The National Pension System (NPS) was initially launched in 2004 for central government employees but was made available to all Indian citizens in 2009. Its subscribers grew from six million in 2013-14 to 18.43 million in 2024-25, as of July 31, 2024, underscoring its growing popularity. What’s significant is that the number of all-citizen model subscribers saw the highest growth among other categories at 20.86 per cent as of June 15, 2024. Armed force personnel, however, have a separate pension system. In FY2023-24 alone, NPS had 18 million subscribers.

Non-resident Indians can also open an NPS account, but Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs), Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs), and People of India Origin (PIO) cannot.

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has announced several changes in the scheme to make it more accessible, flexible, and convenient for subscribers. For instance, PFRDA introduced the Bharat Bill Pay System (BBPS) portal to facilitate NPS payments and various utility payments, like electricity and water bills, and provide NPS subscribers with an integrated portal platform for convenience.

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Here are four ways to contribute to the NPS

E-NPS Portal:

Subscribers can contribute to NPS through the central record-keeping agencies’ (CRAs) eNPS portal. There are three CRAs registered with PFRDA: Protean eGov Technologies Ltd (Formerly NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure Limited), Computer Age Management Services Ltd (CAMS), and KFin Technologies Limited (KFintech). To make payments through the e-NPS portal, one must have login credentials, a permanent retirement account number (PRAN), a date of birth record, and a registered mobile number to log in, receive OTP, and make payments.

Mobile App:

The CRAs also provide NPS subscribers with mobile apps to provide information and make payments. These apps also need login credentials and personal details to make payments. Unlike the eNPS portal, the apps could be handy for people to manage, contribute, and track NPS investments. Additionally, one can access NPS data on government apps like UMANG to make payments.

Point Of Presence (POP):

Point of presence or POP works as a link between subscribers and other NPS parties. PFRDA appoints POPs to render NPS-related services to subscribers, like opening and operating accounts. POPs could be scheduled commercial banks, post offices, and other financial entities. They are also called POP-SPs or service providers. As per the NPS Trust data, there were more than 300 POP-SPs as of April 11, 2023. Subscribers can check the PoPs’ websites to see if they provide an online payment facility. However, many POPs do not have an online payment facility. In that case, one must pay via the offline mode.

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Offline Contribution

If online payment is not possible or the subscriber is not online savvy, subscribers can contribute offline through POPs. They will need to provide their PRAN number and other personal details to the POP to make payment through cash, demand draft (DD), or a cheque.

Also, note the subscribers will need net banking, debit or credit card credentials, or UPI access to make online payments.