‘Salaries Haven’t Kept Pace’: Indian Founder Bought 2 Homes at 24, Says Her Kids May Never Afford One

Entrepreneur Riya Upreti, who bought two houses by 24, sparked a debate on housing affordability. She fears future generations may not afford a home as property prices and inflation outpace salary growth. Upreti argues that a conventional career is no longer enough to build wealth.

An Indian entrepreneur has sparked a debate on housing affordability after revealing that she bought two houses by the age of 24 but believes her children may struggle to afford even one. Riya Upreti, founder of personal branding agency Fobet Media, shared her views in a LinkedIn post, arguing that rising property prices and inflation are making it increasingly difficult to build wealth through a conventional career alone.

“I bought 2 houses at 24, but my kids might never buy one,” Upreti wrote, using her own experience to highlight the widening gap between incomes and real estate prices. According to her, the traditional path of earning a salary, saving money and eventually purchasing a home may no longer offer the same financial security for younger generations.

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“In India, home prices have been rising faster than inflation, while salaries haven't kept pace in many sectors,” she wrote, adding, “It made me realise how the economy keeps getting difficult.” Her comments resonated with the larger concern around the affordability of housing, particularly in cities where property prices have risen sharply.

Upreti argued that relying solely on salary growth may not be enough to stay ahead of inflation. Instead, she said, people increasingly need to build additional sources of wealth outside their primary profession. This could include businesses, equity, intellectual property, assets or a personal brand.

She said she knows doctors, founders and content creators who continue to push themselves beyond their main careers rather than settling into one fixed model. “I’ve never settled on one business model & that’s the secret everyone asks for. That's exactly why almost every successful person I meet is building something outside their primary profession,” she claimed.

Upreti also stressed the importance of stepping outside one's comfort zone, warning that “bare-minimum efforts in your career will only give you bare-minimum results.” She concluded that creating and owning assets could be increasingly important in an inflationary economy.

“And the only way to beat inflation is by owning equity, businesses, intellectual property, assets, or a solid personal brand,” she concluded. Her post has renewed discussion over whether salary growth can keep pace with rising living and housing costs, and what younger Indians may need to do to achieve financial security.