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Project what a SIP or lump sum in an Equity Linked Savings Scheme could grow to, the tax it saves under Section 80C, and the long-term capital gains due when you redeem — so you see the net figure, not just the gross one.
Drag a slider or type a value.
₹12,500 a month exactly fills the ₹1.5 lakh 80C ceiling over twelve months.
Diversified Indian equity has averaged roughly 11–13% over long periods. Any single three-year stretch can be far off that.
Three years is the legal minimum, not a target. Equity risk falls sharply with longer holding.
Old regime rate — 80C is not available in the new regime.
12.5% above the ₹1.25 lakh yearly exemption
Your ₹1,50,000 a year is within the ₹1,50,000 80C ceiling. Remember EPF, life insurance premiums, PPF and home loan principal share the same limit.
The shaded band is the three-year lock-in window. With a SIP the band only frees the first instalment — each later one carries its own three years from its own date.
The lock-in runs per instalment, from its own allotment date — not from the day you started the SIP. At ₹12,500 a month starting April 2026, the last instalment of the first year is only free in Mar 2030.
| Instalment | Invested on | Amount | Free to redeem from | Value at 5 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIP 1 | Apr 2026 | ₹12,500 | Apr 2029 | ₹22,709 |
| SIP 2 | May 2026 | ₹12,500 | May 2029 | ₹22,484 |
| SIP 3 | Jun 2026 | ₹12,500 | Jun 2029 | ₹22,261 |
| SIP 4 | Jul 2026 | ₹12,500 | Jul 2029 | ₹22,041 |
| SIP 5 | Aug 2026 | ₹12,500 | Aug 2029 | ₹21,823 |
| SIP 6 | Sep 2026 | ₹12,500 | Sep 2029 | ₹21,607 |
| SIP 7 | Oct 2026 | ₹12,500 | Oct 2029 | ₹21,393 |
| SIP 8 | Nov 2026 | ₹12,500 | Nov 2029 | ₹21,181 |
| SIP 9 | Dec 2026 | ₹12,500 | Dec 2029 | ₹20,971 |
| SIP 10 | Jan 2027 | ₹12,500 | Jan 2030 | ₹20,763 |
| SIP 11 | Feb 2027 | ₹12,500 | Feb 2030 | ₹20,558 |
| SIP 12 | Mar 2027 | ₹12,500 | Mar 2030 | ₹20,354 |
| SIP 13 | Apr 2027 | ₹12,500 | Apr 2030 | ₹20,153 |
| SIP 14 | May 2027 | ₹12,500 | May 2030 | ₹19,953 |
| SIP 15 | Jun 2027 | ₹12,500 | Jun 2030 | ₹19,756 |
| SIP 16 | Jul 2027 | ₹12,500 | Jul 2030 | ₹19,560 |
| SIP 17 | Aug 2027 | ₹12,500 | Aug 2030 | ₹19,366 |
| SIP 18 | Sep 2027 | ₹12,500 | Sep 2030 | ₹19,175 |
| SIP 19 | Oct 2027 | ₹12,500 | Oct 2030 | ₹18,985 |
| SIP 20 | Nov 2027 | ₹12,500 | Nov 2030 | ₹18,797 |
| SIP 21 | Dec 2027 | ₹12,500 | Dec 2030 | ₹18,611 |
| SIP 22 | Jan 2028 | ₹12,500 | Jan 2031 | ₹18,427 |
| SIP 23 | Feb 2028 | ₹12,500 | Feb 2031 | ₹18,244 |
| SIP 24 | Mar 2028 | ₹12,500 | Mar 2031 | ₹18,063 |
| SIP 25 | Apr 2028 | ₹12,500 | Apr 2031 | ₹17,885 |
| SIP 26 | May 2028 | ₹12,500 | May 2031 | ₹17,708 |
| SIP 27 | Jun 2028 | ₹12,500 | Jun 2031 | ₹17,532 |
| SIP 28 | Jul 2028 | ₹12,500 | Jul 2031 | ₹17,359 |
| SIP 29 | Aug 2028 | ₹12,500 | Aug 2031 | ₹17,187 |
| SIP 30 | Sep 2028 | ₹12,500 | Sep 2031 | ₹17,017 |
