Working backwards from a goal to a monthly SIP is the only honest way to plan for big targets like a child's education, a house down payment, or retirement. This calculator answers exactly the right question: how much do I need to invest every month, given my expected return and timeline, to actually hit my number?
What is Goal SIP?
A 'goal SIP' inverts the standard SIP calculation. Instead of asking 'what will my ₹10,000 monthly grow to?', it asks 'what monthly amount, at this return, over this many years, will reach this target?'. The math is the same future-value formula, rearranged to solve for monthly contribution.
This is the calculator most useful for actual planning. Setting a SIP without a goal often means the savings rate is whatever's left after lifestyle — usually too little. Working from a goal forwards forces explicit prioritisation: either hit the target or shorten the goal or reduce the amount.
How the required SIP is calculated
The future value of a monthly SIP is FV = P × [((1+r)^n − 1) / r] × (1+r), where P is the monthly contribution, r is the monthly return rate (annual / 12 / 100), and n is the number of months. Solving for P gives P = FV / ([((1+r)^n − 1) / r] × (1+r)).
The calculator also adjusts the target for inflation if you specify an inflation rate, since a ₹1 crore goal in 2026 is worth roughly ₹55 lakh in 2046 purchasing power. The inflated target is what you're actually solving for.
- FV
- Target—future amount you want to accumulate (inflation-adjusted if specified)
- r
- Monthly return—expected annual return / 12 / 100
- n
- Months—investment horizon in months
How to use this calculator
Enter your target amount
The future amount you want to accumulate — child's education corpus, retirement target, house down payment, holiday fund. Enter today's-rupee target if planning to inflation-adjust separately, or the future-rupee target if you've already adjusted.
Enter your investment timeline
How many years from now? Be honest about the actual deadline — kid's college in 14 years means 14, not 20. Shorter timelines need bigger monthly amounts.
Pick an expected return
Equity mutual funds: 11-13% historically. Hybrid: 9-11%. Pure debt: 6-8%. Use a return appropriate for the asset class you'll actually invest in. Don't plug in equity returns if you'll invest in debt.
Adjust for inflation if needed
If your target is in today's rupees (₹50 lakh for a house at today's prices), set inflation to 5-6% so the calculator targets the inflated future amount. If your target already accounts for inflation, set it to 0%.
Read the required monthly SIP
If the answer seems too high, options are: extend timeline, accept a lower target, choose a higher-return asset class (with more risk), or do step-up SIPs that grow with income. The calculator shows the trade-off explicitly.
When to use it
Child's higher education
Engineering or MBA in India costs ₹15-25 lakh today; a 4-year US MS is ₹50-80 lakh. A 14-year horizon at 12% return needs ₹4,000-15,000 monthly depending on goal. Run the calculator with the actual cost in your target schools.
House down payment
Saving 25% of an ₹80 lakh home = ₹20 lakh. Over 5 years at 10% (hybrid funds, since equity is too volatile for short horizons), needs ~₹26,000 monthly. Adjust target and timeline for your specific situation.
Early retirement / FIRE
FIRE typically targets 25× annual expenses. ₹50,000 monthly expenses today = ₹6 crore corpus in 15 years (after inflation). At 12% expected return, needs ~₹95,000 monthly SIP. Eye-opening reality check on FIRE feasibility.
Common mistakes to avoid
Using today's-rupee target without inflation
If you say 'I need ₹1 crore for retirement' you probably mean ₹1 crore in today's purchasing power. At 5% inflation over 25 years, that's ₹3.4 crore in nominal rupees. Use the inflation field.
Assuming equity returns for short timelines
Equity returns 11-13% on average over 15+ years. Over 3-5 years, returns can range from −20% to +40%. For short goals, plan with debt-fund returns (6-8%) and a smaller margin of safety.
Not actually starting because the number is intimidating
Even a smaller-than-required SIP is dramatically better than zero. Start with what you can, increase annually with raises, and let compounding do the heavy lifting in years 10-20.