₹1 crore is the number almost every Indian investor circles first — and a monthly SIP is the most realistic way salaried people actually get there. How much you need each month comes down to one thing above all: how many years you give it. Here's what it takes, and why time does most of the heavy lifting.
The short answer (assuming a 12% return)
Diversified equity mutual funds have historically returned somewhere around 11–13% a year over long periods. Taking 12% as a working assumption, here's the monthly SIP that grows to ₹1 crore:
- 10 years → about ₹43,000 a month
- 15 years → about ₹19,800 a month
- 20 years → about ₹10,000 a month
- 25 years → about ₹5,300 a month
Look at the jump: stretching the goal from 10 to 20 years cuts the monthly amount more than four-fold — from ₹43,000 to ₹10,000. That isn't a bigger saving habit; it's compounding doing the work for you.
Try it on your numbersFD CalculatorFixed deposit maturityWhere the crore actually comes from
Take the 20-year case. You invest ₹10,000 a month — about ₹24 lakh of your own money over two decades. The remaining ₹76 lakh is pure compounding: returns earning returns. Wait 25 years instead and you contribute only about ₹15.9 lakh, while compounding adds roughly ₹84 lakh. The earlier you start, the more of the crore the market builds for you — and the less comes out of your pocket.
The honest caveats
- 12% is an assumption, not a promise. Equity returns are lumpy — some years are +30%, others −20%. The long-run average is what makes a SIP work, but your real result will differ.
- ₹1 crore in 25 years won't buy what ₹1 crore buys today. Inflation erodes it, so treat the target as a milestone, not a finish line.
- These figures are pre-tax. Long-term equity gains above ₹1.25 lakh a year are taxed at 12.5% when you redeem.
Do it with your own numbers
Pick your horizon and expected return to see the exact monthly SIP — and watch the year-by-year growth curve build:
SIP CalculatorOr jump straight to the answer for the classic 10-year goal — the exact monthly SIP for ₹1 crore, worked out with the growth curve:
SIP for ₹1 crore in 10 yearsGot a windfall instead of a monthly surplus? Compare investing it all at once:
Lumpsum CalculatorFrequently asked questions
- How much SIP do I need to reach ₹1 crore?
- Assuming a 12% annual return: about ₹43,000/month for 10 years, ₹19,800 for 15 years, ₹10,000 for 20 years, or ₹5,300 for 25 years. The longer your horizon, the less you need each month — compounding does the rest.
- Why does starting early reduce the monthly SIP so much?
- Because most of the corpus comes from compounding, not your contributions. In the 20-year case you invest about ₹24 lakh and the market adds ₹76 lakh. Stretch to 25 years and you contribute just ₹15.9 lakh while compounding adds ₹84 lakh.
- Is a 12% SIP return guaranteed?
- No. 12% is a long-run working assumption for diversified equity funds; real returns are lumpy — some years +30%, others −20%. Treat ₹1 crore as a milestone, and remember inflation erodes its future value.