A Bengaluru resident’s cheeky post has taken the internet by storm, reimagining the city’s top “career paths” — not by salary packages or LinkedIn titles, but by street-savvy Return on Indianness (ROI). The tongue-in-cheek list hilariously exposes the everyday moguls who thrive in the city’s informal economy.

At the top of the ranking? The iconic Indiranagar landlord, followed by the Koramangala broker, and the PG don who can fit six beds in one poky room and still claim it’s “spacious”. The painter who conveniently disappears after completing 70% of the job also made the cut, as did the elusive yellow water tanker CEO and the coworking space hustler who rents out broken desks by the hour.

The post resonated across Bengaluru, with residents contributing their own “honourable mentions.” A popular one? The road contractor who digs up the same lane thrice a year, clocking profits every time. Then there’s the chaiwala outside tech parks with Ivy League pricing instincts, and the Zomato delivery rider who’s faster than your team lead’s email reply.

Others saluted the Cubbon Park corn vendor running a monopoly, and the HSR layout resident who somehow owns the only parking spot for five blocks. The responses reveal a deeper truth: real estate and informal gigs in Bengaluru often yield better returns than conventional jobs — and no one’s even talking about taxes.