Advice needed : How to Upgrade to HDFC Infinia or ICICI Emeralde Without Indian Income?

Hi everyone, Looking for some guidance on premium credit card upgrades — specifically HDFC Infinia or ICICI Emeralde.

Current Cibil: 791

Age: 32

Monthly Income and Employment status:

Monthly Expenses & Spending Patterns: travel , flights , Hotels etc ..

Top 5 Monthly spend categories and Top 5 Annual

Other Special Needs: lounge , rewards

My Situation:

I don’t have a salary/income in India anymore — I’ve started working abroad this year.

I currently hold an HDFC Regalia Gold, but don’t have an HDFC savings account.

I visited an HDFC branch, and the Branch Manager suggested closing my current Regalia Gold, opening an NRE/NRO account, and making a ₹12L fixed deposit. Only then, he said, they might help with Infinia. This doesn't sound like a formal or worthwhile offer to me.

ICICI: I do have a savings account, but only hold a Coral credit card. No clear upgrade path to Emerald , and the bank hasn't been proactive.

I also bank with Axis but only have entry-level cards like Horizon — nothing premium there either.

What I'm Looking For:

Is there a better or more realistic way to get HDFC Infinia or ICICI Emeralde without Indian income? Anyone successfully upgraded while being an NRI or without an Indian salary slip? Would building an FD or increasing spends on existing cards help? Or is it purely relationship manager-based luck?

Any advice, personal experiences, or alternate paths would be super helpful. Thanks in advance!