'₹1.2 crore to ₹9 crore': CA shares what a real retirement corpus should look like in India
The silent villain, he adds, is inflation. At an annual rate of 6.5%, your expenses double roughly every 11 years. “If you spend ₹60,000 a month today, you’ll need ₹1.2 lakh a month in your 60s — without even upgrading your lifestyle.”
- Nov 10, 2025,
- Updated Nov 10, 2025 3:35 PM IST
Retirement planning isn’t just about setting money aside for the future — it’s about giving yourself time for your money to grow. The earlier you start investing, the more powerful the effect of compounding becomes, turning small, regular contributions into a substantial retirement cushion over decades.
Early investors benefit from growth on both their initial savings and the returns those savings generate — a snowball effect that’s nearly impossible to replicate later in life. Starting young also means you can invest smaller amounts without straining your current lifestyle, while still securing long-term financial comfort.
“Retirement isn’t about stopping work. It’s about not working out of fear,” writes CA Nitin Kaushik in a post on X (formerly Twitter) — a reminder that retirement is no longer about age, but about financial readiness.
In a thread that has struck a chord with young earners and mid-career professionals alike, Kaushik breaks down what a realistic retirement corpus looks like in India in 2025 — and the numbers are sobering.
“A few lakhs won’t even cover your medical bills and daily comfort for long,” he cautions.
According to Kaushik, the cost of peaceful living after 60 depends heavily on geography. Those in a Tier 3 city would need around ₹1.2 crore, in a Tier 2 city roughly ₹3.5 crore, and in metros like Delhi, Mumbai, or Bengaluru, the figure could touch ₹8-9 crore just to maintain a basic lifestyle.
Why the wide gap? It’s not just the higher rent or food bills — healthcare, utilities, and everyday inflation silently chip away at savings. “Healthcare alone eats up 10-15% of your retirement budget,” Kaushik notes. Even maintaining a modest standard of living in a metro could mean ₹80,000-₹1 lakh per month in expenses.
The silent villain, he adds, is inflation. At an annual rate of 6.5%, your expenses double roughly every 11 years. “If you spend ₹60,000 a month today, you’ll need ₹1.2 lakh a month in your 60s — without even upgrading your lifestyle.”
Kaushik uses the 30x Rule — multiply your annual expenses by 30 — to estimate your minimum retirement corpus. For instance, if your yearly spend is ₹8 lakh, you’ll need ₹2.4 crore to sustain that lifestyle without financial stress.
But the most powerful message in Kaushik’s post isn’t the math — it’s the mindset. He shows how delaying investments by just a decade can shrink your retirement wealth dramatically.
“If you invest ₹9,000 per month for 35 years at a 12% return, you’ll build about ₹5.8 crore. Start ten years later, and you’ll have only ₹1.8 crore — a ₹4 crore loss simply for waiting.”
That’s the compounding gap — and the cost of procrastination.
Kaushik’s takeaway is clear and deeply pragmatic: start early, even if it’s small. “Even ₹2,000–₹5,000 a month in a disciplined SIP can create a life where your 60-year-old self thanks your 30-year-old self,” he writes.
In an era of flashy investments and get-rich-quick advice, his words bring the focus back to consistency and calm — the true currency of a secure retirement.
“Retirement,” Kaushik concludes, “is not about escaping work — it’s about escaping financial pressure. It’s not about luxury villas — it’s about not checking your bank balance before a doctor visit.”
Retirement planning isn’t just about setting money aside for the future — it’s about giving yourself time for your money to grow. The earlier you start investing, the more powerful the effect of compounding becomes, turning small, regular contributions into a substantial retirement cushion over decades.
Early investors benefit from growth on both their initial savings and the returns those savings generate — a snowball effect that’s nearly impossible to replicate later in life. Starting young also means you can invest smaller amounts without straining your current lifestyle, while still securing long-term financial comfort.
“Retirement isn’t about stopping work. It’s about not working out of fear,” writes CA Nitin Kaushik in a post on X (formerly Twitter) — a reminder that retirement is no longer about age, but about financial readiness.
In a thread that has struck a chord with young earners and mid-career professionals alike, Kaushik breaks down what a realistic retirement corpus looks like in India in 2025 — and the numbers are sobering.
“A few lakhs won’t even cover your medical bills and daily comfort for long,” he cautions.
According to Kaushik, the cost of peaceful living after 60 depends heavily on geography. Those in a Tier 3 city would need around ₹1.2 crore, in a Tier 2 city roughly ₹3.5 crore, and in metros like Delhi, Mumbai, or Bengaluru, the figure could touch ₹8-9 crore just to maintain a basic lifestyle.
Why the wide gap? It’s not just the higher rent or food bills — healthcare, utilities, and everyday inflation silently chip away at savings. “Healthcare alone eats up 10-15% of your retirement budget,” Kaushik notes. Even maintaining a modest standard of living in a metro could mean ₹80,000-₹1 lakh per month in expenses.
The silent villain, he adds, is inflation. At an annual rate of 6.5%, your expenses double roughly every 11 years. “If you spend ₹60,000 a month today, you’ll need ₹1.2 lakh a month in your 60s — without even upgrading your lifestyle.”
Kaushik uses the 30x Rule — multiply your annual expenses by 30 — to estimate your minimum retirement corpus. For instance, if your yearly spend is ₹8 lakh, you’ll need ₹2.4 crore to sustain that lifestyle without financial stress.
But the most powerful message in Kaushik’s post isn’t the math — it’s the mindset. He shows how delaying investments by just a decade can shrink your retirement wealth dramatically.
“If you invest ₹9,000 per month for 35 years at a 12% return, you’ll build about ₹5.8 crore. Start ten years later, and you’ll have only ₹1.8 crore — a ₹4 crore loss simply for waiting.”
That’s the compounding gap — and the cost of procrastination.
Kaushik’s takeaway is clear and deeply pragmatic: start early, even if it’s small. “Even ₹2,000–₹5,000 a month in a disciplined SIP can create a life where your 60-year-old self thanks your 30-year-old self,” he writes.
In an era of flashy investments and get-rich-quick advice, his words bring the focus back to consistency and calm — the true currency of a secure retirement.
“Retirement,” Kaushik concludes, “is not about escaping work — it’s about escaping financial pressure. It’s not about luxury villas — it’s about not checking your bank balance before a doctor visit.”