There are various plans that fall under the safe and low-risk investment category; one example being the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, offered through the Post Offices. This scheme is specifically tailored for girls (girl child) to help them build an economically secure future. The Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) is a government-backed saving scheme that falls under the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ program. This program allows parents the opportunity to open SSY accounts on behalf of their daughters at various Banks and India Post branches; and SSY offers 8.2% interest.
What is the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana?
SSY is designed for parents/legal guardians who wish to open a savings account for their daughter. In order to open an SSY account, the girl must be less than ten years of age when the account is initially opened. An individual may continue to deposit money into the account until the girl turns 15 years of age, and the account may remain open until the girl reaches age 21. After age 15, no more deposits may be made, but interest will continue to be credited to the account until the girl reaches age 21. Thus, by establishing this account shortly after the birth of a girl, an individual will accumulate a substantial fund through a series of small monthly payments.
The Central Government has recently announced that the interest rates on Public Provident Fund, National Savings Certificate and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana will remain unchanged for the third quarter (October-December) of the current financial year 2025-26. The Finance Ministry issued this notification on 30 September 2025.
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In this scheme, a minimum deposit of Rs 250 is mandatory in a financial year. A maximum of Rs 1.50 lakh can be invested. You can deposit the entire amount at once or in installments throughout the year. There is also an option to invest a little bit every month. Money is deposited in the account for 15 years, and the maturity period is 21 years.
If a person invests Rs 1.50 lakh every year from the time of the birth of his daughter and continues this investment for 15 years, the total amount deposited will be Rs 22.50 lakh. After that, only interest will continue to accrue for the next 6 years without any additional investment. After completing 21 years, an estimated Rs 71.82 lakh will be deposited in the account. Out of this, the interest portion is about Rs 49.32 lakh.
One of the attractive features of Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana is that it falls under the Tax Exempt-Exempt-Exempt (EEE) category. That is, the investment money (as per Section 80C) is deductible from income tax. The interest earned on the money deposited in the account is tax-free. The money withdrawn at maturity is also completely tax-free. This tax benefit makes it more profitable for investors.