If you invest through a systematic investment plan () to achieve long-term financial goals over 20 years, you also need to consider increasing your contributions as your income rises and accounting for inflation to stay on track with your goals.
A step-up SIP is a investment feature that automatically increases your regular SIP contribution by a fixed amount or percentage at scheduled intervals, usually every year.
Here are the 5 with the highest 20-year returns and how your final wealth in October 2026 could have varied if you had started a SIP two decades ago and increased your contribution by 10% every year.
Which are the top 5 equity funds by 20-year SIP returns?
| Equity funds | 20-year SIP returns | Normal SIP wealth after 20 years | 10% annual step-up SIP wealth after 20 years |
| Nippon India ETF Nifty Next 50 Junior BeES | 13.54% | ₹11,09,210 | ₹21,61,414 |
| Nippon India ETF Nifty Bank BeES | 12.38% | ₹9,63,140 | ₹19,31,933 |
| Quantum Value Fund | 12.15% | ₹9,36,689 | ₹18,89,939 |
| Nippon India ETF Nifty 50 BeES | 10.86% | ₹8,02,057 | ₹16,73,728 |
| ICICI Prudential BSE Sensex ETF | 10.62% | ₹7,79,391 | ₹16,36,876 |
Source: Value Research, Direct plans, XIRR Returns as on 9 October 2026, Assumption: A ₹1,000 monthly SIP over 20 years involves a total investment of ₹2,40,000, while a SIP stepped up by 10% annually involves a total investment of ₹6,87,300.
Suppose you had started a ₹1,000 monthly SIP in Nippon India ETF Nifty Next 50 Junior BeES 20 years ago. It is the top-performing fund in the equity fund category over this period. Your total investment through a SIP would have been ₹2,40,000, and your accumulated wealth would have reached ₹11,09,210 by October 2026.
The fund is an exchange-traded fund (ETF), which passively tracks the Nifty Next 50 index. It provides exposure to the 50 companies ranked immediately after the Nifty 50 constituents in the broader Nifty 100 universe.
However, if you had increased your monthly SIP contribution by 10% every year, your total investment would have risen to ₹6,87,300, while your accumulated wealth would have reached ₹21,61,414.
That is nearly twice the wealth generated by the SIP, although it would have required an additional investment of ₹4,47,300.
The other four funds ranked by 20-year SIP returns are:
- Nippon India ETF Nifty Bank BeES: A passive ETF tracking the Nifty Bank index, offering exposure to major banking stocks. A regular SIP of ₹1,000 per month would have grown to ₹9,63,140, compared with ₹19,31,933 with a 10% annual step-up.
- Quantum Value Fund: An actively managed equity fund following a value-investing approach. The respective wealth figures would have been ₹9,36,689 and ₹18,89,939.
- Nippon India ETF Nifty 50 BeES: A passive ETF tracking the Nifty 50 index. The respective wealth figures would have been ₹8,02,057 and ₹16,73,728.
- ICICI Prudential BSE Sensex ETF: A passive ETF tracking the BSE Sensex. The respective wealth figures would have been ₹7,79,391 and ₹16,36,876.
The comparison shows how increasing contributions alongside rising income can influence long-term wealth creation. However, the actual outcome depends on market performance, investment costs, and the timing of investments.
Disclaimer: This is purely for educational/informational purposes and should not be taken as any sort of investment advice. Always consult a SEBI-registered advisor before making any investment decisions.