Calculate mutual fund returns for lump sum and SIP investments
Result
Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type or upload is sent to us or stored.
Results are estimates, not financial advice. Rates, charges and rules change, so confirm with your bank, post office or a financial adviser before you decide. Terms of use
How to Use
- To see what a fund you hold has actually earned, keep My fund (by NAV) selected. Enter the Amount invested, the NAV when you bought and the NAV today (both are on your account statement), and the Date you invested.
- The current value, your gain, the absolute return and the annualised return (CAGR) update as you type. For a SIP or several purchases, use the XIRR calculator instead.
- To project the future instead, choose Lump sum or SIP and enter the Investment amount or the Monthly SIP amount, the Expected annual return (%) and the Investment period (years).
- The projections come with a chart and a year-wise growth table. Download the table as CSV/Excel, or the full report as a pdf.
Lump sum or SIP: which is better?
This mutual fund return calculator works for both, and each has its place. A lump sum does better when markets keep rising, because all your money is invested from day one. A SIP suits most investors. You don't have to time the market, because a fixed monthly amount buys more units when prices fall and fewer when they rise. This is called rupee cost averaging.
Past returns by fund category (10-year CAGR)
| Fund Category | 10-yr CAGR (approx.) | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Large Cap Funds | 12–14% | Moderate |
| Mid Cap Funds | 14–18% | High |
| Small Cap Funds | 16–22% | Very High |
| Flexi Cap Funds | 13–16% | Moderate-High |
| Debt Funds | 6–8% | Low |
| Hybrid Funds | 10–13% | Moderate |
Before you invest
- The returns here are only examples. Mutual funds are subject to market risk, and past returns don't promise future ones.
- Over long goals (10 years or more), equity funds have historically beaten inflation and FD returns by a wide margin.
- On equity funds held for more than a year, LTCG (long-term capital gains) tax is 12.5% on gains above ₹1.25 lakh a year. STCG is 20%.
- For real investments, use SEBI-registered platforms or advisers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Reasonable if you stay modest. Large cap funds in India have given roughly 12–15% CAGR over 10-year SIP periods. Mid and small cap funds have given 14–20%, but with much bigger swings. For planning, use 10–12% for equity to be safe, 13–15% for mid-cap and 6–8% for debt funds. Don't plan with more than 15% over the long term, because some periods will lag. Also try a lower rate (8–10%) to see the worst case.
Absolute return ignores time; CAGR spreads the gain over each year. Absolute return = (current value - invested) / invested × 100. Say ₹1 lakh grew to ₹1.5 lakh over 5 years. The absolute return is 50%, but the CAGR is (1.5)^(1/5) - 1 = 8.45% a year. For SIPs, XIRR is more accurate than CAGR, because you invest money at many different dates.
It's what happens when you invest a fixed amount every month. When markets fall, that amount buys more units; when they rise, it buys fewer. Over time your average purchase cost comes out lower than the average NAV. This cuts the risk of putting a large sum in at a market peak, and you don't need to time the market.
Each SIP instalment is taxed as a separate investment with its own purchase date. For equity funds, an instalment counts as long-term once it has been held for 1 year. LTCG tax is 12.5% on gains above ₹1.25 lakh per financial year. Units are redeemed first in, first out (FIFO), so your oldest SIP units go first, and those are often fully long-term.