How much retirement corpus do I need in India?

The most common rule is 25–30× your annual expenses at retirement (the 4% rule). If your retirement monthly expenses are ₹1 lakh (in today's money), inflated to ₹2.4 lakh in 15 years at 6% inflation, annual expenses = ₹28.8 lakh, required corpus = ₹7.2–8.6 crore. Use the calculator above for your exact scenario.

What return should I assume for retirement planning?

Pre-retirement (accumulation phase): 12% for an equity-heavy portfolio. Post-retirement (drawdown phase): 7–8% for a conservative debt/balanced portfolio — you cannot afford high equity risk when drawing down. Inflation assumption: 6% (conservative for India). The real return post-retirement = (1 + 0.08) ÷ (1 + 0.06) − 1 = 1.9%, which determines how long your corpus lasts.

What is the 4% withdrawal rule and does it apply in India?

The 4% rule says you can withdraw 4% of your corpus annually without running out of money for 30 years (based on US market data). In India, this may need adjustment due to higher inflation (6% vs 2–3% in the US). A safer withdrawal rate for India is 3–3.5% annually. So a ₹10 crore corpus supports ₹30–35 lakh withdrawal per year, or ₹2.5–2.9 lakh per month.

Should I include EPF and NPS in retirement corpus calculation?

Yes. Add your projected EPF corpus (employer + employee contributions at 8.25% guaranteed return) and NPS corpus (equity NPS has historically returned 10–12%) to reduce the SIP amount needed from equity mutual funds. BullWiser's retirement calculator shows the total corpus needed — subtract your projected EPF and NPS to get the gap to fill via SIP.

Inflation-Adjusted · India

Retirement Calculator

How much do you need to retire comfortably in India? We factor in inflation during accumulation, real returns during retirement, and how long your corpus needs to last — all adjusted for Indian economic reality.

📚 Understand This Calculator

Retirement planning: how much money do you need to never work again?

Retirement planning has two separate problems that most people confuse into one. Problem 1: How big a corpus do you need at retirement? Problem 2: What monthly SIP builds that corpus by retirement? This calculator solves both — and accounts for the most-forgotten factor: inflation will make your monthly expenses 3–4× larger by the time you retire.

🇮🇳 Real-Life Example

Suresh is 35 today. He spends ₹60,000/month. He wants to retire at 60 and needs money until 85.

📌 Step 1 — Inflation-adjusted expenses: At 6% inflation for 25 years, ₹60,000/month becomes ₹2,57,000/month at retirement. Not ₹60,000. This surprises almost everyone.

📌 Step 2 — Retirement corpus needed: To pay ₹2,57,000/month for 25 years (age 60–85) at 7% post-retirement return: needs ₹3.8 crore corpus.

📌 Step 3 — Monthly SIP to build ₹3.8 crore in 25 years at 12% return: ₹26,500/month starting today.

If Suresh delays by 5 years (starts at 40): required SIP jumps to ₹52,000/month — nearly double, just for waiting 5 years.

💡 The Key Insight

Two numbers destroy most Indian retirement plans: (1) people underestimate how much inflation multiplies their future expenses, and (2) people plan to live only to age 75. With modern healthcare, plan your retirement corpus to last until 90. Running out of money at 82 is a financial catastrophe that no investment can fix retroactively.

⚠️ Common Mistake

Counting your EPF/PPF as "enough" for retirement. For most salaried Indians, EPF corpus at retirement covers 3–5 years of expenses, not 25. EPF is a safety buffer, not a retirement plan. It should supplement a proper SIP-based equity corpus — not replace it.

🏖️ Your Retirement Plan

Your Profile

Current Age

Retirement Age

Life Expectancy

Current Expenses

Monthly Expenses Today (₹)

Your current household spending per month

% of Expenses in Retirement

Typically 70–80% — no commute, children independent, EMIs done

Returns & Inflation

Inflation Rate (%)

Pre-Retirement Return (%)

Expected return on equity SIP during accumulation phase

Post-Retirement Return (%)

Conservative — debt/hybrid portfolio. Typically 6–8%

Existing Savings

Current Retirement Savings (₹)

PF + PPF + NPS + existing MFs earmarked for retirement

🏖️

Plan your retirement corpus

Enter your age, current expenses, and expected returns. We'll calculate the exact inflation-adjusted corpus you need and the monthly SIP to get there.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the 4% rule — is it applicable in India? ▾

The 4% rule (withdraw 4% of corpus annually) is based on US market data and may not translate directly to India. Key differences: India's inflation is higher (5–7% vs 2–3% in the US), Indian retirees have longer dependency on corpus (no universal Social Security), and Indian fixed income returns are relatively higher. A safer India-specific withdrawal rate is 3–3.5%, which this calculator uses by computing sustainable corpus based on real (inflation-adjusted) returns.

Should I include my EPF/PPF in the retirement corpus? ▾

Yes — enter the current market value of your EPF, PPF, NPS and any other retirement-designated savings in the "Existing Retirement Savings" field. The calculator projects these forward at your pre-retirement return rate and deducts from the required corpus, showing you the net additional SIP needed.

How should I invest my retirement corpus once I retire? ▾

A common approach for Indian retirees: 40–50% in conservative hybrid or balanced advantage funds, 30–40% in debt funds / Senior Citizen Savings Scheme (SCSS) / RBI Floating Rate Bonds, 10–20% remaining in equity for inflation protection. This mix typically yields 6–8% returns (what we use as the post-retirement return), while systematic withdrawal from debt portions preserves the equity for growth. Consult a SEBI-RIA for personalised allocation.

Related Calculators

Build Your Retirement Portfolio

BullWiser's MF Analyser helps you select the right mix of equity and hybrid funds for your retirement accumulation phase. Compare Direct plans with full transparency.