Do you really need Rs. 40 crore to retire in India? Startup founder’s claim goes viral

During a podcast, Sandeep Jethwani, co-founder of wealth management firm Dezerv, was asked about the ideal retirement corpus. He estimated that a person retiring at 60, with monthly expenses of ₹1–2 lakh, may need around ₹40 crore, a figure that surprised many online.

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Speaking on The Money Mindset podcast with journalist Sonia Shenoy, Jethwani said that rising inflation, lifestyle changes, and healthcare costs significantly increase long-term retirement needs.

Dezerv, the wealth-tech platform he co-founded, currently manages assets worth around ₹16,000 crore.

However, Jethwani also acknowledged that reaching such a corpus is extremely difficult for most people, especially when Shenoy pointed out that even building a ₹1 crore retirement fund is a challenge for many in India.

Shenoy shared the discussion clip with a caption noting that individuals aged 35–40 with monthly expenses of ₹1–2 lakh in metro cities may require nearly ₹40 crore by retirement, factoring in inflation and rising costs.

The discussion quickly went viral, triggering debate online over whether the figure is realistic.

Several social media users called the estimate unrealistic, with one saying, “₹40 crore is being presented as normal retirement planning… that’s top 0.01% wealth in India.”

Another user questioned the assumptions behind the calculation, while others said the numbers vary widely depending on lifestyle and expectations.

Some users also criticized the estimate as disconnected from ground realities, while others asked for clarity on the time horizon and assumptions used in the calculation.