Founder income is lumpy, so the usual "three to six months of expenses" often stretches to more like six to twelve, especially if you're not drawing a steady salary or your household depends on it. The point of this money isn't returns, it's that you never have to sell a long-term investment or take a bad deal because you're cornered. Keep it somewhere boring and quickly accessible: a savings account, a sweep-in fixed deposit, or a low-risk liquid or debt fund. Split it if you like, some instant-access, some slightly less. Don't chase yield here; a percent or two extra isn't worth the risk of it not being there when you need it. Interest and debt-fund gains are taxable and the rules change, so check current treatment with a CA. There's no perfect number, size it to how unpredictable your income and obligations actually are.
A curated summary to orient you, not advice. The resources below are the real value.
2 hand-picked resources, 2 India-specific, 1 link-checked. Pick how you want to dig in.
Why we picked it What debt funds are, the types, the risks, and their recently changed tax treatment in India, before you park money in one.
From ClearTax by ClearTax
Open cleartax.in →Why we picked it A no-nonsense, ad-light India personal-finance site: plain math and free calculators for emergency funds, goals, and asset allocation, with no product to sell you.
From Freefincal by M. Pattabiraman
Open freefincal.com →
