A Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) is a method of investing a fixed amount of money in mutual funds at regular intervals (usually monthly). It's a disciplined approach popular among salaried professionals in India for long-term wealth creation, as it automates investing and helps average out purchase costs over time (rupee cost averaging).

This tool projects the future value of your investments based on key inputs:

• **Monthly Investment:** The fixed amount you invest each month.
• **Investment Duration:** The total number of years you plan to stay invested.
• **Expected Return Rate:** The assumed annual growth rate of your investment.
• **Inflation Rate:** The calculator uses this to show you the 'real value' of your corpus in today's money, giving you an honest picture of your future wealth.

A corpus of ₹1 crore in 20 years will not have the same purchasing power as ₹1 crore today. Inflation erodes the value of money. This calculator shows both the nominal corpus (the large future number) and the inflation-adjusted 'real value' to prevent a false sense of security. It shows you marketing numbers versus reality.

• **Standard Mode:** Provides a simple future value projection based on a fixed return rate. It's quick and easy but can be overly optimistic.
• **Realistic Mode:** Adjusts for inflation, uses a more conservative return based on asset mix, and helps you understand the true purchasing power of your future wealth.

SIPs are ideal for salaried professionals and anyone who wants to build long-term wealth in a disciplined manner without timing the market. It is particularly effective for goals that are more than 5-7 years away, such as retirement planning or building a corpus for financial independence.