Affluent and high-net-worth Indians are rewriting the traditional life plan as retirement, career reinvention and family responsibilities increasingly collide, according to new HSBC research conducted by Ipsos.
The survey of 9,993 affluent and high-net-worth investors, including 1,115 in India, shows that financial priorities no longer unfold neatly one after another. Instead, investors are funding several ambitions and generations at the same time.
As a result, most seek wealth solutions that can flex across multiple needs (89%), while 84% want expert support to navigate them. Their priorities are flexible financial strategies (39%), access to liquidity without sacrificing long-term growth (36%) and advisers who understand non-linear planning (36%).
Sandeep Batra, Head – International Wealth and Premier Banking, HSBC India, said: “For many affluent Indians, retirement, family responsibilities and career changes are happening at the same time. Families need flexible plans that evolve with them, while keeping long-term goals in sight – and that prepare the next generation not only to inherit wealth, but to build the capability and confidence to use it well.”
Longer lives, greater flexibility
Longer lives are changing how people spend, give and invest. Almost all Indian respondents (96%) have reconsidered their financial plans to make way for later needs, with long-term healthcare (44%) and maintaining their current lifestyle (37%) among the leading priorities.
At the same time, the amount affluent individuals say they need for retirement has risen to US$0.42 million, a 6% increase from 2025, yet they have saved only 48% of it on average. Retirement is also becoming a transition rather than a fixed end point: 78% expect to leave work gradually or flexibly. Portfolio and encore careers appeal to 34%, compared with 22% who favour a traditional full-stop retirement.
Legacy and education: wealth with a purpose
Wealth is flowing both ways across Indian families: 41% of investors expect to leave a legacy, while 34% expect to receive one – at age 51 on average.
But generations do not always agree on its purpose. While 69% of benefactors want to provide a home, safety net or support for major life moments, Gen Z (65%) and Millennials (62%) are more likely to earmark inheritance for travel, career breaks and passion projects.
For Indian families, legacy increasingly means investing in the next generation’s independence and resilience – not simply transferring assets.
Four in five investors (81%) support their children’s or grandchildren’s personal growth and resilience; 71% fund formal learning and skills, and 65% back career or entrepreneurial development. That mindset extends to inheritance: 87% prioritise passing on education, financial literacy and other forms of human capital, compared with 64% who prioritise foundational assets such as a home deposit. Nearly half (49%) say their main goal is to equip heirs for full financial independence.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
