India's middle class is a story of perception. What does 'middle' truly mean in a land of a billion dreams? Stand in line with the nation and discover where you really belong.
The Real Middle
Inequality, Mobility & the Precarity of India's Middle Class
You are a household earning ₹25,000/month — roughly India's median. Over 10 rounds, navigate life events that shape your economic destiny. One wrong turn can change everything.
₹25K
Median Household Income
₹1.4L+
Top 10% Threshold
6×
Top 10% / Bottom 50% Gap
60M
Pushed to Poverty by Health Shocks/Year
Figures are stylised for gameplay, in the range of PRICE ICE 360° household-income surveys, World Inequality Database estimates for India, and published health-shock impoverishment studies (early 2020s). They illustrate the shape of the distribution, not a single year’s statistics.
How it works: Each round presents a life event common to Indian households — job changes, medical emergencies, education choices, inflation. Your decisions affect your income and savings. Five comparison households travel alongside you, showing how inequality compounds over time.
