PFRDA Pushes New Pension Initiatives; Pune Records 2.53 Lakh NPS Subscribers
Pune, 12th October 2026: The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) is expanding efforts to bring more people into the National Pension System (NPS), with digital enrolment, community outreach and new retirement-planning tools among the initiatives outlined at a media interaction in Pune.
Pune has 253,554 subscribers and ₹12,171 crore in assets under management (AUM) across the Corporate and All Citizen NPS models, according to figures released by the authority. Across Pune, Mumbai, Thane, Nagpur and Raigad, the two models together have 798,776 subscribers and ₹46,457 crore in AUM.
Shri Sanjay Pandey, Whole-Time Member (Finance) at PFRDA, discussed the initiatives ahead of an outreach programme on NPS and StAR NPS for mutual fund distributors. He said the authority aims to make pension products easier to access and understand, while helping subscribers make informed decisions about long-term retirement planning.
The authority said more than 22% of all NPS accounts opened in the non-government sector since 2009 were added in the past year. It attributed the increase to product features, easier onboarding and improvements to the subscriber experience.
New initiatives to widen access
NPS Sanchay is aimed at gig and platform workers, self-employed people, entrepreneurs and micro, small and medium enterprise owners who may not have employer-linked retirement benefits. The framework outlined at the interaction includes a three-click digital enrolment process, an entry contribution of ₹250, UPI top-ups from ₹10 and a stated 25% allocation to equity.
PFRDA is also working with UPI agents to widen access and has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Rural Development to promote enrolment through Pension Sakhis, with the aim of strengthening pension awareness among rural households and women.
Through NPS Vatsalya, parents and guardians can open accounts for minors to encourage early, long-term financial planning. The account transitions to the regular NPS framework when the subscriber reaches adulthood, subject to scheme provisions. Across Pune, Mumbai, Thane, Nagpur and Nashik, the scheme has 23,558 subscribers and approximately ₹50 crore in AUM. Pune leads those centres in subscriber numbers, with 7,679.
Tools for retirement and investment decisions
PFRDA is developing a Retirement Income Scheme (RIS) to enable eligible subscribers to remain invested after they stop working, moving from accumulation to decumulation without further contributions. The proposed payout approaches include a Systematic Payout Rate, based on a defined rate, and Systematic Unit Redemption, involving the redemption of a specified number of units.
The authority has also outlined revised exit provisions under which eligible non-government subscribers may withdraw up to 80% of their corpus as a lump sum, subject to applicable rules. Government subscribers remain under the relevant 60:40 framework.
The PRIDE-DISHA tool allows subscribers to compare historical net asset values across pension funds and schemes; risk meters are intended to help users understand investment risk. PFRDA cautioned that historical returns do not guarantee future performance.
Other offerings mentioned include Pension Sahayak, an AI assistant being designed to answer queries by text or voice in 22 languages; NPS Swasthya, an add-on health-cover offering; and NPS Central, a centralised onboarding platform under development.
PFRDA said the initiatives are intended to extend pension access across employment categories and stages of life. The authority also cited India’s ageing population as a reason to strengthen retirement planning: the share of people aged 60 and above is projected to rise from about 10% to 19.5% by 2050.
