India, May 21 -- A viral LinkedIn post has sparked debate over the silent crisis facing India's middle class. A Bengaluru CEO wrote that with soaring expenses and stagnant salaries, this group is quietly absorbing the economic shock, with no bailouts, no headlines, and barely any conversation.

"The biggest scam no one talks about? Middle-class salaries. Over the past 10 years: - The group earning under Rs.5L saw a 4% CAGR - Rs.5L- Rs.1Cr income group has seen just 0.4% CAGR - Food prices? Up nearly 80% - Purchasing power? Cut almost in half - But spending? Up, funded by credit," CEO Ashish Singhal wrote.

"This isn't a collapse. It's a well-dressed decline. You're still flying once a year. Still buying a phone. Still paying EMIs," he con...