Short answer: all three (EY India, Deloitte India, PwC India) are strong Big‑Four employers in India, but they differ in scale, growth focus, typical day‑to‑day work, and what they’re best for. Below I compare them across the most relevant career dimensions and give a practical recommendation.

1. Size, growth & practice mix

• EY and Deloitte are the largest in India by revenue and scale, with EY reported as the largest India revenue in FY24 and Deloitte showing the fastest recent growth; PwC is slightly smaller but still large and growing. (m.economictimes.com)
• All three have shifted heavily into technology and consulting. Deloitte and PwC have a particularly large share of India headcount in tech/consulting; EY also has a large and rapidly expanding tech practice. That means many new hires are into tech, cloud, data/AI and advisory rather than only traditional audit. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)

2. Learning, training & structured career development

• All three invest heavily in formal learning programs and internal credentials (EY Badges/LEAD; Deloitte University / Deloitte Learning; PwC Academy), so you’ll get structured training, certifications and exposure to senior leaders. If development/training is a priority, the Big‑4 generally score well. (ey.com)

3. Compensation & promotion

• Pay is competitive across the three; exact packages vary by role (audit/tax/consulting), city, qualification (CA/ACCA/MBAs) and level. Consulting/tech roles often pay more than audit at the same level. Market sources show typical entry and mid‑level ranges in the same ballpark across the firms, with faster pay uplift if you go into high‑demand tech or deals practices. (market salary summaries and campus reports). (thefinancestory.com)

4. Workload / work‑life balance and culture

• The Big‑4 culture in India is demanding, with periods of very long hours (audit season, project deadlines). All three have introduced wellbeing and hybrid‑work programs, but experiences vary by team and manager. Recent reporting has also highlighted industry‑wide stress issues (and isolated serious incidents have prompted scrutiny). Expect high learning and intense periods, especially early in your career. (livemint.com)

5. Exit opportunities & mobility

• Experience at any Big‑4 firm is highly portable: alumni move into industry finance, strategy roles, top consultancies, product/tech companies and startups. If you want to pivot into tech consulting or product/data roles later, Deloitte and EY’s big tech/consulting footprints give slightly more direct movement; PwC also has strong advisory channels but historically attracts many who want a deep CA/audit/tax career. (economictimes.indiatimes.com)

6. Which firm fits different goals

• If you want rapid growth into tech/strategy/consulting: Deloitte or EY are good choices (large consulting hires, aggressive growth targets). (m.economictimes.com)
• If you want a traditional audit/tax + CA route and strong classroom/technical training: PwC and EY have deep audit/tax benches and structured technical programs. (pwc.in)
• If you prioritize slightly better overall employee ratings in reviews/peer feedback: Deloitte and EY often rate a bit higher on Glassdoor metrics in India, but ratings vary by office and team—so take team‑level feedback seriously. (www2.glassdoor.co.in)

Practical tips for choosing between them

• Ask about the specific practice/team during interviews (day‑to‑day tasks, billable expectations, recent projects). Team matters more than brand.
• Check campus / alumni feedback for that office and practice (LinkedIn alumni, ex‑employees).
• If possible, speak to someone in the exact role you’ll take—workload, manager style and client type differ widely.
• If you want tech skills, prioritise roles tagged “technology / digital / cloud / analytics” rather than generic “advisory.”

Bottom line

• All three will give excellent credentials, training and exit options. Choose based on the practice you want (tech/consulting → Deloitte/EY; CA/audit/tax → PwC/EY), the specific team/manager you meet, and the compensation vs. lifestyle trade‑off you’re comfortable with. Current India market trends strongly favour tech and consulting hires across the Big‑4, so if you care about futureproofing your skills, look for tech/advisory roles. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)

If you tell me which role you’re considering (audit, tax, consulting, tech, deals) and whether you prioritize pay, learning, or work‑life balance, I can give a tailored pick and what to ask in interviews.