New Delhi, July 1 -- Is a Rs.5 lakh monthly salary enough to be considered wealthy in India's top metro cities like Bengaluru and Mumbai? A tech founder said it is just a new middle class, adding that an alternate income is must.

AI startup CEO Sailesh P was weighing in on Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee's recent statement suggesting that a monthly income between Rs.30,000 and Rs.2 lakh qualifies as middle-class.

In the viral LinkedIn post, Sailesh cited sky-high real estate costs, surging school fees, and rampant healthcare inflation, and explained why a high-paying, single-income job is no longer a reliable safety net.

"In India's major cities today, I believe even Rs.5 lakh a month can still feel like a middle-class income for many ...