If a person invests ₹1 lakh lump sum/year for 15 years in mutual funds, the estimated returns on the investment of ₹15 lakh will be ₹26.75 lakh (12% annual growth rate). Investing the same amount in gold will generate returns of ₹19.94 lakh (10% annual returns). The same amount in PPF will generate returns of ₹12.12 lakh (7.1% annual returns).