Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana Calculator

A dedicated fund for your daughter

The Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) is a government small savings scheme created under the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao initiative. It exists for one purpose: to help parents build a substantial, tax-free corpus for a girl child's education and marriage. A parent or guardian can open one account per girl before she turns 10, with deposits from just ₹250 up to ₹1.5 lakh a year.

What makes SSY stand out is the combination of a high government-set interest rate (currently 8.2% p.a.) and full EEE tax treatment — your deposits are deductible under Section 80C, and both the interest and the final maturity amount are entirely tax-free. Very few instruments in India offer that mix of safety, return and tax efficiency.

How the 15-and-21 structure works

The scheme has a distinctive two-phase design that trips up many first-time savers:

• Deposit phase (years 1–15): You make contributions each year, and interest compounds annually on the growing balance.
• Compounding phase (years 16–21): No new deposits are needed. The accumulated balance simply keeps earning interest until the account matures at the end of year 21.

This means the account runs for 21 years from opening even though you only pay in for 15. Those final six years of untouched compounding add a meaningful amount to the corpus — which is why it pays to keep the account open rather than seeking early closure.

Maximising your SSY corpus

A few habits make a real difference to the final figure:

• Deposit early in the year. Interest is calculated on the lowest balance between the 5th and month-end, so depositing before 5 April captures a full year of interest on that contribution.
• Contribute the maximum. Putting in the full ₹1.5 lakh annually builds the largest corpus and fully uses your 80C deduction.
• Never lapse. A missed year makes the account defaulted; revive it with a ₹50 penalty plus the ₹250 minimum to keep the full rate.

Withdrawals and maturity

Money in SSY is deliberately locked in, but not forever. Once the girl turns 18, you may withdraw up to 50% of the previous year's balance for her higher education. Premature closure is allowed in limited situations, such as her marriage after 18. On maturity, the full tax-free amount is paid to the girl — a purpose-built nest egg built up over two decades of disciplined, government-backed saving.