A 48-year-old professional earning Rs 4 lakhs per month wishes to retire at the age of 60 with a goal of building a retirement corpus of Rs 3 crore. For beginners, a disciplined mutual fund investment plan via Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs), this target is entirely achievable. Abhinav Angirish, CEO of InvestOnline.in, explains that for a 48-year-old earning Rs 4 lakh monthly and targeting Rs 3 crore in 12 years for retirement, a disciplined SIP approach can be highly effective. Assuming a 12-15% annual return, which is realistic for equity-oriented mutual funds over the long term, SIPs of Rs 1.34 lakh to Rs 1.68 lakh per month would be needed. It is, however, important to note that 3 cr of retirement corpus is extremely low compared to the income. It is assumed that lifestyle upgrades occur along with rising income. With advanced healthcare and technology, life expectancy has increased from 75 to 90. Hence, in the below case, the ideal retirement corpus as per today's value should be 10 cr - 15 cr. While we've calculated the SIP for Rs 3 crore, it's crucial to re-evaluate your retirement goals in line with expected lifestyle, inflation, and longevity. SIP Calculator For Rs 3 Cr Goal In 12 Years

Scenario 1 With 12% Expected Return	SIP with Inflation	Top Up SIP (5%)	Top Up SIP (10%)
Monthly SIP	168000	168000	168000
Time Period	12 years	10.5	9
Total investment	24192000	26998957	28168496
Returns	29946365	24402447	18984741
Total Value	54138365	51401404	47153237
Total Corpus ( inflation Adjusted)	30146268	30795506	30247459
Scenario 2 With 15% Expected Return	SIP with Inflation	Top Up SIP (5%)	Top Up SiP (10%)
Monthly SIP	134000	134000	134000
Time Period	12	11	9.5
Total investment	19296000	22844514	24363519
Returns	34784337	31406967	24367905
Total Value	54080337	54251481	48731424
Total Corpus ( Inflation Adjusted)	30113955	31719717	30598375

Note: The SIP amount mentioned above is after considering inflation @ 5% Given the income level, allocating around 25-35% of monthly income towards retirement SIPs is a prudent strategy. According to Abhinav, to diversify across market conditions, investing in a mix of Flexi-cap and Multi-cap funds is beneficial. Flexi-cap funds adapt to market opportunities across capitalizations, while Multi-cap funds maintain a balanced allocation to large, mid, and small-cap stocks, ensuring risk-adjusted returns. As per Abhinav Angirish, an achievable SIP breakdown @ 12% could be:

• Rs 84000 in Flexicap fund
• Rs 84,000 in Multicap fund

An achievable SIP breakdown @ 15% could be:

• Rs 67,000 in Flexicap Fund
• Rs 67,000 in Multicap Fund

This diversified SIP approach aligns with both growth and risk mitigation objectives. The Optimal SIP Strategy For Late Beginners Mr. Raghvendra Nath, MD, Ladderup Asset Managers, explains that the monthly SIP would depend on the risk tolerance of that individual. As he is approaching retirement in 12-years time, a more balanced approach must be followed. Hereby, the corpus can be built by investing in Hybrid and Multi Asset funds, where the returns on average can be anywhere between 9% to 12% per annum. Assuming the investments earn a return of 10% over the 12 years period, he would be required to invest around Rs 1.09 lakh per month. "Even with an Rs 1.09 lakh SIP, only 27% of the monthly income is allocated to this, leaving almost Rs 3 lakhs for expenses and emergencies. It is always recommended to maintain an emergency fund with six months of expenses and to secure adequate health and life insurance coverage. If saving Rs 1.09 lakh from year 1 is difficult for the investor, a step-up SIP starting at Rs 70,000 in year 1 and increasing this amount by 10% annually can not only ease the initial burden but also align with income growth," stated Raghvendra Nath. This, combined with annual reviews and disciplined investing, allows the investor to effectively build a retirement fund in the most optimal way. Think Rs 1 Lakh SIP Is Too Much? Step-Ups Could Cut It Down to Rs 63,000 To reach an Rs 3 crore corpus by age 60, start at 48. Key considerations include risk appetite, time horizon, investment discipline, and monthly savings capability. To get a 12% annual return on equities mutual funds (e.g., Nifty 50 index fund), a monthly SIP of Rs 1 lakh over 12 years is recommended, says Mr. Mohit Bagdi - Head of Investment Research & Founding Member of MIRA Money. However, with a modest 5% annual SIP step-up, the required starting SIP drops to around Rs 80,000; with a 10% step-up, it can start at just Rs 63,000. This illustrates how a gradual increase in contribution can significantly ease the investment burden, Mohit Bagdi further added. Whereas, Dr Vikas Gupta, CEO and Chief Investment Strategist, OmniScience Capital says to reach a target of Rs 3 crores in 12 years, you need to invest approximately Rs 1 lakh per month in equity mutual funds, assuming a 12% annual return. Starting at age 48, this disciplined SIP approach can help you comfortably achieve your goal by the time you turn 60. The key is consistency-start now, stay invested, and let compounding do the rest.