New Delhi, June 4 -- On paper, India's upper crust is thriving, with paychecks crossing Rs.1 crore a year. Yet, behind the premium gated communities and the gleam of luxury cars lies a financial irony: many high-income individuals only save a sliver of their income and fail to create real, lasting wealth.

The 'India Wealth Survey 2025' by Marcellus and Dun & Bradstreet, covering high-net-worth individuals across India, revealed 43% save less than 20% of their income, while 14% don't have an emergency fund.

Their wealth is eroded by escalating lifestyle expenses and peer pressure. Also, wealth managers often pitch complex, illiquid investments to people in this income bracket. These, coupled with behavioural biases and hidden fees, ultim...