If you already have investments, you can just call up your fund house, the distributor, financial planner for help to start an SIP. Each should be able to guide you. If you are new to investing, you should first choose the fund house you want to invest with, then select the fund and then fill up the requisite forms, along with Know Your Customer details to start investing. Usually most of the fund houses offer SIP forms when you start investing with them. It is always advisable to start an SIP through the ECS route from your designated bank account. Such an arrangement is safe, cost effective and hassle free. If you feel you need further help, call up a good fund house, a mutual fund distributor or a financial planneradvisor, and they should be able to help you set up an SIP.You can start an SIP for as little as Rs 1,000 per month with almost every mutual fund house, but some fund houses also offer the option to invest only Rs 500 per month. However, SIPs with small amounts are compulsorily done through the ECS route which saves cost for the fund house. You can set up an SIP spanning several years. In the fund industry there are SIPs which have been set up for as long as 99 years. Longer the horizon, lower will be the effect of volatility on your investment through this route.