'If your income isn't Rs 3 lakh, Gurugram is not for you': Startup founder on what's keeping prices high

Owning a home in Gurugram has increasingly become a function of purchasing power rather than aspiration, according to former banker and real estate entrepreneur Sameer Singhai.

In an assessment of the city's housing market, Singhai argues that Gurugram was never structured for average earners and that its high property prices reflect economic design rather than distortion.

"If your family income isn't atleast Rs 2.5-3 lakh a month, Gurugram was never designed for you. Yes, read that again! That's not arrogance. That's economics," said Singhai, founder of SuperAcrez.

According to him, buying a home in Gurugram in 2025 typically requires a dual-income household earning between Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 5 lakh a month, backed by savings of around Rs 80 lakh to Rs 1 crore and supported by a home loan in the range of Rs 3 crore to Rs 5 crore.

In many cases, he adds, financial support from parents is needed to bridge the final gap. "Let's get brutally honest about what it really takes to own a home in Gurugram in 2025," he said in a LinkedIn post.

Even households that appear financially secure often struggle to make ownership viable. "Even with Rs 3 lakh monthly income, it's still a tight squeeze. Without savings or family backing? Nearly impossible," Singhai said. He argues that Gurugram operates on a fundamentally different economic logic from most Indian cities. "Gurugram isn't a 'normal' Indian city. It doesn't run on averages. It runs on purchasing power," he said, adding that demand in the city is driven by a narrow but financially powerful buyer base rather than broad-based population growth.

"This is a market built by and for: Senior corporate professionals, startup founders, NRIs and expats, CXOs with consistent high incomes," Singhai said, outlining the profile of buyers who continue to dominate transactions in the city. 

That structure, he argues, insulates Gurugram from wider economic anxieties that often shape property markets elsewhere. "So when you hear headlines like: ‘India’s property market will correct’, ‘Jobs are shrinking’, ‘Economic slowdown ahead’, remember those rules don’t apply here," he said.

Singhai points to income concentration and land scarcity as the core factors underpinning price resilience. "Why? Because Gurugram's demand isn't driven by population growth. It's driven by income concentration and scarcity of land," he said, adding that overseas capital further strengthens demand. "High incomes create constant demand. Limited land keeps supply in check. NRI and expat investments add another demand layer largely immune to local sentiment," he said.

As a result, the city's property market behaves differently even during periods of economic stress. "That's why: demand doesn't vanish in slowdowns, prices don’t collapse on headlines, and resale stays liquid and strong," Singhai said. He ended 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."