Should I buy ELSS at ₹10 lakh salary in the new regime?

Short answer: No — ELSS gives you zero tax benefit in the new regime.

Here's why, step by step.

Your tax position at ₹10 lakh (new regime)

Under the new regime, salaried employees get a ₹75,000 standard deduction, bringing taxable income to ₹9.25 lakh. ^[4]

At that level you do owe some tax — the new regime slabs apply:

But critically, Section 80C deductions are not available under the new regime — so no ELSS investment reduces this tax bill by even ₹1. ^{[3] [9]}

What ELSS becomes without the deduction

ELSS is just another equity mutual fund with a mandatory 3-year lock-in — and no benefit to compensate for that lock-in. ^[10]

You'd be constraining your liquidity for nothing.

What you can do instead

The NPS-via-employer route is the one meaningful tax lever left for new-regime salaried investors. It reduces taxable salary directly.

The screening question to ask

"Does this instrument give me a tax deduction under my current regime — or am I paying for a lock-in I don't need?"

Apply this → Run a new-vs-old regime comparison at Financial Planner — Ratio Analysis to confirm which regime actually saves you more, then decide if any 80C instruments are worth revisiting.