NPS calculator
₹5,000 a month into NPS for 30 years at 10% builds a corpus of about ₹1.14 Cr. At least 40% of it must buy an annuity, so you can withdraw ₹68.38 L and the rest funds a pension of roughly ₹22,793 a month at a 6% annuity rate.
Your NPS contributions
What leaves your bank account every month. Type any amount — the slider is just a shortcut.
NPS funds are a mix of equity and debt, and the equity share is capped, so assume less than a pure equity fund.
NPS rules require at least 40% of the corpus to buy an annuity at exit.
Corpus, split and pension
What you investWhat compounding adds
| Year | Monthly | Invested so far | Returns | Value at year end |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ₹5,000 | ₹60,000 | ₹3,351 | ₹63,351 |
| 2 | ₹5,000 | ₹1,20,000 | ₹13,337 | ₹1,33,337 |
| 3 | ₹5,000 | ₹1,80,000 | ₹30,650 | ₹2,10,650 |
| 4 | ₹5,000 | ₹2,40,000 | ₹56,059 | ₹2,96,059 |
| 5 | ₹5,000 | ₹3,00,000 | ₹90,412 | ₹3,90,412 |
| 6 | ₹5,000 | ₹3,60,000 | ₹1,34,645 | ₹4,94,645 |
| 7 | ₹5,000 | ₹4,20,000 | ₹1,89,792 | ₹6,09,792 |
| 8 | ₹5,000 | ₹4,80,000 | ₹2,56,996 | ₹7,36,996 |
| 9 | ₹5,000 | ₹5,40,000 | ₹3,37,521 | ₹8,77,521 |
| 10 | ₹5,000 | ₹6,00,000 | ₹4,32,760 | ₹10,32,760 |
| 11 | ₹5,000 | ₹6,60,000 | ₹5,44,255 | ₹12,04,255 |
| 12 | ₹5,000 | ₹7,20,000 | ₹6,73,708 | ₹13,93,708 |
| 13 | ₹5,000 | ₹7,80,000 | ₹8,22,998 | ₹16,02,998 |
| 14 | ₹5,000 | ₹8,40,000 | ₹9,94,205 | ₹18,34,205 |
| 15 | ₹5,000 | ₹9,00,000 | ₹11,89,621 | ₹20,89,621 |
| 16 | ₹5,000 | ₹9,60,000 | ₹14,11,783 | ₹23,71,783 |
| 17 | ₹5,000 | ₹10,20,000 | ₹16,63,492 | ₹26,83,492 |
| 18 | ₹5,000 | ₹10,80,000 | ₹19,47,840 | ₹30,27,840 |
| 19 | ₹5,000 | ₹11,40,000 | ₹22,68,245 | ₹34,08,245 |
| 20 | ₹5,000 | ₹12,00,000 | ₹26,28,485 | ₹38,28,485 |
| 21 | ₹5,000 | ₹12,60,000 | ₹30,32,728 | ₹42,92,728 |
| 22 | ₹5,000 | ₹13,20,000 | ₹34,85,584 | ₹48,05,584 |
| 23 | ₹5,000 | ₹13,80,000 | ₹39,92,143 | ₹53,72,143 |
| 24 | ₹5,000 | ₹14,40,000 | ₹45,58,028 | ₹59,98,028 |
| 25 | ₹5,000 | ₹15,00,000 | ₹51,89,452 | ₹66,89,452 |
| 26 | ₹5,000 | ₹15,60,000 | ₹58,93,276 | ₹74,53,276 |
| 27 | ₹5,000 | ₹16,20,000 | ₹66,77,083 | ₹82,97,083 |
| 28 | ₹5,000 | ₹16,80,000 | ₹75,49,247 | ₹92,29,247 |
| 29 | ₹5,000 | ₹17,40,000 | ₹85,19,022 | ₹1,02,59,022 |
| 30 | ₹5,000 | ₹18,00,000 | ₹95,96,627 | ₹1,13,96,627 |
The constraint that makes NPS different
NPS is not a mutual fund with a tax break. At exit, at least 40% of the corpus must be used to purchase an annuity from an insurer, and that money stops being yours as a balance — it becomes an income stream.
Two consequences worth sitting with:
- You are exposed to annuity rates decades from now, not today's. Build a corpus of ₹1 crore and buy an annuity at 5% instead of 7% and your pension is nearly a third smaller, for reasons entirely outside your control.
- Annuity income is taxed as income at your slab, each year, for life. The 60% lump sum is tax-free at withdrawal; the annuity portion is not.
The trade is a genuine one — you get an extra ₹50,000 deduction under 80CCD(1B) on top of 80C, plus very low costs — but the illiquidity at the end is the part that gets glossed over.
Why the return assumption should be lower here
NPS caps equity exposure — 75% at most in the active choice, tapering with age in the auto choice — with the rest in government and corporate bonds. A blended portfolio like that should be modelled below a pure equity fund.
10% is the default here rather than 12% for that reason. If you want a like-for-like comparison against an equity SIP, run both at their own realistic rates rather than the same one.
Note also that this page models a level contribution. Since NPS is usually tied to salary, a step-up pattern is often the more realistic shape.
Before you rely on this
An estimate, not a forecast
This is arithmetic applied to assumptions you chose. Mutual funds carry market risk, returns are not guaranteed, and past performance does not indicate future results. Nothing here is personalised advice — for decisions of any size, speak to a SEBI-registered investment adviser.
Questions people actually ask
How much of my NPS corpus can I withdraw at 60?
Up to 60% as a tax-free lump sum, with at least 40% going into an annuity. If the total corpus is small enough to fall under the prescribed threshold, full withdrawal is permitted.
The calculator lets you model a larger annuity share too, since some people prefer more guaranteed income.
What tax benefits does NPS give?
Under the old regime: contributions count within the ₹1.5 lakh 80C cap, plus an additional ₹50,000 deduction under 80CCD(1B) that is exclusive to NPS. Employer contributions have their own treatment under 80CCD(2), which is also available in the new regime.
Rules and limits change — verify the current position with the Income Tax Department or a tax professional before planning around them.
Is NPS better than an equity mutual fund SIP?
Different instruments. NPS gives an extra deduction, very low costs and enforced discipline; a mutual fund SIP gives full liquidity, no annuity requirement and unconstrained equity exposure.
Many people use both: NPS for the extra ₹50,000 deduction, and a plain SIP for everything beyond that, precisely to avoid locking more than necessary into an annuity.
What annuity rate should I assume?
6% is a reasonable current-ish placeholder, but you will buy the annuity decades from now at whatever rates exist then. Model 5% as well and see how much the pension falls.
That sensitivity is the single most under-appreciated risk in NPS planning.