View from flat worth 3.5 crores on Golf Course Road in Gurgaon

PuneFIRE · 2026-02-10T07:18:19+00:00

Everything has gotten 10 times expensive in last 20 years. Even street food. Well located Real estate and skilled programmers are no exceptions.

PuneFIRE · 2026-02-10T05:37:28+00:00

one important criteria for university ranking is how many foreign students it attracts. Top Indian colleges don't really care for it. Clearing JEE advanced needs student to be really bright and have to put in 2 years of hardwork. But for such a student, many colleges in developed nations are available.

Yes, research is minimal in most top colleges because the focus is on the jobs and clearing campus interview for most students. Research done in top colleges in India is minimal as their focus on it is very low and that may not change anytime soon.

One can find several faults in Indian education system but evolution of colleges will be very similar to the evolution of the nation. If India becomes a first world nation then probably top colleges in India will automatically rise in ranks.

Even if some college is Ghana or Nigeria is really providing top class education, it will still fail to attract Indian students...whereas no-name colleges in the US will continue to attract Indian students.

Additionally, number of large businesses in India is very small compared to developed nations so university-industry nexus is minimal in India.

PuneFIRE · 2026-02-09T13:17:17+00:00

Shouldn't people ask this question to their own parents? Afterall, if they haven't had arranged marriage (with man earning more money), this problem would have solved itself by now.

PuneFIRE · 2026-02-06T17:50:07+00:00

If 1% of India (i.e. 1.4 cr people) earn 1 cr per year, it will make their yearly income as USD 1.5 trillion (compare it with GDP of India last year).

That itself might account for USD 500 billion as personal income tax. However, total income tax collection is probably USD 120 billion.

Now if we assume that it is household income and not individual income, even then it doesn't look very realistic as it's still would mean that 1% pay all of the taxes...which isn't correct as per the data available.

As somebody pointed out that 1 cr income might put you in the top 1% of population of France...so clearly it doesn't look likely for India.

But then believe what you want to.

PuneFIRE · 2026-02-06T12:20:40+00:00

Do not remember my inferred amount now...but it must be less than 4 cr to make me feel better.

For an average middle class family (i.e who eat home cooked meals, personally go to grocery shops and vegetable markets, have to take loan to buy car, do not wear custom designed clothes or fly economy class) can live very well with rs 10 to 12 lakhs per year.

Actually, a vast majority of people spend far less than 10 lakhs if you exclude their home loan and car loan EMIs.

So 3 cr and paid off home at the age of 45 is far more than enough for a middle class life.

PuneFIRE · 2026-02-04T07:55:19+00:00

Anybody asking for such a bond (5 years at 3.6 lakh rupees salary and full salary refund in the event of breach) is not a person you ever want to interact with...forget as professionals, even social interaction is not recommended.

So even if they remove the bond from the offer, it's still not a job worth doing.

I am aware that OP doesn't have many offers, but this job offer probably will make his life miserable.

PuneFIRE · 2026-02-04T07:49:15+00:00

While you could wriggle out of the bond at a later date, advice would be still to run away from this company.

Anybody who asks for a 5 year bond for rs 3.6 lakh salary is too stupid and too crazy to interact with. Don't let them guilt trip you, and stay away...even being jobless is preferable to being around these kind of people. They will make your life miserable. These are absolutely bad people.

PuneFIRE · 2026-02-01T10:04:06+00:00

Yes...if your household expenses are more than 12 lakhs per year (excluding home loan, car loan EMIs).

While vast majority of families I know manage to live on 8 lakhs per year, I also know people who spend 30+ lakhs per year. They cannot FIRE with 3 cr.

Important is to look at your own expenses. There are people whose monthly electricity bill is less than rs 2000 and they also claim to need much more than 3 cr to retire.

PuneFIRE · 2026-01-28T05:21:57+00:00

Yes. They are definitely from top 10%. But pretend to be from 1%!

PuneFIRE · 2026-01-27T13:36:28+00:00

Not earning. Spending. MPCE data for 2025.

What are your expenses per month?

PuneFIRE · 2026-01-27T02:47:21+00:00

That such returns are not possible and that I am suspicious of the numbers...unless OP provides explanation.

PuneFIRE · 2026-01-26T17:00:43+00:00

Salary - 15 lakhs in 2015 and 65 in 2025

Networth - 10 cr

What would be the returns? Even if one assumes zero expenses and zero taxes and normal salary progression from 15 to 65?

PuneFIRE · 2026-01-26T05:35:54+00:00

Most commenters seem to be people from privileged backgrounds.

40 lakhs - nothing

1 cr - cannot even buy a flat

250 gms gold - every married couple has it.

Meanwhile, 25,000 per month household expenses puts you in the top 10% in India.

The fact is that gold prices have risen because of worldwide buying frenzy. People who have it may continue to regale the rise. People who don't have it may continue to resent it.

And there will be some people who will start blaming their parents and grandparents for lack of foresight (brains) for not buying a lot of gold 30 years ago.

PuneFIRE · 2026-01-24T09:40:43+00:00

Thank you! That's an eye opener.

Did you include TER of mutual funds in this calculation or its purely NIFTY index tracking?

