Rs 10 crore by 45: Is your SIP strong enough to beat inflation and last 45 more years?

Retiring with Rs 10 crore by age 45 may sound ambitious, but it's achievable with discipline and the right investment plan. A monthly SIP of Rs 75,000, compounded at an expected annual return of 15.1%, can help reach that goal in 20 years. The question is—will this portfolio hold strong against inflation over the long term? With rising costs and lifestyle changes, Rs 10 crore may not stretch as far as it once did. Here's a breakdown of whether this SIP strategy is truly future-proof.

Is this SIP Investment Plan enough to survive inflation?

Monthly SIP: Rs 75,000

Expected Annual Return: 15.1%

Investment Horizon: 20 years

Target Portfolio Value: Rs 10 crore+

Advice by  Akhil Rathi, Head - Financial Advisory at 1 Finance.

A Rs 75,000 SIP with a 15.1% return for 20 years might give you Rs 10 crore — but the question is will it hold up against inflation? Future expenses, healthcare, and lifestyle upgrades could erode purchasing power. That’s why financial planners urge diversification beyond equity. Debt instruments, real assets, and global exposure can anchor your portfolio. Retirement wealth needs both growth and resilience.

Yes, based on pure mathematics, investing Rs 75,000 per month for 20 years at an assumed annual return of 15.1% will result in a corpus slightly above Rs 10 crore. Using the SIP future value formula, this amounts to approximately Rs 10.1 crore. This might be achievable if you remain consistent, disciplined, and if the market delivers the expected returns. However, it must be acknowledged that 15.1% is on the higher side, even for aggressive equity portfolios, and any long-term underperformance could lead to a shortfall.

While Rs 10 crore sounds like a large sum, it may not be enough to sustain your lifestyle if you retire at 45 and potentially live for another 45 years or more, given increasing life expectancies. Inflation, which averages around 6% annually, will significantly increase your expenses over time. For example, if your current household expenses are Rs 1 lakh per month, in 20 years these could inflate to around Rs 3.21 lakh per month. 

That’s nearly Rs 38–40 lakh per year just to maintain your current lifestyle. Drawing this amount from your corpus while keeping it invested conservatively may mean the Rs 10 crore gets exhausted earlier than you expect.

Retiring early is not just about reaching a number — it's about managing behaviour and expectations over decades. An Rs 75,000 SIP demands strong financial discipline, especially during market volatility or major life events such as marriage, children, or property purchases. Retirement planning is often ignored because it lacks urgency—until it’s too late. But your post-retirement years will test your patience, emotional control, and lifestyle choices. It’s easy to accumulate wealth, but much harder to preserve and wisely withdraw from it, especially over a long period without a paycheck.

Relying solely on SIPs or market-linked instruments isn’t enough. A holistic plan includes inflation-adjusted withdrawal strategies, healthcare planning (especially with rising medical costs), emergency funds, asset rebalancing from equity to safer options over time, and estate and tax planning to ensure the longevity of your wealth. In short, retiring at 45 is possible, but sustaining retirement until 90 demands layered financial strategies, not just a SIP. It’s not just about reaching Rs 10 crore; it’s about making that corpus work smartly for decades.