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Journalism of Courage
A Bengaluru-based software developer has sparked a discussion on social media after boasting easy access to low-cost domestic help in India. Mahesh Reddy shared his views on X while responding to a supposedly racist remark about India, arguing that affordable labour is one of the major advantages of living in the country.
In his post, Reddy pointed out that domestic workers in India are available at what he called reasonable prices, noting that he employs a househelp for Rs 3,000 a month and a full-time driver for Rs 22,000 a month. “I am lucky to born in India, especially after visiting many countries,” he wrote on X.
He added, “I can get a maid or domestic help for 35$ a month. She can literally take all cleaning work including rest rooms” and “I can hire a full time driver for whole month for 250$ a month”.
See the viral post here:
With over a million views on X, Reddy’s comments have since sparked a broader debate about privilege, labour rights, and the ethics of celebrating cheap domestic labour in India. “It’s called labour abuse. Like you shouldn’t be proud about this,” a user wrote.
“Incredible. Just imagine how many more you’d employ if you were in the highest caste? What a country! Even the lower caste families can have slave labour,” another user commented.
“You live like this at the expense of someone else’s misery. That someone is an unfortunate Indian. The reason why you can’t afford a maid elsewhere is because everyone live a good life. Proves Yacine point,” a third user reacted.
Earlier, a Russian woman living in Bengaluru caught the internet’s attention after she revealed that she pays Rs 45,000 a month to her househelp, along with performance KPIs, driving lessons, and yearly hikes.
