How do I answer the salary expectations question as a fresher?

First: you have more information available than you think. Research the company's actual fresher band — levels.fyi, Glassdoor, AmbitionBox, seniors from your college who joined last year. Most companies pay freshers a fixed band anyway; the question is partly a filter for wildly-off expectations. On calls: deflect once, then give a researched range. 'I'm flexible for the right role — what's the band budgeted for this position?' If pushed: 'Based on what similar roles at similar companies pay, I'd expect something in the range of X–Y.' Make X a number you'd genuinely accept, because they'll anchor to it. In forms that force a single number: enter the top of your researched range. Nobody rejects a fresher for a number 10% above band; they negotiate. Don't: say 'as per company standards' (reads as unprepared), quote a random big number from LinkedIn posts, or negotiate before an offer exists. Leverage arrives with the offer letter — that's when ranges become conversations.