SIP returns too low? This story will change your mind

Rohan stared at his phone. The screen was mocking him. Rs 2.56 lakh. That’s what his BSE Sensex-based index fund was worth after investing Rs 5,000 a month for the last three and a half years. Forty-two months of consistency. No skipped SIPs. No panic selling. Just pure, disciplined investing. And what did he get in return? A gain of Rs 46,000. He slumped back in his chair. “Is this what all the hype is about?” It wasn’t a loss. On paper, he was 22 per cent (5.84 per cent CAGR) in the green. But it didn’t feel like success. Not when social media was filled with stories of people turning small SIPs into crores. Not when his friend casually mentioned getting better returns in a fixed deposit. Not when finance influencers screamed about compounding like it was a cheat code. This wasn’t a cheat code. This felt like a cheat. He scrolled through his investment app one more time. His thumb hovered over “Pause SIP.” That’s when he remembered the man who had convinced him to start it in the first place. His uncle. They hadn’t spoken in months, but in that moment, Rohan needed to hear from someone who didn’t just talk finance but had lived it. He called. “Still doing your SIP?” came the amused voice from the other end. “T

This article was originally published on June 23, 2025.