A ₹10 crore retirement fund might sound like a golden ticket, but founder Anil Maddala says it's a mirage without the right assumptions.
Anil Maddala, founder of growFOLIO, is challenging one of India’s most popular financial myths: that ₹10 crore is enough to retire comfortably. In a widely shared LinkedIn post, Maddala argues that retirement planning in India often fails—not due to insufficient corpus, but flawed assumptions.
“Most people think yes. Most retirees know it’s not that simple,” he wrote.
According to Maddala, geographical location alone can skew outcomes. “₹10 crore behaves very differently in Mumbai vs Coimbatore,” he noted, pointing to stark differences in cost of living across cities.
He also warned against blindly relying on withdrawal rates. A ₹3 lakh monthly expense with a conservative 4% annual withdrawal could deplete a corpus in just 12 to 15 years, especially if inflation and healthcare costs accelerate post-retirement.
“Inflation doesn’t take a break just because you retired,” Maddala said, underscoring the need for realistic financial modeling. He stressed that asset allocation trumps corpus size, and that fixed deposits alone are no longer sufficient to sustain long-term needs.
His core message: retirement is not about hitting a magic number, but having the freedom to say no. “Too many people chase a number. Very few chase a plan,” he wrote.
# 'Even ₹10 Crore is Not Enough to Retire in India': Founder Busts a Middle-Class Myth – Time to Rethink Your Golden Years
| November 17, 2025**
Dreaming of kicking back at 60 with a fat ₹10 crore nest egg, sipping filter coffee in the hills while your SIPs hum along? Think again. Anil Maddala, founder of wealth management platform growFOLIO, just dropped a reality bomb that's rattling middle-class retirement fantasies across India. In a no-holds-barred take, he argues that chasing a "magic number" like ₹10 crore is a fool's errand – blinded by static assumptions about inflation, lifestyle creep, and location. "Too many people chase a number. Very few chase a plan," Maddala warns, urging a shift from hoarding to holistic strategy. As India's cost of living surges and lifespans stretch, is your retirement plot as bulletproof as you think? Let's unpack why even a crore-crorepati's corpus might crumble – and how to build one that won't.
## The Myth Exposed: ₹10 Crore as the Holy Grail?
For decades, India's salaried class has fixated on ₹10 crore as the retirement jackpot – a figure bandied about in WhatsApp forwards and weekend chai chats. It's the "enough to live like a king" benchmark, promising endless vacations, grandkid treats, and zero money worries. But Maddala calls BS: "Most people think yes. Most retirees know it’s not that simple."
This myth thrives on oversimplification. It ignores the elephant in the room: Life doesn't pause at retirement. Expenses don't freeze; they inflate. And in a country where healthcare can gobble 20-30% of post-retirement budgets, that shiny ₹10 crore starts looking more like fool's gold than financial freedom.
## Why ₹10 Crore Falls Short: The Inflation Trap and Beyond
Maddala's wake-up call isn't hot air – it's backed by cold math. Here's why ₹10 crore might leave you scraping by:
- **Inflation's Relentless Grind**: "Inflation doesn’t take a break just because you retired." At India's average 6-7% annual rate, today's ₹1 lakh monthly spend balloons to ₹3-4 lakh in 20 years. A conservative 4% safe withdrawal rate on ₹10 crore yields ₹40 lakh annually (₹3.33 lakh/month) – enough now, but it erodes fast. Maddala crunches: For ₹3 lakh monthly needs, the corpus could vanish in 12-15 years without adjustments.
- **Location Lottery**: ₹10 crore stretches far in Tier-2 spots like Coimbatore (modest ₹50k/month lifestyle), but in Mumbai or Delhi? Forget it. High-cost metros demand 2-3x more for housing, dining, and emergencies, turning your corpus into a leaky bucket.
- **Healthcare and Longevity Bombs**: Medical inflation hits 10-15% yearly. With Indians living to 80+, that extra decade could wipe out 30% of your savings on pills and procedures alone.
- **Asset Allocation Pitfalls**: Parking it all in FDs? At 7% returns (post-tax), you're barely beating inflation. Equity-heavy portfolios are key, but volatility can slash withdrawals during dips.
Bottom line: Without dynamic planning, ₹10 crore buys 15-20 years of comfort – not the 25-30 you need.
## Broader Benchmarks: How Much Corpus Do You *Really* Need?
Maddala's not alone in debunking the ₹10 crore dream. Experts across the board peg safer targets based on expenses and age. Here's a snapshot of 2025 estimates for a comfortable retirement (assuming 4-5% withdrawal, 6% inflation, 30-year horizon):
| Monthly Expenses (Today) | Annual Corpus Needed | Key Assumption | Source |
|---------------------------|-----------------------|----------------|--------|
| ₹50,000 | ₹1.5-2 Crore | Tier-2 city, moderate lifestyle | Economic Times |
| ₹1 Lakh | ₹3-4 Crore | Metro, with travel/health buffer | Moneycontrol |
| ₹2 Lakh | ₹5-6 Crore | Luxe urban life, family support | Grip Invest |
| ₹5 Lakh+ | ₹10 Crore+ | High-end, but still vulnerable to shocks | Welfin |
For early retirees (under 50), bump it up 20-30% for longer horizons. Tools like NISM's retirement calculator can personalize this – input your numbers and watch the reality unfold.
## Maddala's Playbook: From Myth to Mastery
So, how do you flip the script? Maddala's advice boils down to pressure-testing your plan like a startup pitch:
- **Ditch the Number, Build the Blueprint**: Model scenarios – best-case bull markets vs. inflation spikes. Use apps like growFOLIO for simulations.
- **Diversify Ruthlessly**: 60-70% equities for growth, 20-30% debt for stability, 10% gold/alternates for hedges. Rebalance yearly.
- **Withdrawal Wisdom**: Start at 3-4% annually, inflation-adjust, and have a "flex fund" for curveballs.
- **Lifestyle Audit**: Track spends now – cut fluff, plan for legacy goals like kids' weddings.
- **Seek Pro Help**: "Retirement is not about hitting a magic number, but having the freedom to live on your terms." A fiduciary advisor beats DIY guesswork.
On X, the debate's heating up. One trader quipped: "Best retirement plan? Build ₹10cr MF corpus... Let real estate multiply your net worth." Others echo Maddala: "Chasing ₹10cr is the trap – plan for perpetuity."
## The Wake-Up Call: Your Move, Middle Class
Anil Maddala's myth-bust isn't doom-scrolling; it's a lifeline. In an India where 90% of retirees rely on family (not funds), ignoring this risks a grey-market grind. Start small: Run your numbers today. Adjust tomorrow. Retire – truly – on your terms.
What's your retirement target? ₹5cr realist or ₹10cr dreamer? Spill in the comments. And remember: The real wealth? Peace of mind, not just a plump corpus.
*Sources: Business Today, Economic Times, Moneycontrol, Grip Invest, and X insights.*
