Financial planning: Planning for your retirement must take into consideration rising costs, future medical and emergency needs, and lifestyle inflation. Thus, it is advisable to have some allocation towards secure and long-term investment options such as the public provident fund (PPF), employees’ provident fund (EPF) and the national pension scheme (NPS).
Launched by the Government of India, PPF, EPF and NPS are schemes with tax-free payout and a higher rate of interest, compared to bank fixed deposits or recurring deposits (FDs or RDs). They are reliable and safe instruments for conservative investors seeking consistent long-term returns and income tax benefits.
Public Provident Fund (PPF): All you need to know
PPF is a government-backed savings scheme, with guaranteed tax-exemption on investment, maturity amount and interest earned (aka EEE benefit), at a fixed interest rate of 7.1% this quarter. It is among the safest investment options for retirement and tax planning in India.
A PPF account is offered by any India Post office or public bank (i.e. State Bank of India, Canara Bank, or Punjab National Bank) and some private lenders, with a minimum deposit of ₹100-500 a month.
It has a know-your-customer (KYC) requirement where you will need to submit the duly filled form with your Aadhaar Card copy, proof of residence, and a passport- size photo at the bank or post office. You can also directly open a PPF account through your bank through online banking or mobile banking.
A total of ₹1.5 lakh annual contribution is exempt under Section 80C of the old tax regime. There is no similar benefit at present under the new tax regime.
Employees Provident Fund (EPF): Key Highlights
EPF is administered by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) under the EPF Act of 1952. While PPF is available to all Indian citizens, EPF is a retirement savings scheme available to the salaried class only. Eligibility includes the mandatory enrolment of salaried individuals with basic pay and dearness allowance of up to ₹15,000. You can also opt for a voluntary contribution if basic pay and dearness allowance (DA) exceed ₹15,000 per month.
It functions through joint contributions from both the employer and employee, wherein you receive the lump sum corpus at retirement. The current EPF interest rate of 8.25% per annum is higher than PPF and the same as VPF.
Notably, employee contributions up to ₹1.5 lakh annually are exempt under Section 80C of the old tax regime. Employers’ up to 12% contribution (below ₹7.5 lakh) is exempt under the old and new tax regimes. There is no similar benefit at present under the new tax regime.
Further, for employees, interest on accumulated contribution up to ₹2.5 lakh is tax-free, while interest on the employer’s contribution is tax-free.
National Pension Scheme: Top things to know
NPS is open to all Indian citizens aged 18 to 70, except for those in the armed forces. After retirement, account holders can choose to withdraw a certain percentage of their corpus as a lump sum and use the rest as a pension. There are two types of accounts to choose:
- Tier-1 has minimum deposit of ₹500, with some restrictions over withdrawal. It has annual tax exemption of up to ₹2 lakh ( ₹1.5 lakh + ₹50,000 additional) under Section 80CCD of the Income-Tax Act.
- Tier-2 has ₹250 minimum deposit and requires the individual to already have an active Tier-1 NPS account.
Each NPS subscriber is assigned a Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN) through which all contribution and fund management activities are conducted. It also has a know-your-customer (KYC) requirement.
NPS is market-linked and can provide 9-12% return depending on your allocation. It allows multiple opportunities for partial withdrawal and the full withdrawal on maturity is tax-free. Notably, an annuity has to be purchased after tax.
Check comparison between PPF vs EPF vs NPS
| Factors | Public Provident Fund (PPF) | Employees Provident Fund (EPF) | National Pension Scheme (NPS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tenure | 20 years, including 5 years extension | As long as contributions continue | Until retirement or 80 years of age |
| Risk | Risk-free, guaranteed return as per fixed interest rate | Risk-free, guaranteed return as per fixed interest rate | Market-linked regulated by the state-run PFRDA |
| Tax saving | Under Section 80C, up to ₹1.5 lakh | Under Section 80C, up to ₹1.5 lakh | Under Section 80CCD, up to ₹2 lakh |
| Minimum deposit | ₹100-500 | 12% of salary each from employee and employer | ₹1,000 |
| Access | All public banks and post offices, some private banks | Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation | National Pension System |
| Loan collateral | Accepted, after 1 year (up to 25% of balance) | No, but partial withdrawal allowed | Up to 25% of subscriber’s own contributions |
| Interest rate | 7.1% fixed (reviewed each quarter) | 8.25% fixed (annual review) | 3-16% depending on your choice of fund and market performance |
| Who can operate | All citizens, including minors, except NRIs | Salaried individuals | All citizens between 18-70 years, except armed forces |
| Withdrawals | Partial withdrawal after 5 years, full after 15 years | Up to 90% partial withdrawal after 3 years for housing; full on or after 58 years of age | Partial withdrawal after 3 years from Tier-1 account subject to specific circumstances. |
| Choice of investment | NA | NA | Choose between equity funds, G-Sec, fixed income instruments and more. |
| Sources: EPFO, India Post, Clear Tax | |||
(All rates are as mentioned on the respective bank’s official website, at the time of writing on 26 March 2026)
Disclaimer: This story is for educational purposes only. The views and recommendations made above are those of individual analysts or broking companies, and not of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.
