This is the journey of a SIR Community member currently living in Hyderabad who is very close to achieving his Financial Independence goal. I asked him 8 different ‘personal’ questions in the group, here’s his reply in his own words
1. Little background of me
Hi, I’m a 34-year-old guy from a small tier-4 city in India. I come from a traditional middle-class family and currently live in Hyderabad. We’re a small family of two (no kids at this point, and my parents aren’t financially dependent on me). I’ve been working in tech for the past 12 years and currently work at Amazon. My journey has been about pushing boundaries, staying grounded, and continuously learning about money, life, and freedom.
2. FIRE Number
I’m targeting a FIRE corpus of 100x of my annual expenses. While 33x is often considered the minimum threshold for FIRE, I’m aiming higher for flexibility and peace of mind, accounting for future needs and uncertainties. Having a buffer helps me sleep better at night.
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3. How I started my FIRE journey
I started my career in a startup, earning ₹4.5LPA. At that time, I knew nothing about investing and most of my savings were in fixed deposits.
In 2015, I took my first baby step into equity with a ₹2,000 SIP. Fast forward to today, my monthly SIP stands at ₹3,00,000 (plus ad-hoc).
The biggest shift came when I stopped focusing on cutting expenses and started focusing on growing income. That change in mindset helped me scale my earnings around ₹1.5Cr per year and build a meaningful investment portfolio.
4. How far I am from FIRE
I’m about 4 years away (at the time of writing this) from hitting my 100x FIRE target. My projections are based on conservative assumptions: 10% investment returns, 7% inflation, and just 1% salary growth. These help keep things realistic.
But truth be told, the “number” keeps evolving. As I get closer, I find myself recalibrating because the FI part (Financial Independence) is already achieved. At this point, the RE (Retire Early) is optional. Work is no longer a compulsion; it’s a choice.
5. Current Portfolio
Here’s how I’m currently allocated across asset classes and instruments:
Indian Equity
My core domestic equity exposure spans both index and active strategies:
- Nifty 50 and Nifty Next 50 form the base of my large-cap index exposure.
- HDFC Flexicap and PPFAS Flexicap add active Flexi Cap diversification.
- Quant Micap and Quant Smallcap provide exposure in mid and small-cap segments.
US Equity
I maintain a significant international exposure to diversify currency and geographic risk:
- A broad exposure through the Nasdaq 100 index & FAANG.
- A concentrated position in Amazon.com, which forms ~90% of my US equity allocation, accumulated via RSUs from work.
Gold
I hold Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGB) purchased a few years ago. I don’t see this as an investment asset, instead it’s earmarked for future family needs of buying physical gold.
Debt
My debt allocation is intentionally strong and structured to help me sleep well at night, especially during equity drawdowns:
- Fixed Deposits serve as my liquidity cushion.
- ICICI Gilt Fund and PPFAS DAAF give me stable, relatively low-risk returns.
- I maximize tax efficiency through contributions to PPF, EPF and NPS, part of my employment benefits.
To visualize this, here’s a snapshot of my target vs. current allocation across categories:
And here’s the overall asset distribution across instruments:
6. Lessons I’ve Learned (Top 3 Suggestions)
A) Income is your biggest lever
Don’t just obsess over cutting expenses rather focus on increasing your earning potential. It’s easier to earn an extra 500 than to save 100. A higher income fast-tracks your path to FIRE, enables bold career moves, and creates more investment capacity. And stop wasting too much energy optimizing returns you can’t control, your time is better spent growing skills and value.
B) Asset allocation matters
Markets don’t go up in a straight line. Don’t get carried away by recent bull runs. A solid debt cushion and cash flow plan can save you from panic decisions during downturns. Set realistic expectations, build allocation suited to your life – not someone else’s benchmark. Everyone’s journey is different.
C) FIRE is more mental than mathematical
It’s as much about mindset as it is about numbers. You’ll face challenges and temptations – staying focused, cutting unnecessary luxuries, and building consistency matters more. The best part? Even partial financial independence brings a powerful sense of calm, security, and control over your life.
7. If I FIRE’d today, what would I do with my time?
I’d still be building things – I genuinely enjoy working on new ideas and solving interesting problems. Right now, my job continues to excite me. But if I FIRE’d today, I’d probably explore teaching – passing on what I’ve learned to the next generation sounds fulfilling. That said, this is the one area that still feels open-ended. The “what next” question is something I’m still figuring out.
8. One piece of advice to my 18-year-old self
Take bold bets and make aggressive decisions. It’s okay to be wrong – fail fast, learn faster. What truly matters is how quickly you reflect, adapt, and ensure you don’t repeat the same mistake. This is the phase of life to experiment fearlessly.
More discussion on FIRE in India inside SIR Community – Click here
