A decade has passed, but for India’s truck drivers, little has changed—at least in their paychecks. Deepak Garg, founder of Rivigo, took to LinkedIn to highlight a stark reality: truck drivers in India still earn Rs 25,000-30,000 per month in 2025, the same as they did in 2015.
This, he argues, is a dangerous economic signal. Even if one assumes a conservative 6% year-on-year inflation rate, the cumulative effect over ten years would be a staggering 79%.
However, Garg dismisses this estimate as flawed, pointing out that inflation should factor in asset price increases — such as real estate and equity markets —which significantly impact purchasing power.
“And if it is included, the number would be 10-12%. I do not want to do the math on cumulative 10-12% as it looks uglier than it already is,” he wrote.
The concern extends beyond truck drivers. Garg suggests that the same stagnation applies to other blue-collar professions, including delivery workers, Uber and Ola drivers, painters, welders, construction workers, factory workers, and agricultural laborers.
“Looks unsustainable to me,” he concluded.
While India’s official inflation figures paint a more controlled picture—with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) falling to 3.61% in February 2025 and food inflation declining—Garg’s post raises questions about whether wage growth is keeping pace with the real cost of living.
Even as policymakers anticipate potential rate cuts by the Reserve Bank of India to stimulate economic growth, the ground reality for millions of workers remains unchanged.