India to have 313 bnrs by 2031, but middle class can't afford flats - makes sense?

[Balaji]

India will jump from 207 billionaires in 2026 to 313 by 2031 - a 51% rise, making us the third-largest billionaire pool after the US and China.

Meanwhile, my colleague in Bangalore earns ₹ 1.2L per month, has been saving for six years, and still can't muster a down-payment for a decent 2BHK.

The same economy that's churning out billionaires faster than most countries leaves the middle class running on a treadmill - earning more, saving more, yet falling further behind on the one thing that truly matters: a roof over their head.

Property prices in Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi have doubled since 2020, while salaries have only risen about 30-40% in that time.

So genuine question: is India's growth story really benefiting the average person, or is it just a glossy stat for global reports while the middle class gets squeezed out of their own cities?

[Aftab]

It's among the highest wealth disparity levels.

[Suraj]

If you're targeting prime pockets in metro cities, you simply can't afford a decent house 90% of the time.

Indian real estate is bloated beyond belief.

You can get a much better home in the US for ₹ 10 crore (about $1 million) compared to Mumbai or Bangalore.

The irony is that American real estate is also pricey, but their per-capita income is roughly 30 times India's.

[Jyoti.kumar]

Modi already answered this with his take on a K-shaped economy, saying "sab ke sab gareeb hone chahiye kya?"

[Rupali]

A population of 1.5B (150 crore) is massive. In absolute terms you'll always find people across the whole economic spectrum - extremely poor, poor, middle class, rich and ultra‑rich. The numbers in each group will be huge.

When the economy grows, wealth generally rises for everyone, but inequality can widen the gap, especially when a larger share of wealth keeps piling up with the rich.

[Ronit]

Wealth disparity is everywhere, not just in India. Look at China or the US - billionaires hold almost 99% of the wealth while being less than 1% of the population. When the masses realise this and try to push back, they're fed narratives that pit them against each other on caste, creed or colour.

[joshi]

Just look at the numbers for companies posting ₹ 100 cr profit or even ₹ 100 cr revenue. Of course the rich get richer from their product consumption. And if the middle class wants to buy flats in this inflated market, what can be done?

[Ajay]

Yes, to the billionaires.

[Esha]

It's called 'acche din', now enjoy.

[Kunal]

We have very little residential land for our huge population. Owning a house is a lifelong goal for most, but the population keeps growing, making the future tougher.

[Keshav]

China doesn't let non‑residents own more than one residential property and has strict anti‑speculation rules. Housing there is treated as a need, not an investment.

We, on the other hand, allow Singapore‑based FDIs to buy flats.

The PM Ghar scheme, originally meant to give developers tax breaks for affordable homes, got diverted and since then flat rates have doubled to tripled. You can look it up.

Then there's Gadkari cozying up with land‑owning vote banks around NCR, artificially jacking up prices.

They aren't clueless. They don't have yes‑men. They genuinely despise us, they loathe us and want us to suffer, all while they get richer.

I don't like Suhel Seth but he put it well: a small slice of good Indians can make a difference, but the majority - politicians and their rural voter base - enforce suffering on the rest.