‘If family income isn’t ₹3 lakh a month, Gurugram isn’t for you’: Startup founder explains why home prices stay high

An entrepreneur’s blunt assessment of Gurugram’s housing market has put the spotlight on the income levels he says are now essential to buy a home in the city. In a LinkedIn post, Sameer Singhai, founder of real estate advisory startup SuperAcrez, argued that Gurugram was never designed for households earning less than ₹2.5–3 lakh a month. Singhai described Gurugram as a market shaped income concentration rather than sheer population growth.(HT Photo) “If your family income isn’t at least ₹2.5-3 lakh a month, Gurugram was never designed for you. Yes, read that again! That’s not arrogance. That’s economics,” Singhai wrote in his post, explaining what it really takes to own a home in the city in 2025. (Also Read: Bengaluru retains top spot for entrepreneur homes, while Mumbai, Gurgaon move up in rankings) Why Gurugram isn’t a ‘normal’ Indian city?According to Singhai, a typical successful homebuyer in Gurugram today is usually part of a dual-income household earning between ₹2.5 lakh and ₹5 lakh a month, backed substantial savings – often close to ₹1 crore – and capable of servicing home loans running into several crores. In many cases, he said, parental financial support bridges the final gap. But even at ₹3 lakh a month, he said, buying a home can be a “tight squeeze,” while attempting it without savings or family backing is “nearly impossible”. Singhai described Gurugram as a market shaped income concentration rather than sheer population growth. “Gurugram isn’t a ‘normal’ Indian city. It doesn’t run on averages. It runs on purchasing power,” he wrote. (Also Read: Tech founder says Bengaluru, Gurgaon offer ‘world-class jobs but not world-class life’, internet agrees) He explained that demand is driven largely senior corporate professionals, startup founders, CXOs, NRIs and expats, basically groups with consently high incomes. As a result, he argued, common narratives around property corrections, job losses or economic slowdowns do not apply in the same way to Gurugram. “Gurugram’s demand isn’t driven population growth. It’s driven income concentration and scarcity of land,” he wrote. He said that because of these two reasons, property prices in Gurugram tend to hold firm, resale remains liquid, and demand does not disappear even during downturns. Singhai concluded his post with an assessment of affordability in India’s corporate hub. “The truth few will say aloud: Most people can’t afford Gurugram. And that’s exactly why Gurugram holds value,” he said.