"₹1 crore" gets treated like a single milestone, but the monthly SIP required to reach it changes dramatically depending on one variable most people underweight: time.

Working backward from the goal

Rather than picking a SIP amount and hoping it adds up, work backward: target corpus, years to goal, and expected annual return determine the required monthly contribution. At a 12% expected annual return, reaching ₹1 crore takes roughly ₹43,000/month over 10 years, but only ₹10,000/month over 25 years — a 4x difference in monthly burden for 2.5x the time.

Why 5 years early beats 5% extra return

It's tempting to chase a higher-return fund to hit the goal faster, but starting 5 years earlier at a modest return usually beats starting late and chasing an aggressive one. Compounding needs time far more than it needs an extra percentage point — and a longer runway also means you can afford more volatility along the way, since there's time to recover from downturns.

Adjusting for inflation

A ₹1 crore goal set today buys meaningfully less in 20 years — at 6% inflation, roughly a third less in real purchasing power. If the goal is funding a fixed future need (a child's education, a home down payment), inflate the target itself, not just the return assumption, or the number you hit will fall short of what you actually needed.

Run your own numbers

Use our Investment Goal Planner to see the exact monthly SIP required for your goal amount, timeline, and expected return — and how much of the final corpus comes from your contributions versus growth.