What the fitment factor actually is
When a pay commission revises salaries, it does not negotiate a new figure for each of the thousands of pay-matrix cells. It picks one multiplier — the fitment factor — and applies it across the board:
That one number does two jobs at once. First, it absorbs your current dearness allowance: on the day the revision takes effect, DA resets to zero, because the inflation compensation you were drawing is now baked into the new basic. Second, whatever is left over after that absorption is the real increase. This is why a big-looking multiplier produces a much smaller actual hike.
The 7th CPC precedent: how 2.57 worked
The 7th Pay Commission (effective 1 January 2016) used a fitment factor of 2.57. Minimum pay went from ₹7,000 to ₹18,000. But DA stood at 125% at the time — so of the 2.57, a factor of 2.25 merely converted basic+DA into the new basic. The genuine increase was roughly 14.3%. Expect the same anatomy for the 8th CPC: at today’s 58% DA, a factor of 2.28 is about a 44.3% real rise over basic+DA, not 128%.
Discussed scenarios and what each means for basic pay
The table below applies every publicly discussed fitment scenario to three common pay levels (7th CPC entry basics) and shows the real-terms rise over basic+DA at the current 58% DA. All values are computed, scenario-based projections — none is official.
| Fitment factor | Level 1 (₹18,000) | Level 6 (₹35,400) | Level 10 (₹56,100) | Real rise* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| × 1.83 | ₹32,940 | ₹64,782 | ₹1,02,663 | +15.8% |
| × 1.92 | ₹34,560 | ₹67,968 | ₹1,07,712 | +21.5% |
| × 2.08 | ₹37,440 | ₹73,632 | ₹1,16,688 | +31.6% |
| × 2.28 (most discussed) | ₹41,040 | ₹80,712 | ₹1,27,908 | +44.3% |
| × 2.46 | ₹44,280 | ₹87,084 | ₹1,38,006 | +55.7% |
| × 2.57 (7th CPC) | ₹46,260 | ₹90,978 | ₹1,44,177 | +62.7% |
| × 2.86 | ₹51,480 | ₹1,01,244 | ₹1,60,446 | +81.0% |
*Real rise = increase over current basic + 58% DA, since DA resets to zero on revision. A factor below 1.58 would mean a cut in real terms — which is why scenarios at the bottom of the range are widely considered floors, not likely outcomes.
Latest on the 8th CPC fitment factor (as of June 2026)
The commission has been constituted and is collecting memoranda from employee federations; its recommendations are expected before implementation. Union submissions have publicly pressed for a factor of 2.57 or higher, while several analyst and media estimates cluster in the 1.83–2.28 band. No figure is official. When the report lands, the number to check is the recommended fitment factor and the new minimum pay — together they fix the whole matrix.
How to read any fitment-factor headline
Three quick checks before you believe a claimed salary hike: (1) Is DA-absorption counted? Divide the factor by 1.58 (current basic+DA) to get the real multiple. (2) Is it applied to basic pay only? HRA and TA are separate and get their own revision. (3) Is the source the commission or a projection? As of June 2026, everything is projection. For the full picture including HRA, TA and gross salary, use the 8th Pay Commission salary calculator — and for what the revision does to allowances over time, see the DA rate table.