SIP vs PPF vs Gold: Which Will Make Rs 1 Crore Fastest With Rs 10,000 Monthly Investment?

Building wealth requires long-term planning and steady investments across different instruments. Achieving the target of Rs 1 crore corpus could be a tough task for many. However, your crorepati goal can be easily achieved through the right mix of schemes and assets over a longer tenure. In India, investors often rely on mutual fund systematic investment plans (SIPs), Public Provident Fund (PPF) and gold, for market-linked growth and secure returns.

Each of these three options has its own merits, risks and timelines for wealth creation. But if your goal is to make Rs 1 crore by investing Rs 10,000 monthly, which option would get you there fastest? Let’s find out.

A SIP in equity mutual funds is designed for long-term investors looking for market-linked growth. However, equity mutual funds come with high risk compared to other instruments. Historically, equity mutual funds have delivered annual returns of around 12% to 14% over long periods. Assuming a 12% return per annum, a Rs 10,000 monthly SIP can grow to Rs 1 crore in a little over 20 years.

If the markets perform better and generate closer to 14%, the target can be reached somewhere between 18 and 19 years. The advantage here is the power of compounding. But you need to remember that mutual fund returns are not guaranteed since they depend on market performance.

It is a government-backed scheme designed to offer secure returns to investors over a tenure of at least 15 years. The interest rate for the scheme is decided by the government. Currently, the interest rate stands at 7.1% per annum.

At this rate, investing Rs 10,000 every month will take around 28 years to reach Rs 1 crore. The scheme comes with a maturity period of 15 years, which can be extended in blocks of 5 years each.

PPF offers tax benefits under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961, and the maturity amount is also completely tax-free. As such, it becomes an attractive option for conservative investors.  

To understand how gold can help you accumulate Rs 1 crore with a monthly investment of Rs 10,000, we can examine the performance of the best-performing gold ETF over the past ten years. Gold ETFs track physical gold, usually representing 99.5% pure gold bars.

According to Value Research data, as of Aug. 26, 2025, the top-performing plan delivered a 10-year annualised return of 13.46%. At this rate, investing Rs 10,000 every month in this gold ETF could grow your corpus to Rs 1 crore in about 14 years.

Overall, each investment option comes with its own advantages and risks. It’s advisable to choose the investment options after a thorough assessment of your financial position and risk tolerance levels. The best choice, however, could be a mix of different assets instead of a single instrument.

It is to be noted that the returns can vary depending on the market.