Business Meridian
Unclaimed money in India’s mutual-fund system rose to Rs 3,811 crore by March 31, 2026, according to SEBI’s annual report. The total combines unclaimed dividends of Rs 2,689 crore and unclaimed redemption proceeds of Rs 1,122 crore.
Unclaimed dividends rose 15.7 per cent from Rs 2,324 crore a year earlier. Redemption money edged down from Rs 1,128 crore, but the overall amount still increased because investors or nominees had not completed the process needed to receive it.
SEBI is trying to reduce the problem through digital access. Mutual-fund and demat holdings can be linked with DigiLocker, while a central nominee mechanism is intended to let a nominee report an investor’s death once rather than approach every fund house separately.
Investor camps supported by SEBI and IEPFA are helping with IEPF-5 forms, dematerialisation, KYC and nominee updates. Camps were held in Pune, Hyderabad, Amritsar, Jaipur, Bengaluru and Bhubaneswar during 2025-26.
The practical lesson is straightforward: investors should keep KYC, bank and nomination records current and families should know where holdings are recorded. Digital investing does not remove the need for basic record-keeping.