| SIP 31 | Oct 2028 | ₹12,500 | Oct 2031 | ₹16,848 |
| SIP 32 | Nov 2028 | ₹12,500 | Nov 2031 | ₹16,681 |
| SIP 33 | Dec 2028 | ₹12,500 | Dec 2031 | ₹16,516 |
| SIP 34 | Jan 2029 | ₹12,500 | Jan 2032 | ₹16,353 |
| SIP 35 | Feb 2029 | ₹12,500 | Feb 2032 | ₹16,191 |
| SIP 36 | Mar 2029 | ₹12,500 | Mar 2032 | ₹16,030 |
| SIP 37 | Apr 2029 | ₹12,500 | Apr 2032 | ₹15,872 |
| SIP 38 | May 2029 | ₹12,500 | May 2032 | ₹15,715 |
| SIP 39 | Jun 2029 | ₹12,500 | Jun 2032 | ₹15,559 |
| SIP 40 | Jul 2029 | ₹12,500 | Jul 2032 | ₹15,405 |
| SIP 41 | Aug 2029 | ₹12,500 | Aug 2032 | ₹15,252 |
| SIP 42 | Sep 2029 | ₹12,500 | Sep 2032 | ₹15,101 |
| SIP 43 | Oct 2029 | ₹12,500 | Oct 2032 | ₹14,952 |
| SIP 44 | Nov 2029 | ₹12,500 | Nov 2032 | ₹14,804 |
| SIP 45 | Dec 2029 | ₹12,500 | Dec 2032 | ₹14,657 |
| SIP 46 | Jan 2030 | ₹12,500 | Jan 2033 | ₹14,512 |
| SIP 47 | Feb 2030 | ₹12,500 | Feb 2033 | ₹14,368 |
| SIP 48 | Mar 2030 | ₹12,500 | Mar 2033 | ₹14,226 |
| SIP 49 | Apr 2030 | ₹12,500 | Apr 2033 | ₹14,085 |
| SIP 50 | May 2030 | ₹12,500 | May 2033 | ₹13,946 |
| SIP 51 | Jun 2030 | ₹12,500 | Jun 2033 | ₹13,808 |
| SIP 52 | Jul 2030 | ₹12,500 | Jul 2033 | ₹13,671 |
| SIP 53 | Aug 2030 | ₹12,500 | Aug 2033 | ₹13,536 |
| SIP 54 | Sep 2030 | ₹12,500 | Sep 2033 | ₹13,402 |
| SIP 55 | Oct 2030 | ₹12,500 | Oct 2033 | ₹13,269 |
| SIP 56 | Nov 2030 | ₹12,500 | Nov 2033 | ₹13,138 |
| SIP 57 | Dec 2030 | ₹12,500 | Dec 2033 | ₹13,008 |
| SIP 58 | Jan 2031 | ₹12,500 | Jan 2034 | ₹12,879 |
| SIP 59 | Feb 2031 | ₹12,500 | Feb 2034 | ₹12,751 |
| SIP 60 | Mar 2031 | ₹12,500 | Mar 2034 | ₹12,625 |
An Equity Linked Savings Scheme is a diversified equity mutual fund with a statutory three-year lock-in that qualifies for deduction under Section 80C. SEBI requires at least 80% of the portfolio in equity, so returns are market-linked and can be negative in any given year.
Its appeal is the combination of the shortest 80C lock-in and equity upside. The trap is treating it as a March formality: money committed in a rush, in whichever fund is at hand, then redeemed the moment the lock-in lifts. Started as an April SIP and held well past three years, ELSS behaves like any other long-horizon equity allocation — with a deduction attached.
Tax saved = deduction × slab rate × 1.04 cess. LTCG = 12.5% of gains above ₹1,25,000 in the year of redemption, with no indexation.
Tax saved in the year of investment, including 4% health and education cess, under the old regime.
Scheme and tax parameters as they stand for FY 2026–27.
All four qualify for 80C, but they differ on lock-in, risk and how the exit is taxed.
An Equity Linked Savings Scheme is an equity mutual fund eligible for deduction under Section 80C up to ₹1,50,000 a year. SEBI requires at least 80% of the portfolio in equity, and every purchase is locked in for three years — the shortest lock-in among 80C options.