Retiring with ₹1 Cr used to be a dream. Today, it might only buy you time not security. For years, middle-class India was sold a number: "Save ₹1 crore and you can retire comfortably." But 2025’s reality looks very different. Let’s break it down: 📉 What ₹1 Cr actually gives you in 2025: Assume you retire at age 60 with ₹1 crore Place it in a safe debt instrument yielding 7% annually That gives you ~₹58,000/month post-tax Sounds decent? Now consider: - Urban couple’s basic living cost: ₹45,000–₹60,000/month - Add: health insurance premiums, inflation, emergencies - Within 10–12 years, that ₹1 crore is eroded significantly, even without luxury spending 📊 The real threats: - Healthcare inflation is 12–14% annually, far above general inflation - Life expectancy now exceeds 80 years for many retirees - Children are no longer financial backups, they have their own struggles - Housing, domestic help, and medical devices make late retirement costly 💡 So what should your retirement target really be? Most financial planners now estimate: - ₹3–5 Cr for an urban couple to retire securely - Especially if retiring before age 60 or with lifestyle aspirations And that’s excluding dependent care or foreign travel 🧠 The lesson? Outdated numbers can kill your future. ✅ Don’t rely on legacy benchmarks ✅ Use inflation-adjusted calculators ✅ Plan for longer lives, rising costs, and real goals, not just generic ones Your retirement corpus isn’t just a number, it’s your last salary for 25+ years. If you're still aiming for ₹1 crore, you’re aiming for 2010’s safety in a 2025 world.