- Sajith Pai noted ironing charges in Bengaluru's Indiranagar are much higher than in Noida
- He paid Rs 5 per piece in Noida but found Bengaluru prices range from Rs 12 to Rs 20
- Higher costs may be due to Bengaluru vendors using LPG irons versus charcoal in NCR
Bengaluru-based venture capitalist Sajith Pai has caught social media's attention after comparing the city's high ironing charges to those in Noida. Having recently relocated to the Indiranagar neighbourhood, Pai expressed genuine surprise at the steep cost of local laundry services. While inflation has steadily driven up the prices of essential food, fuel, and utilities across India in recent months, primarily due to the US-Iran-Israel conflict, Pai's observation about the difference in hyper-local service pricing has led to a social media debate.
Pai said he previously paid around Rs 5 per piece in Noida and expected Bengaluru prices to be slightly higher. However, ironing rates in Indiranagar caught him by surprise.
"I moved early this month to Bengaluru, and one of the most surprising findings was the higher cost of ironing," wrote Pai in an X (formerly Twitter), adding: "Noida where I prev stayed was Rs 5 per piece which I know is a bit on the lower side, so I was expecting slighly higher prices but prices of Rs 12-20 per piece (admittedly this is in Indiranagar) surprised me."
Pai highlighted that even those who had moved from Mumbai were surprised by the ironing costs in Bengaluru. He added that the high price could be attributed to ironing vendors in Bengaluru using LPG-powered irons instead of traditional charcoal-filled iron boxes commonly seen in NCR cities.
"This could be one reason for the higher costs," said Pai. "A related point. Does the fact that there are more Tandoor restaurants in NCR play a role in lower charcoal costs in NCR vs BLR? I don't know, but I would love to hear theories for higher ironing costs/istri in our Luru."
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Social Media Reactions
As Pai's post gained traction, some users shared pricing from their neighbourhoods, while others highlighted that ironing is highly labour-intensive and that these vendors were not overcharging.
"In Surat, it costs Rs 10 for normal press and steam press at Rs 25. Electric is the only option I have seen here. Pickup and drop is free comes 3 times/week," said one user while another added: "Rs 7 per piece for normal iron and Rs 20 for steam iron in Thane. Some of the costs in this thread are mind-boggling. Didn't know any other city could be more expensive than the Mumbai Metropolitan Region."
A third commented: "These are labour-intensive jobs. It's not about input cost. Physical strain. Professional hazards. They are not overcharging."
A fourth said: "There is a similar difference with all chores where manual labour is involved. Iron, car cleaning, maids, cooks. All cheaper in NCR compared to other metro cities, particularly the south."
