We’ve witnessed the skyrocketing journey that SIPs have been in India. We’ve gone from just 5 crore SIPs in 2022 to 10 crore SIPs by the end of 2024, which means it doubled in less than 3 years. But whether it is someone who is starting SIP for the first time or if they are starting their second or third SIP, one question that plagues everyone is, ‘Which is the best SIP date?’.

Before we delve deeper into the best SIP date, what are your thoughts? Out of the 28 days in all months, which date should your SIP be set on?

Do you think one of the dates suits a SIP better than the other? The answer is no, there isn’t a Best SIP Date! Don’t believe us? Maybe this data will help you understand our point better:

Date1234567
Returns15.19%15.14%15.09%14.97%15.05%15.09%15.13%
Date891011121314
Returns15.09%15.05%15.07%15.04%15.07%15.00%15.02%
Date15161718192021
Returns15.04%15.04%14.99%15.03%15.02%15.03%15.07%
Date22232425262728
Returns15.12%15.16%15.18%15.14%15.16%15.17%15.07%
Data Source: ICRA MFI Explorer. Returns calculated on the basis of investment in Nifty 50 TRI. Average returns of all dates for 10-Year SIPs started between July 2014 and August 2015 and ended between August 2024 to July 2025 considered. Returns calculated are at the end of one month after the last SIP instalment. Past performance is not a guarantee of future returns.

When we looked at the 10-year returns for SIPs starting between July 2014 and August 2015 what we found was that the average returns for these SIPs were not that different for different dates.

In fact, the difference between the highest average returns and the lowest was just 23 basis points. If you are tempted to take advantage of this trend and start a SIP on 24th, i.e. the date with the highest average return, then you might be missing the point again.

Remember, this was on the basis of the average. Let’s look at the month with the highest returns and the lowest returns for the 24th and how they stand among the other SIP dates for the same month.

Returns for SIPs Started in February 2015: Lowest Returns for the 24th

Date1234567
Returns14.22%14.11%14.11%14.41%14.37%14.31%14.29%
Date891011121314
Returns14.12%14.10%14.12%13.90%13.89%13.84%13.77%
Date15161718192021
Returns13.78%13.77%13.76%13.77%13.77%13.74%13.69%
Date22232425262728
Returns13.49%13.49%13.51%13.48%13.45%13.40%13.04%

Returns for SIPs Started in September 2014: Highest Returns for the 24th

Date1234567
Returns16.35%16.36%16.35%16.29%16.24%16.05%16.10%
Date891011121314
Returns16.09%16.07%16.17%16.10%16.45%16.39%16.41%
Date15161718192021
Returns16.41%16.41%16.42%16.39%16.43%16.68%16.81%
Date22232425262728
Returns16.83%16.83%16.85%16.87%17.00%16.94%16.65%
Data Source: ICRA MFI Explorer. Returns calculated on the basis of investment in Nifty 50 TRI. Returns calculated are at the end of one month after the last SIP instalment. Past performance is not a guarantee of future returns.

As you can see, the returns for the 24th are not the best for both the months. In fact, the 24th was the best SIP date for just two of the 12 months that we considered here, just that when you consider the average returns, it was better than the others.

So what do you do? Well, the simple answer is that the date doesn’t matter. Start a SIP on a day that is convenient for you. It is best to set your SIP close to the date that you receive your salary so that your investment is taken care of before you start spending your money on other things.

Choosing a SIP date is like picking a seat on a train; all seats will get you to your destination, but you might prefer a window seat for the view. Similarly, the best SIP date is the one that makes investing easiest for you

So, don’t overthink it! Pick a date, set your SIP, and start your investment journey today!