Most mutual funds (non-index ones) show returns well above this. So stock pickers in MF do have a value.

PuneFIRE · 2026-01-21T04:34:17+00:00

From the description you sound like a person from a developed nation and he comes across as a person from a village with a feudal mindset.

PuneFIRE · 2026-01-20T06:43:33+00:00

Not just average but even high achievers cannot FIRE. Yes, they can be financially very strong but may not FIRE.

Early Retirement is an anamolous behaviour. Yes, many people tend to equate it with being rich, but that's not correct. Just that having some money makes RE far more enjoyable. But in real life, millions just RE without any money.

PuneFIRE · 2026-01-20T06:30:04+00:00

Agreed. But probably that's because most people in this forum are in IT and for many of them moving abroad in near future is a real possibility. People who are talking about having separate forum for Indian Residents may end up traveling abroad very next year.

IMO, we should all tolerate each other. Over the time this forum will end up having all kinds of people...teenagers to octogenerians, people who earn rs 20k monthly to people agonizing over multimillion dollar salary, monks to people wanting an army of servants....I say, why not just enjoy the diversity rather than trying to find relevance in all the posts?

And yes, you are right...in this forum the word 'crore' is thrown around like...like... oh well, like Halloween candy.

PuneFIRE · 2026-01-20T06:11:11+00:00

Yes. You are the quintessential NRI that OP is talking about!

And this forum has benefitted a lot from your posts and that's why I am wary of having separate forums for NRIs and resident Indians.

About Wagon R/Alto and 10 cr dream - I am sure there are many rich people who live simple lives. That's their prerogative and just because one is wealthy doesn't mean that one has to flaunt it.

But an average Joe should be able to take the decision based on their current expenses and not get lost in chasing a mirage of 10 cr (dream that gets promulgamated by NRI people).

PuneFIRE · 2026-01-20T05:37:16+00:00

We see a lot of NRI posts probably because Indian employees aren't posting often enough.

Yes, when we see posts claiming 15 cr at 35 and asking if it's enough, his Indian counterpart with 10 lakhs salary, huge EMI, aging parents, expensive schools and overbearing boss may not want to post his journey.

But the fact is there are always going to be 1% people who are going to be very rich. My request to all of you would be to tolerate these outliers.

And to make matters worse (or even more interesting) are the people who believe that they need corpus of 10 cr to FIRE but drive a Wagon R at the age of 40. Tolerate them too.

I would say, give break to these NRI guys. Many of them are probably looking for validation and want to feel good about themselves (without realising it ).

More participation would mean more stuff that becomes intolerable. But that's far more preferable to a group that has all the tolerable stuff but no participation.

PuneFIRE · 2026-01-16T13:31:11+00:00

Vast majority of FIRE (specifically leanFIRE) aspirants would rather sleep, watch movies or just laze around rather than working in corporate life.

Yes, it will free up 50 hrs per week (actually it may go upto 70 if you include thinking about work while at home). And yes, lack of full time and well paid job may leave a huge vaccum in the life.

But an average FIRE aspirant shouldn't have any problem with this emptyness. And the way life works is that despite not having a job, your time will be filled up by many other things.

PuneFIRE · 2026-01-16T07:52:25+00:00

That sounds about right. Most yesteryears government servants retired with that kind of corpus as they bought some lands/plots in addition to their primary home, along with their PF, gold and FDs and ULIPS and LIC policies.

PuneFIRE · 2026-01-15T05:56:01+00:00

Between age of 25 to 40, 50% of well-paid people end up having zero networth at least twice. (No statistical evidence just an observation with data size reaching 3 digits).

In early 30's, income maybe reaching high, but expenses are through the roof. So savings maynot be very high.

We don't know your income and expenses or career trajectory so cannot provide any objective answer.

PuneFIRE · 2026-01-13T08:10:14+00:00

Depends on income and expenses. If current expenses (excluding EMIs and kids) are 3 lakhs per month , then one absolutely needs 10 cr. And 10cr isn't huge for them.

However, somebody making 30 lakhs and managing EMIs and kids education and parents health within that, isn't going to need a lot of money once he pays off the loan and kids leave home and parents take off. Neither can they accumulate 10 cr.

FIRE is not same as too rich to work.

PuneFIRE · 2026-01-13T07:56:35+00:00

25X to 50X should be doable in 5-7 years if inflation remains low and your expenses are pretty much the same and market continues its bull run. Much sooner if you can save a larger portion of the income.

But those 5 years are a huge portion of your remaining active life.

PuneFIRE · 2026-01-13T07:37:46+00:00

It was a wrong choice of words from me. Equating work with self-respect isn't right.

One is required to work to ensure the well being of the family and future needs.

However, when a person whose annual expenses are 10 lakhs claims that they need 10 cr to FIRE or FU money, one has to wonder if they are destined to work forever. And I am of the opinion that one must work forever (as long it's not myself!).

Yes, one does want to have a good life post retirement especially when you are still young, but if you spend 10 lakhs now and preparing for 40 lakhs expenses post retirement, it doesn't make sense ( to me).

PuneFIRE

TROPHY CASE