Bengaluru’s real ROI: The street-smart millionaires of the city

A Bengaluru resident’s humorous post on X recently went viral for listing the city’s most “lucrative” careers, not in terms of corporate salaries but by street-smart “Return on Indianness” (ROI). The list pokes fun at the informal economy that thrives in the city, featuring local personalities like the Indiranagar landlord, the Koramangala broker and the painter who mysteriously disappears after completing just 70% of the work. Others include the PG owner who crams six beds into one room, the co-working space entrepreneur, the builder with 12 ongoing projects and the elusive yellow water tank supplier. 

top careers in blr, ranked by ROI:

-indiranagar landlord
-koramangala broker
-painter who vanishes after 70% work done
-pg kingpin with 6 beds in 1 room
-coworking space owner
-builder with 12 projects, all under construction
-yellow water tank ceo

— aarushe (@aarushe_reddy)

top careers in blr, ranked by ROI:

-indiranagar landlord
-koramangala broker
-painter who vanishes after 70% work done
-pg kingpin with 6 beds in 1 room
-coworking space owner
-builder with 12 projects, all under construction
-yellow water tank ceo

— aarushe (@aarushe_reddy) April 16, 2025

">April 16, 2025

The post resonated with thousands of Bengaluru residents, sparking a flood of witty replies. Additions to the list include chaiwala outside tech parks with dynamic pricing skills, Zomato delivery agents who outpace corporate response times, the sweetcorn vendor at Cubbon park with massive profit margins and the mythical figure who owns the only parking spot in HSR layout.

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Some users highlighted the reality behind the humour, pointing out how landlords in tech park-adjacent areas earn significantly through rent hikes and harsh security deposit deductions. The thread reveals a deeper truth about Bengaluru, where informal influence and real estate-based wealth often outshine traditional jobs in terms of earnings and control.