How Much Retirement Corpus Do You Need?
How to estimate retirement corpus in India using expenses, inflation, life expectancy, and post-retirement return assumptions.
Quick answer
Your retirement corpus depends mainly on current expenses, inflation, years to retirement, retirement duration, and post-retirement returns. A round number like Rs 1 crore can be too low or too high depending on your expenses.
When this matters
This is useful when you want to compare scenarios using your own numbers instead of generic rules. It is designed for Indian households using Niyamfin calculators for private, browser-side estimates.
Key numbers or assumptions
- MoSPI reported provisional all-India CPI inflation for May 2026; use current inflation data only as context, not as a permanent forecast.
- Long-term retirement calculators can test multiple inflation and return assumptions.
- Post-retirement money usually needs a more conservative risk mix than accumulation-stage investing.
Example calculation
If today’s monthly expenses are Rs 80,000, inflation can make the retirement-year expense much higher. The calculator inflates expenses first, then estimates the corpus needed to fund retirement cashflows.
Use the calculator
Want to estimate this with your own numbers? Use the relevant Niyamfin calculators below.
Common mistakes
- Using today’s expenses without inflation.
- Assuming retirement ends at 70.
- Ignoring healthcare and housing changes after retirement.
What to do next
Run a base case, a conservative case, and a stress case before deciding whether your current SIP is enough.
Data sources checked
Data last checked: 2026-06-13
Disclaimer
This article is for general education only. It does not provide financial, investment, tax, insurance, lending, or legal advice and should not be used as the basis for financial decisions.