A Bitcoin SIP in India is a plan that buys a fixed rupee amount of Bitcoin on a fixed schedule, the same way a mutual fund SIP buys units every month. On Unocoin it is called a Systematic Buying Plan (SBP): you pick an amount from ₹10 and a frequency, daily, weekly or monthly, and the plan buys automatically with ₹0 SBP fees. Unocoin describes it as India's first Bitcoin SIP.
Because the rupee amount stays fixed, you get more Bitcoin when the price is lower and less when it is higher. That is rupee-cost averaging. It removes the pressure of picking the right day. It does not remove risk: a plan can be worth less than what you put in, and crypto is unregulated in India. Below is how it works, why we think it fits Indian savers, and what it can and cannot do.
What a Bitcoin SIP is
Three settings define a plan:
- Amount: a fixed rupee figure, from ₹10.
- Frequency: daily, weekly or monthly.
- Start: when the first buy happens.
After that, the plan runs on its own. Each time, it buys that rupee amount of Bitcoin at the price at that moment. Over months you end up with many small purchases at many different prices.
The arithmetic of small amounts is worth seeing. ₹10 a day is ₹3,650 a year. ₹500 a week is ₹26,000 a year. ₹5,000 a month is ₹60,000 a year. None of those requires you to buy a whole Bitcoin. One Bitcoin is 100 million satoshis, and every buy simply adds sats.
Why a SIP and not a trading screen
Here is the pattern I worry about most with first-time buyers. They open the app, see a price, wait for it to fall a little, watch it rise instead, buy in a hurry, then watch it fall. Then they stop opening the app.
Trading screens are built for people who want to make decisions every day. Most people do not want that, and most people should not want that. They want to put a small part of their savings into something they believe in, and get on with their lives.
India already has a word for that behaviour. SIP is a habit millions of Indians understand from mutual funds: a fixed amount, on a schedule, without trying to be clever about timing. That is why the SIP shape makes so much sense to me for Bitcoin in India. It meets people in a habit they already trust, instead of asking them to become traders. And it is why Unocoin's plan starts at ₹10: the habit matters more than the amount.
It also changes how volatility feels. When the price drops and you are on a plan, your next buy simply gets more sats. You do not have to make a decision under pressure. The plan already made it, when you were calm.
How the SBP works: amount, frequency, fees
On Unocoin:
- Minimum amount: ₹10.
- Frequency: daily, weekly or monthly.
- SBP trades: 0% fee. For comparison, an instant buy is 0.5% plus 18% GST on the fee.
- You can manage, change or pause the plan in the app.
- Your Bitcoin stays in your Unocoin account, and you can move it to your own wallet anytime with zero-fee transfers.
The 0% SBP fee is what makes small, frequent plans practical. A fee charged on every ₹10 buy would eat a noticeable share of each purchase. Without it, ₹10 a day is a real option and not a gimmick.
To start, you need a free account with your +91 mobile number, KYC with PAN and Aadhaar done inside the app, and rupees added by IMPS or NEFT. Keep the balance topped up so the plan has something to buy with.
What it does not do: remove risk
I want to be clear about this, because SIPs carry a reputation for being "safe" that they do not deserve on their own.
A SIP spreads your buying across time. If Bitcoin falls for a long stretch, your plan keeps buying through the fall and your holding can be worth less than the money you put in. If you stop the plan at the bottom out of fear, you lock in exactly the outcome the plan was meant to soften. Bitcoin is volatile. Crypto products are unregulated in India and can be highly risky, and there may be no regulatory recourse for loss.
So pick an amount you could keep paying through a bad year without strain. If ₹100 a week feels comfortable and ₹1,000 feels tight, start with ₹100.
Replay a plan in the Time Machine
On the IndiaBitcoin home page there is a tool we call the SBP Time Machine. You choose an amount between ₹10 and ₹10,000, a frequency, and a start month as early as January 2016. It replays that plan against real daily BTC/INR closes from Yahoo Finance, cross-checked against CoinGecko, and shows the total you would have put in, the Bitcoin accumulated, and the value at today's live price. It also draws a fixed deposit line at an assumed 7%, clearly labelled as an assumption.
Use it to feel how a plan behaves through rough stretches, not to guess what comes next. It is a look backward, not a forecast. Past prices do not tell you future prices.
If you are weighing a plan against putting in one larger amount, the SIP vs lump sum guide walks through the trade-offs.
How tax applies to SIP buys
Buying is not a taxable event, so your plan can run for years without creating a tax bill. Tax arises when you sell, swap or spend.
When you do sell, the profit is taxed at a flat 30% plus 4% cess on the tax, and only the cost of acquisition is deductible. 1% TDS is deducted on the sale value once your sales in the year cross the threshold. Losses cannot be set off or carried forward. Each sale goes into Schedule VDA.
A plan creates many purchases, each with its own date and price. A weekly plan makes 52 buys a year. When you sell part of your holding, your gain depends on which purchases the sale is matched against, and the law does not prescribe a method for VDAs. Many advisers use first-in, first-out. Keep your full SBP statement and ask your CA which method they will use. The tax on a Bitcoin SIP page has the detail.
Common mistakes with a Bitcoin SIP
Setting an amount that is too large, then cancelling in the first bad month. Forgetting to keep the rupee balance topped up, so the plan silently skips buys. Treating the plan as a reason never to learn how Bitcoin works. And sharing account details with someone who offers to "manage" the plan for you. Nobody needs your OTP or password to help you with a SIP.
Who a Bitcoin SIP suits
It suits someone who has decided they want some Bitcoin over the long run, does not want to watch charts, and is comfortable with a small fixed amount leaving their account on a schedule. It does not suit someone who needs the money in six months, or who would panic and sell after a sharp fall.
If that first description sounds like you, a ₹10 plan is the lowest-stakes way to find out how it feels. Start there, watch it for a few months, and decide with real experience instead of guesses. Read the Bitcoin SIP page first if you want the full picture.
Common questions
What is the minimum for a Bitcoin SIP in India?
₹10, through a Systematic Buying Plan on Unocoin, with a 0% SBP fee. You can choose daily, weekly or monthly.
Can I pause or change my SBP?
Yes. You can manage, change or pause your plan in the Unocoin app. For account questions, contact Unocoin support.
Is a Bitcoin SIP safe?
It reduces the pressure of timing, but it does not remove risk. Bitcoin's price can fall and a plan can be worth less than you put in. Crypto is unregulated in India.
How is a Bitcoin SIP taxed?
Buying is not taxed. When you sell, profit is taxed at 30% plus 4% cess, with 1% TDS on sales above the yearly threshold and no loss set-off. Keep your SBP statement and check with a CA.