Archive · 5 Sep 2026
Delhi Saver Targets Rs 3 Crore Without Stocks
Naresh Bhardwaj wants to stop working at age 50 in 2031.
He did not buy individual stocks or mutual funds.
Instead, he regularly put money into PPF and NPS.
These accounts have grown because he started early and kept investing.
He also owns his home and has no home loan.
He plans to use his retirement savings for himself and his EPF money for his child's education.
However, his future NPS value and pension are only estimates.
They could change if investment returns or annuity rates are different.
His main lesson is that a simple plan followed for many years can help build wealth.
Naresh Bhardwaj, 45, plans to retire in 2031 at age 50.
His strategy centers on the Public Provident Fund and National Pension System, not stocks or mutual funds.
His current PPF corpus is about Rs 80 lakh, while his NPS corpus is about Rs 1.1 crore.
He projects more than Rs 3 crore in retirement savings by 2031, subject to future returns and annuity rates.
His plan emphasizes regular saving, tax benefits, limited debt, separate financial goals and investment simplicity.
- Who
- Naresh Bhardwaj, a 45-year-old employee in the education publishing industry.
- What
- He is building a retirement plan based mainly on PPF and NPS and aims to retire at 50 with more than Rs 3 crore.
- When
- He started PPF in March 2006, NPS in June 2009, and plans to retire in 2031.
- Where
- Delhi, according to the article title.
- Why
- He wants financial independence, family security and the freedom to spend more time with his wife and child.
Simplicity and peace of mind
Higher-growth flexibility
Investment choice
Simplicity and peace of mind
Naresh chose products he understood and could continue using consistently, including PPF and NPS.
Higher-growth flexibility
Stocks and mutual funds may offer greater growth potential, although they can involve more complexity and market risk.
Return expectations
Simplicity and peace of mind
A moderate-return strategy can still build a substantial corpus when contributions continue for many years.
Higher-growth flexibility
Naresh acknowledges that his returns might have been higher with a broader equity-oriented portfolio.
NPS retirement access
Simplicity and peace of mind
NPS may provide retirement income through an annuity and offers equity exposure without requiring individual stock selection.
Higher-growth flexibility
Under the premature-exit route described, only 20% of the NPS corpus can be withdrawn as a lump sum, while 80% must be used to buy an annuity.
- Current age
- 45
- Planned retirement
- 2031, at age 50
- Current PPF corpus
- Approximately Rs 80 lakh
- Current NPS corpus
- Approximately Rs 1.1 crore
- Projected retirement corpus
- More than Rs 3 crore, including over Rs 1 crore in PPF and about Rs 2.15 crore in NPS
- Annual PPF contribution
- Rs 1.5 lakh, the maximum annual contribution allowed
- Projected NPS pension
- Around Rs 1 lakh per month before tax, assuming an approximately 7% annuity rate