A ₹90-lakh annual income, two kids in private school, and a swanky home in Gurgaon — yet the numbers don’t add up. That’s the reality Bengaluru financial advisor Chandralekha MR says exposes the harsh trap India’s upper-middle class can’t escape.
In a LinkedIn post that’s struck a nerve online, Chandralekha broke down the monthly budget of a Gurgaon-based startup founder: ₹2.68 lakh in EMIs for home and car, ₹65,000 in school fees, ₹30,000 on staff, and ₹30,000 saved for a vacation. Add grooming, gifting, maintenance and more, and the total monthly spend hits ₹5 lakh. To clear that after taxes, he needs ₹7.5 lakh a month — or ₹90 lakh a year.
“He created his own trap and can’t breathe in it,” Chandralekha wrote, calling the situation both self-made and system-driven. “People say this is luxury — and it is. But the fact that it still sounds like luxury is alarming.”
She argued these numbers aren’t outrageous for dual-income families in Tier-1 cities. “A ₹3 crore house isn’t wild today. And staff — maid, nanny, cook, driver — is a necessity for working couples with kids.”
The real problem, she said, is structural: salaries are stagnant, but costs rise nonstop. Real estate appreciates at 6–8% annually, ahead of inflation. Top earners face nearly 39% effective tax. Yet, the average urban salary remains just ₹35,000 per month.
“₹1–2 lakh EMIs and ₹50K school fees are common now — but to afford that, you must be in the top 1%,” she added. “The salary-vs-cost equation is BROKEN.”