KEY HIGHLIGHTS:
• According to Bharosa Talks India Retirement Index Study (IRIS) 6.0 women cohort recorded a score of 49, at par with men, while their Financial Preparedness Index improved from 50 in IRIS 5.0 to 52 in IRIS 6.0.
• 71% of women started investing for retirement, up from 65% in IRIS 5.0, outpacing the increase among men from 68% to 70%. 45% aspire to achieve financial independence and retire before 50, assuming their financial needs are addressed.
• Women claim to have accumulated 26% of their target retirement corpus.
• Only 30% of women expect their retirement corpus to last more than 10 years, down from 40% in IRIS 5.0.
• 50% of women claim to hold FDs/RDs specifically for retirement, compared with 44% of men, while 27% claim to hold risk-based retirement investments, such as mutual funds, ETFs, SIPs, stocks/shares or commodities, compared with 34% of men.
New Delhi, 12th October, 2026: Axis Max Life Insurance Limited (“Axis Max Life” / “Company”) today unveiled the women-specific findings of the sixth edition of its annual Bharosa Talks India Retirement Index Study (IRIS 6.0), conducted in partnership with Kantar. The findings point to stronger financial preparedness among women, with claimed 50% investing in FDs/RDs specifically for retirement, compared with 44% of men, alongside aspirations to achieve financial independence earlier. However, the journey from financial intent to building a retirement corpus that can sustain them over the long term remains substantial.
Women recorded an IRIS 6.0 score of 49, at par with men. Their Financial Preparedness Index strengthened from 50 in IRIS 5.0 to 52 in IRIS 6.0, while Health Preparedness moderated marginally from 47 to 46 and Emotional Preparedness stood at 57 compared with 58 last year.
The improvement in financial preparedness is reflected in greater action towards retirement. 71% of women have started investing for retirement, up from 65% in IRIS 5.0, outpacing the increase among men from 68% to 70%. Assuming their financial needs are addressed, 69% of women aspire to retire before the traditional retirement age of 58–60 years, including 45% who would like to achieve financial independence and retire before the age of 50.
Sumit Madan, MD & CEO, Axis Max Life Insurance, said,
“The findings of IRIS 6.0 highlight an encouraging shift in how women are planning for retirement. More women than men claimed investing in FDs/RDs specifically for retirement (50% versus 44% respectively), while many are also aiming to achieve financial independence at an earlier stage of life. Together, these trends reflect a growing sense of ownership and agency over their long-term financial well-being.
At the same time, the findings underscore the importance of turning intent into sustained action. Starting early, investing consistently, and making informed financial decisions can help women build a stronger retirement corpus, enhance their financial confidence, and ultimately create the freedom to define retirement on their own terms.”
KEY FINDINGS FROM WOMEN COHORT – INDIA RETIREMENT INDEX STUDY 6.0
Women take greater ownership of retirement planning: Half of women believe retirement planning should begin as soon as one starts earning, signalling an early recognition of the need to plan for retirement. However, when asked about the ideal age to actively start saving for retirement, women peg it at around 32 years, broadly in line with 31 years among men.
Awareness of retirement requirements is also strengthening: 62% of women know how much money they will need to maintain their current lifestyle during retirement, marginally ahead of men at 61%. Women’s awareness slightly increased from 61% in IRIS 5.0, while the corresponding proportion among men declined from 63% to 61%.
Corpus confidence remains a challenge as women favour conservative investments: While retirement participation is growing, corpus accumulation has further ground to cover. Women report having accumulated 26% of their target retirement corpus on average, marginally higher than 25% in IRIS 5.0 but below men at 28%. At the same time, the proportion of women expecting their corpus to last more than 10 years declined from 40% to 30%, a sharper decline than among men, where it fell from 36% to 30%.
Women also appear to take a relatively conservative approach to retirement investing: 50% claim to have invested in FDs/RDs specifically for retirement, compared with 44% of men, while 27% claim to hold risk-based financial products for retirement, such as mutual funds, ETFs, SIPs, stocks/shares or commodities, compared with 34% of men.
For women yet to begin investing for their retirement, clarity remains a barrier: 23% say they do not know where to start or how much to save, compared with 19% of men.
Women remain optimistic about healthy ageing: Despite the marginal moderation in their Health Preparedness Index, 77% of women believe they will remain fit and healthy during retirement, compared with 74% of men. 60% undertake preventive health check-ups regularly or occasionally, broadly in line with men at 59%.
Women also show a greater inclination towards yoga and meditation, with 50% practising yoga or meditation, compared with 45% of men and 46% nationally. Additionally, 41% of women claim to participate in regular physical activity, at par with both men and the national figure.
On emotional preparedness, 84% of women feel totally or somewhat secure about receiving support from family and friends during retirement, compared with 86% in IRIS 5.0. The decline was sharper among men, from 88% to 83%. Meanwhile, 82% of women worry that changing environmental factors could affect their peaceful life during retirement, compared with 80% of men.
