‘Those earning less than ₹1 lakh a month in IT…’: Entrepreneur says Indian grooms being priced out

Indian Entrepreneur Addresses Growing Pressure on Young Men in India’s Arranged Marriage Market Sharing her frustrations on X, Vineet K revealed the unrealistic expectations placed on grooms, especially the bride’s families.

“The salary expectations of grooms during wedding games are crazy,” he wrote.

“Those who earn less than Rs 1 lakh per month don’t even count. The mindset of parents demands a RESET. How can a 28-year-old earn Rs 1-2 lakh and own a house?” all this for retirement.”

Her post struck a chord, garnering more than 100,000 views and a flood of comments, with many echoing Wynette’s sentiments, pointing out how the high demands were turning the institution of marriage into a transactional ordeal.

One of the commentators wrote: “Marriage is one of India’s biggest crises. If parents don’t take a more sensible approach and guide their children, we’ll see a generation getting married at 30-35, having trouble having children, or staying single altogether.”

However, the debate also generated conflicting opinions.

Some users defended the expectation, arguing that in metro cities like Bengaluru, earning ₹ 1 lakh per month is no longer a necessity. “How does a family survive on less than ₹ 1 lakh per month?” around ₹ 60,000. In the case of a child, it exceeds ₹ 1 lakh,” one user reasoned.

The divided opinions highlight a deeper generational and economic rift: on one side are young men overwhelmed by societal pressures and seemingly unattainable standards of marriage readiness; on the other are families adjusting to the rising costs of living in urban India, where traditional practices meet the modern financial realities.