if your structure has them, following salary structure explained.
Before you send
- The designation must match what will appear on the payslip and in your HR system; mismatches surface at exit.
- Check the notice period against your policy, and that probation and post-confirmation notice are both stated. See notice period rules and probation and confirmation.
- Do not add a post-employment non-compete; Indian courts do not enforce them, and it signals that the company does not know this. Confidentiality and IP clauses are enforceable and are included.
- If variable pay or a joining bonus was promised in the interview, write it into the annexure with its conditions. Verbal promises are where disputes start.
- Keep the letter date, the joining date and the acceptance deadline in the right order.
- Have both copies signed and file the signed one against the employee's record.
In ZekoHR, offers are generated from your own templates with the candidate's details filled in from the pipeline, and the signed appointment letter lives in the employee's document centre from day one. See recruitment and offers → See letters and the Documents Center →
Common questions
Is an offer letter legally binding in India?
An accepted offer letter is a contract in principle, but most Indian offers are expressly conditional on document verification, background checks and the appointment letter, and they lapse if not accepted by the stated date. The appointment letter issued on joining is the document that carries the full employment terms, which is why the two templates here are different. This is general information, not legal advice.
What is the difference between an offer letter and an appointment letter?
The offer letter is sent before joining: role, pay, start date, the conditions, and a deadline to accept. The appointment letter is issued on or shortly after joining and is the employment contract: probation, compensation by reference to an annexure, hours, leave, notice, confidentiality, policy acknowledgement and governing law. Pick "Appointment letter" in the template selector to generate the second one.
How is the CTC split into basic, HRA, PF and gratuity?
Basic is a percentage of CTC (default 40%). HRA, employer PF and the gratuity provision are percentages of basic (defaults 50%, 12% and 4.81%). Special allowance is the balance, so the components always add up to the CTC. All four percentages are editable; they are conventions, not statutory requirements, and your payroll may compute PF on wages capped at the EPF ceiling rather than on full basic.
Should I include a non-compete or a bond?
Post-employment non-competes are generally treated as void under Section 27 of the Indian Contract Act, so the templates leave them out and keep confidentiality and intellectual-property clauses, which are enforceable. A training bond tied to genuine, documented costs can be enforceable; one demanding months of salary usually is not. Take legal advice before adding either.
Where does my data go?
Nowhere. The letter is assembled in your browser from what you type; nothing is sent to ZekoHR or anyone else, there is no account and no email gate. The logo is read locally as an image and discarded when you close the tab. The PDF is produced by your browser's own print dialog.