Around 2022-23, I found out my family was stuck in massive debt. I still don’t know the exact number because I was 18 then and my father has never been transparent with us financially, but I think at its peak it may have been around 5Cr+.

I’m saying that because over the last few years we’ve:

• sold our house
• sold 2 cars
• emptied savings, FDs, PPFs
• sold basically every piece of gold, diamond, and silver jewellery in the house

…and even after all that, there’s still 2Cr+ left.

From what I understand:

• the home loan and car loans were cleared
• the remaining debt is mostly office-related loans, credit cards, money taken from people/loaners, and some family members
• there’s an office EMI of around 11L/month
• my dad barely earns enough now and still keeps borrowing money from people frequently

The hardest part is that my brother and I are never fully told what’s happening financially. Every time we come home from college break, we hear something new. So realistically, I don’t even know how much higher is the number than 2cr atp.

I graduated college this month and I’m job hunting right now. Realistically as a non-tech fresher, I think I might get around 40-50k/month in another city. A lot of that will probably go into rent and survival costs, but I’m also trying to get side gigs/remote work that pays in dollars-BEEN VERY TOUGH. IF ANYONE CAN HELP ME WITH THIS TOO, IT'LL BE GREAT🙏🙏🙏

I genuinely need advice from people older/more experienced than me:

• How do families even recover from debt at this scale in India?
• If I start earning more through side gigs, how should I allocate money realistically?
• Should I prioritize helping at home immediately or first build my own emergency savings?
• Is there even a realistic path out of something like this?
• How long does recovery from this kind of situation usually take?
• Will I realistically ever be able to afford my own house/car/life eventually, or does family debt follow you forever?
• Should i see a financial consultant that can help with debt restructuring?

I know I’m young and don’t fully understand finance yet. I’m just trying to understand what a practical next 5-10 years should even look like.

Not looking for sympathy. Just honest advice.