SIP for a child from birth: what ₹5,000 a month became in 18 years
A child born in 2008 turns 18 this year. Happy Children's Day, 14 November.
So we asked a simple question with real numbers. If a parent had started a ₹5,000-a-month SIP in the Nifty 50 when that child was born, what would it be worth today?
About ₹33 lakh, from ₹10.8 lakh put in. That is the Nifty 50 Total Return Index (dividends reinvested), every month from October 2008 to August 2026, valued on 30 September 2026.
The same ₹5,000 a month, started later
| Started at | Put in | Worth in Sep 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Birth | ₹10.8 lakh | ₹33.0 lakh |
| Age 5 | ₹7.8 lakh | ₹16.1 lakh |
| Age 10 | ₹4.8 lakh | ₹7.0 lakh |
| Age 15 | ₹1.8 lakh | ₹1.7 lakh |
What a late start has to catch up
To reach the same ₹33 lakh by 18:
- Starting at 5 needed about ₹10,200 a month, about twice as much.
- Starting at 10 needed about ₹23,600 a month, almost five times as much.
It was not a lucky start
Of every 18-year SIP since 1999, most did better than this one. The range ran from 2.9 times the money put in to 4.9 times. The 2008 child's SIP made about 3.1 times. Time did the work.
The honest part
- Three years can still end below what you put in, as the age-15 start shows.
- These values are taken after a fall, about 13% below the market's November 2025 high.
- This is the index, not a fund. A fund charges costs.
- History is not a promise.
Questions people ask
How much will a ₹5,000 monthly SIP for a child become in 18 years?
Does it matter when I start a SIP for my child?
Was 2008 a lucky year to start a SIP?
Can a child's SIP lose money?
Their best gift grows with them
Start early, even with a small amount, and give it the years.
Data: NSE Indices, Nifty 50 Total Return Index (dividends reinvested), month-end closes. ₹5,000 at each month-end from October 2008 (birth), October 2013 (age 5), October 2018 (age 10) or October 2023 (age 15) to August 2026, valued at the 30 September 2026 close. Catch-up = the monthly amount a later start needed to reach the birth-start value. Range: all 18-year SIPs started June 1999 to September 2008. On 30 September 2026 the index was about 13% below its November 2025 month-end high. Index returns, not fund returns: no costs or tax. Past performance does not guarantee future returns.
Mutual fund investments are subject to market risks. Read all scheme-related documents carefully. Past performance does not guarantee future returns. BayFolio LLP · AMFI-registered Mutual Fund Distributor · ARN-363035.
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