India’s middle class is confronting an uncomfortable truth — salary growth has virtually stalled. Over the past decade, wages have grown at a compound annual rate of just 0.4%, according to economists and financial commentators tracking income trends. For a population that has long equated steady jobs with upward mobility, this number underscores a deeper economic challenge. Advertisement

Rising inflation, job automation, and shrinking global opportunities are quietly eroding real income. While aspirations have multiplied, purchasing power hasn’t kept pace. Essentials like housing, healthcare, and education have become costlier, while salary increments have failed to cover inflation. The result is a widening gap between what Indians earn and what they need to sustain the “middle-class li

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