Hundreds of millions of bank accounts have been opened, digital payments are world-class, and a growing middle class is increasingly engaging with formal financial markets. Retirement savings are minimal, reflecting continued dependence on family support in old age. Property-heavy portfoliosIndian households hold an unusually large share of their wealth in real estate—far more than households in comparable economies—while participation in home loan markets remains strikingly low. This excessive accumulation of home equity often crowds out investment in other long-term assets, such as retirement savings, directly linking the two problems. The harder task is fixing the financial products that matter most for household security.

Source: Mint February 12, 2026 05:18 UTC