Seven in 10 urban Indians aspire to retire before the traditional retirement age of 58-60 if financially secure, while one in two aims to achieve Financial Independence and Retire Early (FIRE) before 50, according to Axis Max Life Insurance’s Bharosa Talks India Retirement Index Study (IRIS 6.0), conducted with Kantar.
The study said overall retirement preparedness remained resilient, with the IRIS score rising to 49 in 2026 from 48 in 2025 and 44 in 2022. Financial preparedness improved to 52, while health preparedness stood at 46 and emotional preparedness at 57. However, respondents have accumulated only 28% of their target retirement corpus on average.
The study found that 82% of Gen X+ respondents aged 45 and above fear they may never fully retire because of the need for regular income, while 91% regret not starting retirement investments earlier. Only 11% believe their corpus will last their lifetime, while 39% expect it may not last five years.
Younger generations are starting earlier, with 62% of Gen Z already investing for retirement. One in two respondents believes planning should begin with the first paycheque, while Gen Z puts the ideal starting age at 29.
The ₹1 crore retirement benchmark is also weakening, with those considering it sufficient falling from 77% in 2025 to 70% in 2026.
In Guwahati, the findings indicate increasing relevance of structured retirement planning in emerging urban centres. The improvement in Tier II cities’ IRIS score from 44 to 48 suggests that retirement preparedness is gaining ground beyond metros, a trend relevant to Guwahati’s expanding salaried, professional and business segments.
