Expert insights: Building a ₹15 crore corpus over two decades

Early retirement is a dream for every corporate employee. Most young people in their late 20s or early 30s think they have come up with the perfect financial plan, work till 40, save enough money, and retire rich. But is it that easy? and what do you do with your time post-retirement? In an exclusive interview with CNBC-TV18, Karan Datta, Former Chief Business Officer at Axis Mutual Fund, shared his journey and insights on building a ₹15 crore corpus for retirement.

Datta recalls, "My early training days has been all about long-term investing. So my first Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) started with a ₹2,000 per month, kind of story and then it never stopped. I just continued investing till my last SIP, which was when I was working at Axis. So it almost became like a two-decade’ story. What made it remarkable was that every five years, my salary increased, and with it, the SIP amount grew. Bonuses were added to the mix, as did the allocation to equity funds. Additionally, stock options came into play during my tenure at Axis, and all these components contributed to the corpus I have today."

One of Datta's core beliefs is the continued potential for active fund managers to outperform in the Indian financial landscape. He underscores the importance of expert financial advice in wealth accumulation, stating, "I do work with my advisory team; I believe advice plays a vital role. Good advisors help you avoid making costly mistakes. I rely on them to guide me through my financial journey."