Can a wife be asked to pay maintenance to her husband in India?

Yes — maintenance obligations under Indian law aren't automatically one-directional. Several personal laws and the general maintenance provision are gender-neutral or have been interpreted to allow a financially weaker husband to claim maintenance from a wife with sufficient means, particularly where he is unable to maintain himself.

Courts examine the same broad factors regardless of which spouse is claiming — relative income and earning capacity of both parties, the standard of living during the marriage, and the claimant's reasonable needs — rather than assuming the wife is always the financially dependent party.

That said, in practice such claims by husbands are less commonly seen and can sometimes face closer scrutiny, so it helps to have clear, well-documented evidence of your husband's actual financial situation and needs if this is likely to come up in your case. Discussing your specific financial circumstances with a family lawyer will help you understand what to realistically expect.