New Delhi, Feb. 10 -- A post shared on X has set off a broader online discussion around income, career paths and the economics of small businesses in India. The conversation began after a user claimed that a neighbourhood dry cleaner earns more each month than many white-collar professionals.

The post, shared by Nalini Unagar on 9 February, described a conversation she had with a dry cleaning shop owner in her locality. According to her account, the business is run by the owner and his wife, with two helpers on salary. What stood out to her was the couple's monthly income, which she said exceeds Rs.2 lakh-an amount she compared to the pay of a software engineer with over 10 years of experience.

In her post, Nalini broke down the figures...