Which are the top retirement funds and what are their returns
As the nomenclature suggests, retirement funds help one to grow investments over a number of years, specifically for post-retirement needs. Therefore, they belong to a very select group of mutual funds who have a lock-in period.
Kolkata: Many experts have likened mutual fund investments with the planting of a tiny seed that grows into a massive tree after several years. This is perhaps more true for retirement funds than other category of mutual funds. Investing in retirement funds is like planting a seed today expecting a tree that will offer a lot of benefits from shade to fruits in one's advanced years.
Almost all mutual fund specialists advise investors to stay put for as long as possible. But retirement solution funds employ a lock-in period to enforce a minimum investment period of five years. This feature makes this category of funds special.
A few of the top retirement mutual funds in India are ICICI Prudential Retirement Fund - Pure Equity Plan, HDFC Retirement Savings Fund Equity Plan, Nippon India Retirement Fund - Wealth Creation Scheme, Tata Retirement Savings Fund Progressive Plan and Aditya Birla Sun Life Retirement Fund - The 30s Plan.
ICICI Prudential Retirement Fund - Pure Equity Plan: An on July 23, the NAV of this fund was Rs 33.23. The fund size is Rs 1,325.55 crore and it has an expense ratio of 2.09% against a category average of 2.09%. Rs 10,000 invested in this fund 5 years ago would have ballooned to Rs 34,905.50 (annualised returns 28.39%). SIP of Rs 1,000 during the same period would have generated a total value of Rs 1,13,408.52 (annualised return 25.77%).
HDFC Retirement Savings Fund Equity Plan: As on July 23, 2025, the NAV of this fund stood Rs 51.169. The fund size is Rs 6,700.97 crore and it has an expense ratio of 1.77% against a category average of 2.09%. Rs 10,000 invested in this scheme five years ago would have ballooned to 31440.20 (annualised return 25.73%) while a Rs 1,000 SIP begun five years ago would have generated a total value of Rs 99,802.54 (annualised return 20.46%).
Nippon India Retirement Fund - Wealth Creation Scheme: The NAV of this fund was Rs 29.1127 on July 23. The fund size was Rs 3,276.28 crore and the expense ratio is 1.93% against a category average of 2.09%. A lump sum of Rs 10,000 invested five years ago would have turned to Rs 26,398.70 (annualised return 21.41%). A monthly SIP of Rs 1,000 would have fetched a total value of Rs 94,632.45 (annualised return 18.28%).
Tata Retirement Savings Fund Progressive Plan: The NAV of this fund stood at Rs 66.5402 on July 23, 2025. The fund size is Rs 2,178.32 crore while the expense ratio is 1.99% (annualised 2.09%). A lump sum of Rs 10,000 invested five years ago would have grown to Rs 22,327.50 (annualised return 17.42%) while a SIP of Rs 1,000 would have fetched a total return of Rs 89,171.13 (annualsied return 15.85%).
Aditya Birla Sun Life Retirement Fund - The 30s Plan: The NAV of this plan is Rs 20.2 on July 23. The fund has a size of Rs 417.62 crore and an expense ratio of 2.41% against a category average of 2.09%). A lump sum of Rs 10,000 invested in this fund five years ago would have turned into Rs 20,620.70 (annualised return 13.59%) while a monthly SIP of Rs 1,000 would gave generated a total value of Rs 87,034.62 (annualised return 14.86%).
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