Seven in 10 urban Indians aspire to retire before the traditional retirement age of 58-60 if their financial needs are adequately met, while half of them want to achieve Financial Independence and Retire Early (FIRE) before 50, according to the sixth edition of Axis Max Life Insurance’s Bharosa Talks India Retirement Index Study (IRIS 6.0), conducted with Kantar.
The study found that overall retirement preparedness remained resilient, with the IRIS score rising to 49 in 2026 from 48 in 2025 and 44 in 2022. However, respondents had accumulated only 28% of their targeted retirement corpus on average. Only 11% believe their corpus will last their lifetime, while 39% expect it may not last five years.
The gap becomes more pronounced among those nearing retirement, with 82% of Gen X+ respondents aged 45 and above saying they may need to continue working or running a business for regular income. As many as 91% of this group regret not starting retirement investments earlier.
Younger Indians are beginning planning earlier, with 62% of Gen Z respondents already investing for retirement. Half of urban Indians believe planning should begin with the first paycheque, while Gen Z puts the average starting age at 29.
The study also showed that the ₹1 crore retirement benchmark is losing traction, with the share considering ₹1 crore or less sufficient falling from 77% in 2025 to 70% in 2026.
In Guwahati, the findings point to growing relevance of early retirement planning beyond metro cities. With Tier II cities’ IRIS score improving from 44 to 48, the study indicates that retirement preparedness is broadening across urban India, including emerging markets such as Guwahati.