A Delhi-based restaurateur's social media post about his employee purchasing an iPhone worth nearly three times his monthly salary has created a stir online. The entrepreneur says that his operations manager earns a salary of Rs. 26,000, but has managed to take an iPhone for Rs. 70,000. This post has gone viral and has ignited a heated online debate about wages, financial priorities, and living standards in India's service sector.
Kawaljeet Singh, who runs a restaurant business in Delhi, took to social media platform X to share his astonishment after discovering his operation manager's buying choices.
According to Singh's post, the employee managed to arrange the funds through a combination of financial juggling. He took a one-month salary advance, used Rs. 14,000 from his personal savings, and financed nearly Rs. 30,000 through an online lending platform. The financing arrangement requires him to pay monthly instalments of Rs. 3,000 for the next year.
What made the situation more surprising, Singh noted, was that the employee supports a family of four - a wife and three children. "Mind-blowing," Singh commented whilesharing the incident online.
Singh faced online criticism over his post
The post quickly went viral, triggering a wave of reactions from social media users. Some criticised the employee's financial decision-making, many others turned their attention to Singh himself, questioning why an operations manager was being paid such a modest salary.
Several users accused the restaurateur of undercompensating his staff and urged him to increase the employee's wages. Comments flooded in suggesting that someone handling operations responsibilities deserved significantly better remuneration.
What Singh said in his defence
Facing mounting criticism, Singh posted a detailed defence of the salary structure. He explained that the employee had no formal education and initially joined the organisation as a delivery boy. Through internal training over several years, he gradually took on local operations responsibilities.
Singh emphasised that the employee's compensation package extended beyond the cash salary. "Since the man works in the food and beverage sector, his accommodation and meals - worth around Rs. 20,000 per month - are completely covered by the company," he clarified. The employee also enjoys the flexibility to request salary advances whenever needed.
In a pointed response to critics, Singh challenged anyone who believed the employee deserved higher pay to hire him themselves at a better package. He added that he could easily find someone with more suitable qualifications for the same salary bracket.
Premium smartphone craze on the rise
The consumption of premium gadgets is on the rise. In an exclusive interview with Free Press Journal, Zeba Khan, Director, Consumer Electronics at Amazon India, has said that the e-commerce platform has seen a sharp rise in premium tech demand, with smartphones priced above Rs. 30,000 up 46 percent YoY and premium tablets up 60 percent, led by Tier 2/3 cities. Laptops above Rs. 1 lakh grew 33 percent, as affordability tools like EMIs and exchange offers drive adoption.
Counterpoint Research also reports that there is a growing trend of individuals stretching their budgets, often through credit and instalments, to afford premium products that symbolise status and success. The report says that the premium smartphone segment saw the fastest growth - up 29 percent YoY in shipments. This helped the overall market value grow 18 percent YoY, while the average selling price (ASP) rose 13 percent.
