There’s a popular adage: God could not be everywhere, so he creates mothers. People around the world are celebrating ‘International Mother’s day’ today for the role a mother plays to nurture a child and
build a strong foundation for future generations. While it is hard to sum up their quintessential role a mother plays in the uplift and growth of a family and society in a single day, still, something is better than nothing.
Every May 10, the globe celebrates and commemorates the role of a mother as a form of International Mother’s Day.
With this we should shed light on the importance of the financial well-being of a mother who gives so much to the world.
Retirement planning for mothers, too, must begin at an early age, when old age seems a distant reality. The purpose is to build enough corpus so they can remain financially independent when their body is at its lowest.
However, the idea is seen as alluring, but some believe that it’s hard for a mother to do so. Pregnancy and then motherhood-led disruption in jobs might derail their growth and income trajectory.
Having demystified this belief, an expert told News18 that even mothers can build a Rs 1 crore retirement corpus with an investment of Rs 5000 per month via NPS (National Pension Scheme).
A product like the NPS is built for long-term wealth creation through disciplined, regular investing, according to Vinayak Magotra-Product Head & Founding Team, Centricity WealthTech.
If a mother starts early, say in her late 20s or early 30s, and contributes around ₹5,000 a month, the real driver isn’t just the amount, but time and compounding, he added.
“Over a 25–30 year period, assuming a reasonable long-term return of ~10–12% (since NPS invests across equity, corporate bonds, and government securities), this disciplined investment can potentially grow to around ₹70 lakh to ₹1 crore,” Magotra told News18.
| Years | Monthly Investment | Total Investment | Estimated Corpus @10% | Estimated Corpus @12% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Years | Rs 5,000 | Rs 12 lakh | Rs 38 lakh | Rs 50 lakh |
| 25 Years | Rs 5,000 | Rs 15 lakh | Rs 66 lakh | Rs 95 lakh |
| 30 Years | Rs 5,000 | Rs 18 lakh | Rs 1.13 crore | Rs 1.76 crore |
He, however, cautioned that this isn’t a guaranteed outcome as returns depend on market performance and asset allocation but the framework is designed to reward consistency and patience.
The key idea, he said, isn’t really the ₹5,000, it’s about starting early, staying consistent, and giving your investments time to grow.
Magotra also pinned the challenges a mother faces due to career breaks or irregular income. But he emphasized that it’s more important for them due to these reasons.
“A flexible, steady approach like this helps build a meaningful retirement cushion over time, without the pressure of large lump-sum investments,” he concluded.
