How to Invest to Make 10 Crore in 20 Years
To reach ₹10 Crore, you cannot rely on traditional savings instruments like Fixed Deposits or PPF alone, which offer returns of 6-7%. To achieve such a large corpus within a 20-year timeframe, you need an asset class that beats inflation significantly, like Equity Mutual Funds, which have historically delivered 12-15% annualized returns over the long term.
There are three primary ways to reach this destination:
- Lumpsum Investment: Investing a large chunk today.
- SIP (Systematic Investment Plan): Investing a fixed amount every month.
- Step-Up SIP: Starting small and increasing your investment annually.
Option 1: The Lumpsum Route
If you have recently sold a property, received a large bonus, or have accumulated savings in low-yield instruments, you can deploy a lumpsum amount to kickstart your journey.
The following table shows the initial investment required today to reach ₹10 Crore in 20 years at different rates of return:
| Initial Investment |
Required Annual Return |
Target Corpus |
| ₹10 Lakh |
25.9% |
₹10 Crore |
| ₹25 Lakh |
20.3% |
₹10 Crore |
| ₹50 Lakh |
16.2% |
₹10 Crore |
| ₹1 Crore |
12.2% |
₹10 Crore |
Analysis: Achieving a consistent 20-25% return (required for smaller investments like ₹10-25 Lakh) is extremely difficult and risky. However, if you start with ₹1 Crore, a realistic return of 12% (typical of equity funds) will get you to ₹10 Crore in 20 years without adding another rupee.
- Insurance Companies
- Mutual Funds
|
Returns |
| Fund Name |
5 Years |
7 Years |
10 Years |
| SBI Life |
13.61% |
13.49% |
|
| HDFC Life |
19.5% |
16.06% |
|
| Axis Max Life |
22.7% |
22.34% |
|
| ICICI Prudential Life |
13.89% |
13.54% |
|
| Tata AIA Life |
29% |
23.3% |
|
| Bajaj Life |
17.57% |
14.48% |
|
| Birla Sun Life |
19.5% |
16.48% |
|
| PNB MetLife |
31.41% |
24.68% |
|
| Canara HSBC Life |
13.26% |
11.93% |
|
| Star Union Dai-ichi Life |
14.54% |
- |
|
Fund rating powered by
Last updated: Nov 2025
Option 2: The SIP Route (Fixed Monthly Investment)
For most investors, earning a consistent monthly income, the SIP route is the most practical. Here, you invest a fixed sum every month for 20 years.
The Magic Number:
To reach ₹10 Crore in 20 years at a conservative 12% annual return, you need to invest approximately ₹1 Lakh per month.
Here is how the requirement changes based on the returns your portfolio generates:
| Expected Return |
Monthly SIP Required |
Total You Invest |
Total Profit (Wealth Gain) |
| 10% (Conservative) |
₹1.31 Lakh |
₹3.14 Cr |
₹6.86 Cr |
| 12% (Realistic) |
₹1.00 Lakh |
₹2.40 Cr |
₹7.60 Cr |
| 15% (Aggressive) |
₹66,000 |
₹1.58 Cr |
₹8.42 Cr |
Note: While 15% returns are possible in mid/small-cap funds, it is safer to plan with a 12% assumption to account for market volatility.
Option 3: The Step-Up SIP Route (The Most Practical Way)
If investing ₹1 Lakh per month today sounds impossible, do not worry. You can use the Step-Up SIP method. This involves starting with a smaller amount and increasing it by a fixed percentage (e.g., 10%) every year as your income grows.
The Strategy:
- Target: ₹10 Crore
- Duration: 20 Years
- Assumed Return: 12%
- Annual Step-Up: 10%
Working: You can start with a SIP of ₹55,000 per month. If you increase this amount by 10% every year, you will reach approximately ₹10 Crore in 20 years.
| Year |
Monthly SIP (10% Rise) |
Annual Investment |
| Year 1 |
₹55,000 |
₹6.60 Lakh |
| Year 2 |
₹60,500 |
₹7.26 Lakh |
| Year 5 |
₹80,525 |
₹9.66 Lakh |
| Year 10 |
₹1.30 Lakh |
₹15.6 Lakh |
| ... |
... |
... |
| End of Year 20 |
Total Corpus |
₹10 Crore |
This method aligns perfectly with career growth, as your salary usually increases annually.
Investment Options on How to Make 10 Crore in 20 Years
To achieve the 12-15% returns assumed in the calculations above, you need to choose the right investment vehicles so that the power of compounding can work its magic:
-
Equity Mutual Funds
This is the primary engine for wealth creation.
- Flexi Cap Funds: These funds invest across large, mid, and small-cap companies. They offer a balance of stability and growth.
- Mid & Small Cap Funds: These are high-risk, high-reward funds. Over a 20-year period, they have the potential to deliver 15%+ returns, but they can be very volatile in the short term.
- Index Funds (Nifty 50 / Nifty Next 50): Low-cost funds that track the market. They are great for passive investors expecting 12% returns.
-
National Pension System (NPS)
While primarily a retirement product, the equity component (Scheme E) of NPS allows up to 75% equity exposure. It is a tax-efficient way to build a corpus, though it has lock-in restrictions.
-
Direct Equity (Stocks)
If you have the expertise to pick high-quality stocks, you can potentially generate returns exceeding 15-18%. However, this requires significant time, research, and active management.
Strategies on How to Make 10 Crore in 20 Years
Below are the strategies to choose the best investment plan to make 10 crore in 20 years:
-
Asset Allocation (The 80:20 Rule)
For a 20-year goal, an aggressive allocation is recommended.
- 80% Equity: To drive growth (Mutual Funds/Stocks).
- 20% Debt: To provide stability (EPF, PPF, Debt Funds).
-
Portfolio Rebalancing
Once a year, review your portfolio. If equities have rallied and now make up 90% of your portfolio, sell some profits and move them to debt to maintain your 80:20 ratio. This creates a "buy low, sell high" discipline.
-
The Exit Strategy
Do not stay 100% invested in equity until the 20th year. If the market crashes in the 19th year, your corpus could drop by 30%.
- Years 1-17: Focus on high growth (Equity).
- Years 17-20: Systematically transfer money (via STP) from Equity to Debt/Liquid Funds to protect your accumulated capital.
SIP Calculator
Monthly Investment
₹22.4 L
Top Funds with High Returns (Past 7 Years)
13.01%
Equity Pension
15.9%
Opportunities Fund
19.1%
Pension Growth Super
13.19%
Opportunities Fund
20.99%
Multi Cap Fund
14.17%
Accelerator Mid-Cap Fund II
15.9%
Multiplier
14.68%
Frontline Equity Fund
18.41%
Pension Mid Cap Fund
11.21%
Equity II Fund
14.6%
US Equity Fund
15.08%
Growth Opportunities Plus Fund
11.7%
Equity Top 250 Fund
14.15%
Future Apex Fund
12.06%
Pension Dynamic Equity Fund
14.48%
Pension Enhanced Equity
Conclusion
Making ₹10 Crore in 20 years is not about luck; it is about math and discipline. The key is to start immediately. A delay of just 5 years can double the monthly investment required to reach the same goal.