SIP for 20 years

Over 20 years at 12% a year, ₹10,000 a month projects to ₹99,91,479 — ₹24,00,000 of your money and ₹75.91 L from compounding, which is 76% of the total. The table below covers every common instalment.

By Sudarshan Babar · Software engineer and founder of the getinfotoyou tool network Updated

Your 20-year SIP

₹500₹1 lakh

What leaves your bank account every month. Type any amount — the slider is just a shortcut.

%
1%25%

An assumption, not a promise. Equity funds are usually modelled at 10–12%; see what rate to assume.

years
1 year40 years
%
0%12%

Set 0 to switch the "today’s money" column off. India’s CPI has averaged close to 6% over the past decade; the RBI targets 4% with a 2-point band.

What it becomes

Total you put in ₹24,00,000
Added by compounding ₹75,91,479
Share from compounding 76%
Worth in today’s money ₹31,15,390
Projected value ₹99,91,479
₹0₹25 L₹50 L₹75 L₹1 Cr036912151820

What you investWhat compounding addsValue in today’s money

Year-by-year growth of a ₹10,000 monthly SIP at 12% a year.
YearMonthlyInvested so farReturnsValue at year endIn today’s money
1₹10,000₹1,20,000₹8,093₹1,28,093₹1,20,843
2₹10,000₹2,40,000₹32,432₹2,72,432₹2,42,464
3₹10,000₹3,60,000₹75,076₹4,35,076₹3,65,299
4₹10,000₹4,80,000₹1,38,348₹6,18,348₹4,89,790
5₹10,000₹6,00,000₹2,24,864₹8,24,864₹6,16,386
6₹10,000₹7,20,000₹3,37,570₹10,57,570₹7,45,545
7₹10,000₹8,40,000₹4,79,790₹13,19,790₹8,77,736
8₹10,000₹9,60,000₹6,55,266₹16,15,266₹10,13,438
9₹10,000₹10,80,000₹8,68,215₹19,48,215₹11,53,145
10₹10,000₹12,00,000₹11,23,391₹23,23,391₹12,97,369
11₹10,000₹13,20,000₹14,26,148₹27,46,148₹14,46,637
12₹10,000₹14,40,000₹17,82,522₹32,22,522₹16,01,495
13₹10,000₹15,60,000₹21,99,311₹37,59,311₹17,62,512
14₹10,000₹16,80,000₹26,84,180₹43,64,180₹19,30,281
15₹10,000₹18,00,000₹32,45,760₹50,45,760₹21,05,419
16₹10,000₹19,20,000₹38,93,782₹58,13,782₹22,88,574
17₹10,000₹20,40,000₹46,39,208₹66,79,208₹24,80,420
18₹10,000₹21,60,000₹54,94,392₹76,54,392₹26,81,669
19₹10,000₹22,80,000₹64,73,254₹87,53,254₹28,93,064
20₹10,000₹24,00,000₹75,91,479₹99,91,479₹31,15,390

Twenty years: where a step-up has the most leverage

Over 20 years, ₹10,000 a month projects to ₹99,91,479, with 76% of it contributed by compounding.

But the more interesting number on a twenty-year horizon is what a step-up does. The same starting instalment, raised 10% a year, reaches ₹1,98,88,715 — ₹98.97 L more.

Twenty years is where that leverage is largest, because early increases still get seventeen or eighteen years to compound. On a five-year horizon a step-up barely registers; here it can be the difference between reaching a goal and missing it.

The other thing twenty years does is make inflation impossible to ignore. ₹99,91,479 in twenty years is worth about ₹31.15 L in today's money — the yardstick moved as much as the balance did. Any twenty-year plan quoted in nominal rupees is overstating itself by roughly a factor of three. Use the inflation-adjusted calculator for the number that matters.

Every monthly amount over 20 years

Same 20-year term, different instalments, all at 12% a year.

Different monthly amounts over 20 years at 12% a year
MonthlyYou investProjected valueIn today’s money
₹1,000₹2,40,000₹9,99,148₹3.12 L
₹2,000₹4,80,000₹19,98,296₹6.23 L
₹5,000₹12,00,000₹49,95,740₹15.58 L
₹10,000₹24,00,000₹99,91,479₹31.15 L
₹15,000₹36,00,000₹1,49,87,219₹46.73 L
₹25,000₹60,00,000₹2,49,78,698₹77.88 L
₹50,000₹1,20,00,000₹4,99,57,396₹1.56 Cr

Questions people actually ask

How much will I have after 20 years of SIP?

At 12% a year: ₹49,95,740 from ₹5,000 a month, ₹99,91,479 from ₹10,000, and ₹2,49,78,698 from ₹25,000. The full table is above.

These are projections from a rate you chose, not forecasts. Run them three points lower before relying on them.

Is 20 years long enough for equity?

Generally yes. 20 years contains multiple market cycles, which is what equity needs to work as intended.

The usual refinement is to shift progressively into debt over the final two or three years, so the outcome is not decided by whatever the market does in the month you need the money.

What is a 20-year SIP worth after inflation?

At 6% inflation, the ₹10,000-a-month projection of ₹99,91,479 is worth about ₹31.15 L in today's money.

Over 20 years that gap is 69% of the headline figure, which is why any long-horizon plan should be read in real terms.