India’s NPS assets cross Rs 15.95 lakh crore; EPS contributors touch 7.98 crore

New Delhi, May 7 India’s retirement system has significantly expanded with Assets Under Management reaching Rs 15.95 lakh crore under the National Pension System and Rs 51,400 crore under the Atal Pension Yojana, the government said on Thursday.

NPS enrolments have exceeded 2.17 crore subscribers and APY reached 8.96 crore enrolments, reflecting strong and sustained growth in India's pension landscape, an official statement said.

The Employees’ Pension Scheme has also demonstrated robust growth, with contributory membership expanding to 7.98 crore members as of April 2026.

The non-contributory social pensions form a significant layer of income support alongside contributory pension systems. As of April 2026, the central social pension component covers more than 2.92 crore beneficiaries. During the same period, state governments covered over 1.41 crore beneficiaries.

A substantial segment of India’s pension landscape continues to be shaped by defined-benefit pension arrangements, paid to Central government employees, comprising over 34 lakh defence and 14 lakh railways pensioners.

With rising life expectancy and increasingly diverse employment patterns, strengthening retirement security has become an important public policy priority, the statement said.

In this context, India’s pension system has evolved significantly over time, shaped by successive policy decisions and institutional reforms, it said, adding the focus has moved to expanding social security coverage and improving service delivery through digital platforms.

India's pension architecture now comprises multiple pillars such as defined‑benefit schemes, contributory arrangements, statutory payroll‑linked schemes for organised private‑sector workers and tax‑funded social assistance.

At the Union level, the National Social Assistance Program (NSAP) is implemented across rural and urban areas to provide social assistance to eligible beneficiaries. NSAP provides financial assistance to the economically vulnerable individuals.

As of August 2025, States/UTs have added a top-up amount ranging from Rs 50 to Rs 3800 per month to each beneficiary under NSAP, which resulted in an average monthly pension of around Rs 1,000 in most of the states or UTs.

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