India’s middle class: a changing social order

Exploring the evolving middle class in India, from generational shifts to economic factors shaping societal changes.

Do you belong to the middle class?” Eight out of 10 replies to this simple query I put forth to people while researching for my book, Middle Class India: Driving Change in the 21st Century (Aleph), are in the affirmative. What is most remarkable about this exercise though is that these people come from different economic backgrounds, presenting a broad spectrum of incomes ranging from less than ₹3 lakh to more than ₹40 lakh per annum.

The variation in definition is due to different perceptions. While the latter is based purely on income, the former relies on self-identification. In short, middle class is a notional concept today. Those at the periphery of the middle class at the lower end are identified as the aspirational middle class, displaying the same behaviour patterns and attitudes as the middle class.

What fascinates me the most about the journey of the middle class is the generational change that has taken place over the years, especially since 1980. One witnesses two major shifts: the first is its relationship with money, which underwent a transformation post liberalisation. Families became more consumerist by nature, marking a clear break from the frugality of the previous generations. The second relates to the heightened sense of religiosity that has turned the political discourse of the country towards majoritarianism, leading to a great political and social divide. 

At the helm of this shift are economic factors. Rising inflation, coupled with recession and job scarcity, has pushed the middle class, which is by nature insecure, towards exclusivity to protect its economic interests. It was this factor at play that made the middle class bring Trump back to power in the U.S., despite his apparent hardline stance. A similar trend can be seen in the victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the last Lok Sabha elections, despite its failure to deliver the promised development. Of course, here the economic interests work in the garb of religion to drive the political agenda. This exclusivity is also a result of the insularity that the middle class has adopted by choosing to remain in clusters defined by religion, caste and class. 

Today, we are looking at a middle class that is different not only in attitude and behaviour but also in composition and structure from the previous generation as new social groups have emerged, adding to its inherent contradictions. It is, essentially, Generations Y and Z that have scripted the story of modern India both in terms of thought as well as action. Take the queer community, for instance. It has emerged as a strong social group fighting for representation in state politics. Yet, while talking about the various categories of the Indian middle classes, there is scarce mention of this community, which is the largest in the world at around 135 million, according to the globally recognised Kinsey scale. 

During my interaction with members of the community, I realised the extent of discrimination they go through. Professor Ivan John, who teaches at Mumbai’s Sophia College and identifies as queer, says that parents had strong reservations against their children being taught by a queer person. 

However, it is in Gen Alpha that we see the scope of real social transformation. They see caste, religion, gender and, to some extent, class as non-issues. This generation, especially the urban upper- and middle-middle classes, identifies itself as global citizens. They are defying the very characteristics that have been associated with the middle class till now. For example, they are not looking for stability anymore. Neither in career nor in relationships.