‘Rs 71 lakh tax-free by 21’: Finfluencer reveals strategy to secure her daughter's future but not everyone's convinced

If you’re planning for your child’s future, there are several investment avenues to explore. While mutual funds are often preferred for long-term wealth creation, the returns are taxable at maturity.

But there’s one government-backed scheme that offers guaranteed returns — and complete tax exemption — by the time your daughter turns 21: the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY).

A social media user recently highlighted how she is using SSY for her 3-year-old daughter. She explained that to reach the Rs 71 lakh target, one must invest Rs 1.5 lakh annually — the maximum deposit allowed under the scheme. Over the 15-year deposit period, the total investment comes to Rs 22.5 lakh.


At the current 8.2% annual interest rate, this grows to approximately Rs 71 lakh by maturity.

That means your daughter could receive a tax-free corpus of Rs 71 lakh at age 21.



The user also pointed out that SSY contributions qualify for tax benefits under Section 80C, and both the accrued interest and the final maturity amount are completely tax-free.

However, reactions online were mixed.

Many users argued that mutual funds offer higher long-term returns without locking in the entire amount. Some others noted that the value of Rs 71 lakh after 15 years would be lower due to inflation.

One person commented that most taxpayers will shift to the new tax regime, where Section 80C deductions no longer matter. Another added that if an investment can’t beat inflation — which they claim is around 10% in real terms — it may not be worth it.

Still, SSY found strong defenders too. As one user wrote, “Everyone keeps chasing high returns, but this is real wealth building — safe, tax-free, guaranteed. Rs 22.5L turning into Rs 71L without losing sleep. SSY is literally a cheat code for parents.”