MUMBAI: Labourer Joginder Kumar lives in his father-in-law’s cramped home, located in a slum on the outskirts of India’s most populous city.
He earns less than US$200 a month – a meagre salary that must sustain his wife and child as well. He also cannot afford to rent a place for them, let alone buy one.
“I have medical and other expenses to take care of. Groceries are becoming more expensive by the day. How can we manage? Whatever I earn is used for our basic needs,” he told CNA.
Mumbai, where Kumar lives, has become the country’s most expensive city for housing. Indians have long flocked to the commercial hub for work opportunities, leading to a booming population of more than 21 million people.
Purchasing a home has now become out of reach for many citizens there who earn an average of US$650 a month.
According to property firm Square Yards, average home prices in Mumbai rose 10 per cent on the year in the second quarter of 2024, hitting about US$112,000.
Analysts said this has forced millions of residents like Kumar to live in squalid slums.
