NPS Calculator

The National Pension System (NPS) is a market-linked retirement scheme. This calculator projects your accumulated corpus and applies the current PFRDA exit rules to show how much you could withdraw as a lump sum versus how much must be used to purchase an annuity.

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What is the NPS Calculator?

The National Pension System (NPS) is a voluntary, market-linked retirement savings scheme regulated by the PFRDA. During your working years you contribute regularly, and the money is invested across equity, corporate bonds and government securities in a mix you choose. At retirement, part of the accumulated corpus can be withdrawn as a lump sum and the rest is used to buy an annuity that pays you a monthly pension for life.

NPS is known for its low costs, tax benefits, and the flexibility to choose your asset allocation.

How to Calculate

The NPS projection has two stages:

  1. Accumulation — your monthly contributions grow using the same future-value formula as a SIP, at your expected blended return, until retirement age.
  2. Exit split — the final corpus is divided into a lump-sum portion and a mandatory annuity portion, according to the corpus-size tiers set by PFRDA (see the withdrawal rules below).

Formula

The accumulation phase uses the same monthly-compounding future-value formula as a SIP, since NPS contributions behave like a market-linked SIP.

Normal exit rules (age 60+, per PFRDA's 2025 amendment):

  • Corpus ≤ ₹8 lakh: 100% withdrawable as lump sum, no mandatory annuity.
  • Corpus ₹8-12 lakh: up to ₹6 lakh as lump sum, remainder toward annuity/systematic withdrawal.
  • Corpus > ₹12 lakh: maximum 80% as lump sum, minimum 20% must purchase an annuity.

This calculator applies the simplified ≤8L / 8-12L / >12L tiers using the maximum-lump-sum option at each tier.

Worked Example

Contributing ₹5,000/month from age 30 to 60 at an expected 9% return accumulates a corpus well above ₹12 lakh — in that case, at most 80% can be withdrawn as a lump sum, with the remaining 20% mandatorily used to purchase an annuity that pays you a monthly pension.

Definitions

Monthly Contribution
The amount you invest into your NPS account each month during your working years.
Expected Annual Return
Your assumption for the blended return across equity, corporate bonds and government securities. Market-linked, not guaranteed.
Corpus at Retirement
The total accumulated value of your NPS account at retirement age.
Lump Sum Withdrawal
The portion you can take as cash at exit, capped by the corpus tier under current PFRDA rules.
Annuity Corpus
The portion that must be used to buy a pension plan (annuity) that pays you a regular monthly income for life.

NPS Withdrawal & Exit Rules (2025)

Under the PFRDA (Exits and Withdrawals) Amendment Regulations, how much you can take as a lump sum depends on your corpus size at Normal Exit (age 60+ or after 15 years):

  • Corpus up to ₹8 lakh: withdraw 100% as a lump sum — no annuity required.
  • Corpus ₹8–12 lakh: up to ₹6 lakh as a lump sum, the balance via annuity or systematic withdrawal.
  • Corpus above ₹12 lakh: maximum 80% as a lump sum, with at least 20% used to purchase an annuity.

For a Premature Exit (before age 60), the rules are stricter: 100% lump sum only if the corpus is ₹5 lakh or below; otherwise at most 20% as a lump sum with 80% mandatorily annuitised.

How to Use

  1. Enter your planned monthly NPS contribution.
  2. Enter your current age and planned retirement age (60 or later).
  3. Enter your expected annual return based on your chosen asset allocation (equity/corporate bonds/government securities).
  4. Read your projected corpus, along with the maximum lump sum and mandatory annuity split under current exit rules.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to take the maximum lump sum allowed?
No u2014 you can choose to take less lump sum and put more toward the annuity if you prefer a larger guaranteed pension. This calculator shows the maximum lump sum allowed at your corpus tier, not a mandatory amount.
What's the difference between Normal Exit and Premature Exit?
Normal Exit applies at age 60 (or after 15 years for early joiners) and has the more generous lump-sum tiers shown here. Premature Exit (leaving before then) has stricter limits u2014 100% lump sum only if the corpus is ₹5 lakh or below, otherwise a maximum of 20% lump sum with 80% mandatorily annuitized.
Is the NPS corpus projection guaranteed?
No u2014 NPS returns are market-linked (equity, corporate bonds, and government securities in proportions you choose), so the expected return you enter is an assumption, not a guarantee.
What is an annuity in this context?
The mandatory annuity portion is used to purchase a pension plan from an insurance company, which pays you a regular (usually monthly) pension for life. The pension amount depends on the annuity provider's rates at the time of purchase, which this calculator does not project.
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