'Inflation, EMIs, Quiet Pressure': Bengaluru CEO’s 'Save Middle Class' Post Is Trending

Bengaluru-based PeepalCo CEO Ashish Singhal’s social media post on "saving" middle class from a silent "scam" has resonated with many people. Labelling middle class salaries as a "scam", Singhal highlighted how this group is just expected to "absorb the shock, in silence.”

"Over the past 10 years: The group earning under Rs 5 lakh saw a 4% CAGR. Rs 5 lakh–Rs 1 crore income group has seen just 0.4% CAGR. Food prices? Up nearly 80%. Purchasing power? Cut almost in half. But spending? Up, funded by credit. This isn’t a collapse. It’s a well-dressed decline," he said on LinkedIn.

Singhal’s post, made two days ago, has garnered over 700 likes and about 80 comments.

Pointing out the lifestyle compromise, Singhal said that they are forced to prioritize within the limited available resources they have. While they manage to fly once a year and buy a phone, this comes at the cost of skipping savings and delaying doctor’s appointments, he said.

“Doing the mental math in every Zomato checkout,” he described the state of the middle class population.

According to Singhal, the situation has only been exacerbated further due to external factors: AI is threatening white-collar jobs, welfare funding for the poor. Meanwhile, the ultra-rich have grown 7 times in a decade, he pointed.

“The poor are being supported. The rich are scaling,” Singhal noted, arguing that the middle class is meanwhile expected to have no complaints or bailouts. 

“Just inflation, EMIs, and quiet pressure,” the CEO said, adding that “It’s time we start talking about this group.”

The post resonated with dozens. While many people like Singhal’s perspective, some pointed out that his growth rate data may not be entirely true.

“The middle class is quietly getting squeezed from both sides,” a comment read.

“If India has to become a $10 trillion GDP then someone has to foot the bill,” another person said.