New Delhi, Sept. 30 -- What if retirement did not begin at 60, but at 40? For an increasing number of Indians, that question is no longer hypothetical. The FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement has transformed early retirement from a niche aspiration into a mainstream financial goal. With nearly 7 in 10 urban Indians saying they would exit the workforce early if money were no concern, the promise of more freedom, flexibility, and ownership of one's time is proving hard to resist.

But aspiring to retire early and being financially prepared to do so are two very different things. The latest Bharosa Talks: India Retirement Index Study 6.0 (IRIS 6.0) reveals just how wide that gap remains. Only 11 per cent of Indians are confi...