Affluent Indians rethink retirement as multiple financial priorities overlap: HSBC

Affluent Indians Rethink Retirement Planning

An HSBC study carried out by Ipsos has found that wealthy and high-net-worth Indians are revisiting their retirement and wealth plans as longer lifespans, shifting career paths and family duties increasingly converge. The research covered 9,993 affluent and high-net-worth investors worldwide, of whom 1,115 were in India.

The retirement corpus that affluent Indians regard as adequate has climbed 6 per cent since 2025 to $420,000. On average, however, respondents have set aside only 48 per cent of that target. The study also noted that financial goals are no longer being tackled one after another; people are now funding several ambitions at once while supporting different generations.

Demand for Flexible Solutions

Eighty-nine per cent of Indian respondents said they want wealth solutions capable of serving multiple needs simultaneously, and 84 per cent are looking for expert guidance to handle shifting priorities. Flexible strategies and the ability to access liquidity without sacrificing long-term growth emerged as key expectations.

Sandeep Batra, Head of International Wealth and Premier Banking at HSBC India, said families require plans that adapt as circumstances change while keeping long-term objectives in view. He also noted that the next generation needs to build the ability and confidence to handle inherited wealth.

Longevity and Gradual Exits

Longer life expectancy is driving a rethink of retirement needs. Almost 96 per cent of Indian respondents said they had revisited their financial plans for future requirements, citing long-term healthcare at 44 per cent and maintaining their current lifestyle at 37 per cent.

Retirement itself is turning into a phased transition, with 78 per cent expecting to step away from work flexibly. Thirty-four per cent prefer portfolio or encore careers, against 22 per cent who favour a conventional retirement.

On inheritance, 41 per cent of Indian investors expect to leave one, …