30 LPA is the milestone where SIP should feel automatic — and lifestyle inflation kills it fastest. On fixed-heavy metro packages, in-hand often lands ₹1.7–1.9L/month. After rent at 30–35%, you still have headroom for ₹50–70k SIP if you automate on payday.
SIP math on 30 LPA in-hand
Do not SIP on CTC ÷ 12. Run fixed pay through a take-home calculator, subtract rent and essentials, then target 15–20% of in-hand for equity SIP. At ₹1.8L in-hand, that is ₹32–36k/month minimum — enough to build ₹1 crore over 12–15 years at 12% CAGR if you step up on raises.
- Fixed-heavy 30 LPA metro in-hand: often ₹1.7–1.9L/month after PF and tax.
- Conservative SIP: ₹50–60k/month if rent is controlled.
- Aggressive SIP: ₹65–70k/month if you cap rent at 30% and skip lifestyle upgrades.
The takeaway
Automate SIP on payday before rent and UPI spends. Step up 10% every raise — that beats trying to time the market.