‘AI-proof jobs’: woman says local dry cleaners earn over Rs 2 lakh a month, triggers debate

With only three days off in a month, the shop’s total earnings come to about Rs 2.83 lakh over 27 working days. Since the owners operate out of their own property, there is no rent to pay. Unagar mentioned that their regular expenses include an electricity bill of around Rs 6,000 and salaries totalling Rs 40,000 for the two helpers. After costs, the couple is left with a net profit of approximately Rs 2.37 lakh.

Unagar added that while these figures were from the previous month, the owners told her their profits usually cross Rs 2 lakh on average.

Check out the post:

Yesterday, I was talking with the dry cleaning shop owner near my house, where I regularly go. He and his wife both work together, and they have two helpers on salary. I was shocked when they said they earn around ₹2,00,000 per month, which is equal to a 10+ years experienced… pic.twitter.com/BjPddpb9Me

— Nalini Unagar (@NalinisKitchen) February 9, 2026

The post quickly went viral and sparked mixed reactions in the comments. Some users praised such businesses for being stable and resistant to technological disruption. A comment read, “These are some of the jobs that CANNOT be made redundant by AI. Plus look at the perks, nil tax, no boss shouting at you, your schedule is your own and you create a couple of jobs too!”

Others echoed the sentiment, arguing that small enterprises thrive when conditions are right. “Why are you surprised? Small business owners have huge earning capacity, if there is a conducive business environment. This was the backbone of America,” another X user wrote.

However, several people pushed back on the calculations, saying the post glossed over key costs. One user noted, “The salaries of the owners themselves should too be included as part of cost to get the figure of net profit. Lot of other inherent costs too are excluded (water, chemicals, equipments, depreciation, seasonality of business, nominal bad debts).”

Another commenter, claiming firsthand experience, was even more direct. “I also spoke to my dry-cleaning bhaiya who runs a shop near my house, and he said that viral post is completely misleading. Don’t dream about Rs 2.37 lakh profit,” they wrote. According to them, while the revenue figures may be realistic, the expense calculation is not. They pointed to high costs for chemicals, water, machine maintenance and other operational needs, estimating that after all deductions, the real monthly profit is closer to Rs 60,000. “Even with high volume, real margins stay around 20–30%,” the comment added.