Ex-CEO shocked at Rs 13 lakh a year in school fees in India. IITian responds: My fees was...

Time of India

2 days ago

Think raising a child is expensive? Try doing it in a metro city, with dreams of giving them the 'best' education. A LinkedIn post by Mumbai-based ex-founder Ankur Jhaveri is striking a chord across social media for laying bare what many young Indians are quietly grappling with: education fees of children. In his post, Jhaveri confessed he never truly understood the actual cost of raising kids until he spoke to his cousin, a teacher at an international school. What followed was a no-frills, back-of-the-envelope calculation. However, many did not agree with his calculations and some even called out parents' 'fear of missing out(FOMO)' which needs to be urgently addressed.
According to Jhaveri, tuition fees at a typical international school range between ₹7–9 lakh a year. That's just the beginning. Add another ₹2–4 lakh for uniforms, books, private tuitions, and other academic expenses. The yearly education bill already touches ₹12 lakh—and we haven't even factored in the birthday parties, clothes, coaching classes, and extra-curriculars, which bring the total to around ₹13 lakh per year.
So, how much do you need to earn to afford this? Jhaveri breaks it down: if you're spending roughly 30% of your income on your child, your net income should be at least ₹44 lakh annually. Factor in taxes (say, a blended 20%), and your gross salary should ideally be around ₹55 lakh to sustain this lifestyle, for one child.
"And if you want a second kid?" Jhaveri jokes, 'Picture abhi baaki hai mere dost,' reminding readers that doubling those numbers might well push it into luxury territory.
Netizens do not seem to agree with him
The post quickly went viral, Some pushed back, arguing that ICSE or state board schools charge far less. But Jhaveri clarified that most urban parents—especially the LinkedIn demographic—aspire to the best for their kids, and legacy ICSE institutions are both tough to get into and, increasingly, not as 'affordable' as assumed.
Several users weighed in on Ankur Jhaveri's viral LinkedIn post, offering alternative perspectives and challenging the assumptions around the
cost of raising children
in India. One user shared that they are raising two children enrolled in an ICSE school, with total annual costs—including books, uniforms, and transport—coming in under Rs 2 lakh. Even after adding hobby classes like piano, Carnatic vocals, and cricket, their total yearly spend remains well under Rs 3 lakh. In their view, anything beyond this figure is more about lifestyle choices than necessity.
Girish Chandankar, an IIT-Bombay graduate, pointed out the distinction between genuinely good schools and what he referred to as 'branded' schools. He shared that his own school charged less than Rs 15,000 annually and, even now, hasn't crossed the Rs 1 lakh mark. For him, the key lies in making informed choices rather than simply gravitating toward expensive institutions.
Others echoed the sentiment, noting that not all quality schools charge exorbitant fees. Many reputable ICSE, CBSE, and even IGCSE schools offer excellent education within a range of Rs 1–2 lakh per year. This significantly changes the equation laid out in the original post.
One user went further, identifying a deeper issue: the fear of missing out (FOMO). They argued that the pressure to choose high-fee schools is often driven by competitive parenting and social comparison, rather than a child's actual needs. If parents are paying Rs 7–9 lakh in tuition and still feel the need for additional tuitions from early grades—long before competitive exams even begin—it raises concerns about both the school's effectiveness and the mounting pressure placed on the child. In the end, they suggested, it's FOMO that's distorting not just financial decisions, but the very essence of parenting itself.