What is the difference between SIP and lump-sum investing?

A SIP invests a fixed amount every month regardless of price, averaging your cost across market cycles. A lump-sum invests the whole amount at one price point — better returns if the market goes up from there, worse if it falls. SIPs reduce timing risk; lump-sum maximises time in the market.

What annual return should I assume for a SIP calculator?

For long-term equity SIPs (10+ years), a 10–14 % assumption is realistic in the Indian market. Debt-fund SIPs typically project at 6–8 %. Use the lower bound when you need the corpus to be reliable, the higher bound when you want to see best-case potential.

Does the SIP calculator account for inflation or taxes?

No. The result is a nominal corpus before inflation and before capital-gains tax. To estimate real (inflation-adjusted) value, subtract a 5–6 % inflation rate from your return assumption before running the calculator. Long-term capital gains above ₹1 lakh attract 10 % LTCG tax.

How accurate is a SIP calculator?

The maths is exact, but the inputs are estimates. Real fund returns zig-zag year to year, NAVs settle at different times, and fund expenses (TER) reduce returns by 0.5–2 %. Use the calculator as a planning aid, not a guarantee.

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SIP preset

₹5,000 SIP for 20 years

A two-decade SIP turns a modest monthly cheque into serious wealth — see how the maths plays out.

A ₹5,000 monthly SIP for 20 years at 12 % return

A ₹5,000 monthly SIP held for 20 years at 12 % annualised return projects to roughly ₹50 lakh — of which only ₹12 lakh is your contribution and ₹38 lakh is compounding. The same ₹12 lakh invested as a lump sum on day one at the same rate would land near ₹1.16 Cr, illustrating how SIPs trade higher expected return for lower timing risk.

Formula used

FV = P × [((1+i)^n − 1) / i] × (1+i)

P = monthly investment, i = monthly rate (annual % ÷ 12 ÷ 100), n = tenure in months. FV is the future value at the end of the horizon.

How to use this SIP calculator

1Enter the monthly amount you plan to invest in rupees.
2Enter the expected annual return as a percentage (10–14 % is common for long-term equity).
3Enter the horizon in years (longer horizons swing results sharply because of compounding).
4Read the future-value, total-invested, and gains figures below the inputs.

Inputs

Monthly investment (₹)Most retail SIPs start at ₹500 / month.Expected annual return (%)Use a realistic long-term equity assumption (10–14% is common).Duration (years)Compounding rewards patience — long horizons swing results sharply.

Results

Estimated corpus

₹49,95,740

Total invested

₹12,00,000

Estimated gains

₹37,95,740

Returns are projections, not guarantees. Mutual funds are subject to market risk; past performance does not predict future results. Confirm with a SEBI-registered investment adviser before investing.

Your future, in numbers

Future you, 20 years from now: ₹49.96 L richer.

That’s ₹37.96 L the market handed you — for showing up every month while you slept, paid bills, lived life. Compounding does the heavy lifting once you stop trying to time it.

The journey from today → year 20

Month 1: just ₹5k into the SIP — almost invisible. Month 12: still small, but the first compounded ₹ landed. Month 240: ₹49.96 L. Same monthly cheque, all the way through.

Start the SIP — and track it in Extrack →

Numbers are projections from a constant return — real markets zig-zag. Confirm with a SEBI-registered adviser before committing real money.

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How is SIP corpus calculated?

We use the standard end-of-period SIP future-value formula: FV = P × [((1+i)^n − 1) / i] × (1+i), where P is the monthly investment, i is the monthly rate (annual % ÷ 12 ÷ 100) and n is the tenure in months. Real-world payouts vary with NAV timing and fund expenses.

What changes if you tweak the return

At 10 % (more conservative) the same SIP projects to roughly ₹38 lakh; at 14 % (best case) it lands near ₹66 lakh. The 4-percentage-point spread translates to ₹28 lakh of final-corpus uncertainty — which is why fund choice and TER matter more over long horizons than over short ones.