43% of Indian HNIs save less than 20% of income, many lack emergency funds

The India Wealth Survey 2025, conducted by Marcellus Investment Managers in collaboration with Dun & Bradstreet, offers a revealing look into the financial habits, aspirations, and gaps among the country’s high-net-worth individuals (HNIs).

High-net-worth individuals (HNIs) in India are more financially literate, globally exposed, and technologically savvy than ever before due to factors like growing disposable incomes and generational changes in asset allocation. However, a lot of people still have trouble creating wealth in a disciplined way, which emphasises the need for individualised counselling and organised financial planning.

The poll found that 43% of high-net-worth individuals save less than 20% of their post-tax income. Despite wishes such as early retirement, home ownership, entrepreneurship, and children's education, many people lack the personal preparation and financial discipline required to make these dreams a reality. Notably, 14% do not have an emergency reserve, and more than half devote more than 20% of their wealth to real estate.

These insights point to a growing appetite for expert advice. A striking 82% believe professional financial planning improves their chances of achieving long-term goals, while 51% seek help with diversification, and 38% want customised asset allocation aligned to their risk-return appetite. As India’s affluent households continue to grow in number and sophistication, the demand for financial advisors who offer personalized, transparent, and goal-driven guidance will only increase.

Of households with incomes of at least Rs 10 crore, 63% save more than 30%, but only 17% invest more than 30% in stocks. Even though 44% of these households claim to be "very comfortable" with equity investing, 48% of them allocate more than 30% to real estate, and 65% of them only allocate 10% to 20% to gold or silver.

Although 76% of ultra-HNIs know how much money they need to invest for a comfortable retirement, they are still not very diversified.