October 28, 2026

It may sound strange when I say this, but ‘for me and my friends, Bangalore is Dubai!’

Why Bangalore? Because, for some people, Bangalore has provided an opportunity to earn well, build assets, support their families and eventually return to their hometowns in other parts of India, to lead a peaceful and financially secure life - without ever having to leave India.

This became particularly evident during the boom in the Medical Transcription (MT) industry, especially between 2000 and 2015. During its peak, the medical transcriptionists could earn salaries comparable to engineers. Between 2005 and 2008, particularly, many engineers who had entered the job market during the IT slowdown also joined the medical transcription industry.

I entered the MT industry in January 2003. After completing my training, it took me less than a year to surpass the salaries of many of my non-engineering friends. With incentives, perks and bonuses included, I was earning almost two to two-and-a-half times my friends were earning in other industries or in their academic jobs.

It is evident that three of my co-workers with whom I worked along went far beyond that. They were not engineers, not bright students or had high marks. In fact, they all came from Assam, Gujarat and Kerala. They arrived in Bengaluru in their mid-twenties, unmarried, ambitious and determined to change their lives. They worked exceptionally hard, lived frugally and invested their earnings wisely.

Their stories made me realise that wealth is not always about how much you earn; it is about what you do with what you earn.

1. The Friend from Kerala

My friend from Kerala was extremely focused. He worked long hours and lived in a small room just a few hundred metres away from the organisation. He kept his expenses to a minimum and channelled most of his earnings towards investments.

In 2004, he purchased a plot. Within just three years, he cleared the loan and, in 2007, purchased an apartment. Rather than living there himself, he rented it out and used the rental income to pay the EMI. Meanwhile, he continued living in a modest room that costed him only about Rs 2,000 a month. In 2009, he purchased farmland in his hometown and rebuilt his parents' house.

By the time he was around 35, the value of his investments had multiplied significantly. He sold the plot and apartment, resigned from his job and returned to his hometown to live with his parents and start a business of his own. He would often say: “For me, Bangalore is Dubai.” At first, I thought it was simply a humorous expression. Later, I understood what he meant.

2. The Friend from Gujarat

My friend from Gujarat was equally determined. He routinely worked 12 to 14 hours a day and lived close to the organisation in a modest room on the rooftop, paying around Rs 1,500 in rent in 2003.

One day, he learned that the owner of the property wanted to sell the house because of his financial difficulties. The property was a 30×40 site.

He approached the owner and asked, “How much are you selling the property for?”

The owner replied, “Rs 12 lakh.”

My friend calmly asked, “What is your final price?”

The owner laughed. He could hardly believe that a 25-year-old tenant was talking about buying a Rs 12-lakh property.

My friend simply said, “Give me a week. Please don't sell it to anyone until then.”

He immediately approached a bank. Based on his income, the bank agreed to provide him with a loan of around Rs 11 lakh.

He returned to the owner and said, “Now tell me your final price. We can close the deal within a week.”

The owner's attitude changed completely and my friend eventually purchased that property at Rs 11.5 lakh. He rented out the property and used the rental income, along with his earnings, to aggressively repay the loan. Within about five years, he had cleared the principal and interest.

But he did not stop there. He later purchased an apartment for his parents in Gujarat so that they would no longer have to live in a rented house. He continued working, saving and investing.

In 2017 where he was barely 38, sold the Bengaluru property for around Rs 60 lakh which he had bought for Rs 11.5 lakh in 2003. He resigned from his job, returned to Gujarat with his wife, purchased about three acres of agricultural land and started a food business there. Most importantly, he started his business using his savings rather than taking another loan.

And his favourite line remained: “For me, Bangalore is Dubai.”

3. The Friend from Assam

Then there was my friend from Assam. His circumstances were more difficult. His father had health issues, and he knew that he had to shoulder significant family responsibilities. He worked extraordinarily hard, sometimes putting in nearly 19 or 20 hours a day.

When I was earning around Rs 35,000 a month in 2005, he was earning close to Rs 90,000 by consistently reaching the highest incentive slabs.

It was a remarkable win-win situation. He earned more because of his extraordinary productivity, while the organisation benefited because he helped ensure that deadlines were never missed out. His output was sometimes equivalent to that of several employees. But he wasn't working simply for money, he was working for a purpose.

Over the years, he built a substantial house in Assam, purchased agricultural land and made every effort to ensure that his father received the care he needed.

After having served 13 years in the industry while he was barely 36, he finally resigned and returned home to Assam.

And yes, he too would say: “For me, Bangalore is Dubai!”

And Then There Was Me

My story is too similar to them. I had three sisters to take care amidst my father’s ailing health and I had to shoulder considerable family responsibilities. One of my sisters was born blind, another was pursuing her engineering degree with educational loan, while the other was working as a receptionist.

When I was barely 28, my father passed away leaving behind a 600 sq ft house but he left me something far more valuable: his advice. He constantly told me to remain focused on my goals. He would often compare life to a horse running a race advising “Don't look left or right; keep your eyes focused on the goal as the horse would do to win the race.”

His advice was rather unconventional at times. He would jokingly tell me not to buy a bike because, according to him, I might end up giving a girl a ride, then a few weeks later I might end up in a marriage proposal. He also advised me to dress formally so that I would remain focused on my work rather than getting distracted. Whether his methods were conventional or not, I simple followed his advice.

By the time I was 35, I had taken substantial bank loans and had built a three-and-a-half storey structure. The initial years proved too difficult, with my wife being a homemaker and being blessed with two children, life seemed to be tough.

But today, after more than a decade, things are very different.

We are approaching the end of our loans. The rents will eventually become our second income, which would give us financial stability during our retirement years. For a man without a govt pension, rents will eventually become a pension.

Looking back, I realise that the journey was never easy but it was worthwhile.

So, Is Bangalore Really Dubai?

Perhaps not literally but in a different sense, yes. For my three friends and me, Bengaluru provided an opportunity to earn through our own hard work, build assets, support our families and eventually achieve financial independence. None of us had to go abroad to create wealth. The money we earned in India was sufficient - provided we were disciplined about how we earned, saved and invested it. I am not saying going to Dubai is bad, it indeed creates huge wealth and changes your lifestyle and your perspective, but living in India, earning in Indian Rupees, building house in India Rupees, living among your friends and relatives, attending family and friends’ ceremonies, meeting people everyday while bringing milk or vegetables, greeting them while walking saying ‘Good Morning or Hi’ is something we need to look in. That is why, for myself and my friends, Bangalore is Dubai!

Simple advice: Be humble, be righteous, be honest, live simple, work sincerely, save diligently, invest wisely and stay focused on your goals. When you follow all these, you may discover that the place you are already living in, can become your own “Dubai.”