A Step-up SIP, also called a top-up SIP, is a SIP where you increase your monthly investment amount by a set percentage or fixed sum at regular intervals, usually once a year, instead of keeping it constant forever. For example, you might start with a ₹10,000 monthly SIP and choose to increase it by 10% every year as your salary grows.
This approach matches the reality that most people's income rises over their career, so their investment capacity should ideally rise too, rather than staying frozen at the amount they could afford when they were younger. Because of this, a step-up SIP can help you reach a large goal, like retirement, considerably faster than a flat SIP of the same starting amount — without ever feeling like a big jump, since each increase is modest and timed to your income growth.