When your best friend lands a new job, the gifting dynamic is different from birthdays or weddings. There's no registry, no wishlist, no aunty in the corner suggesting gold. Your best friend already knows you're broke — that's part of the friendship. What they're expecting is something that says you paid attention, not just something that says you paid. The new job context specifically calls for practical over sentimental; they're about to spend money on formals, commute, and lunch boxes they didn't budget for.
Under ₹1,000 is actually a honest tier for close friends. It's the range where you pick something they'd use every day but wouldn't immediately buy for themselves. A pair of earbuds, a fitness band, a decent carry-on pouch — things that fit the new-job lifestyle upgrade without looking like you raided a pharmacy checkout counter. The tier above this (₹1,500-₹2,500) starts feeling like you're trying to impress rather than celebrate. This tier, done right, lands warmer.
The one trap to avoid: don't gift anything that implies they needed an upgrade before the job. A planner with motivational quotes, a grooming kit, a 'professional wardrobe essential' — these read as comments on their previous self, not as celebration. Stick to things that are additive to the new chapter, not corrective of the old one.