Is Your Money Sitting Unclaimed? Your Money, Your Right: How Indians can Recover ₹1.84L Crore in Forgotten Assets
The article explains how you can trace and reclaim unclaimed financial assets under the nationwide "Your Money, Your Right" campaign.
PrimeMinister Narendra Modi has appealed to every Indian citizen to join the ‘Your Money, Your Right’ Campaign which has within two months provided rightful ownership of approximately ₹ 2,000 crores worth of unclaimed assets. With an estimated ₹ 1,84,000 crores of unclaimed assets globally available through banks, insurance companies, and other securities. This article will...
Definition Of Unclaimed Assets
Unclaimed assets, often referred to simply as “unclaimed money”, is defined as any financial holding that has remained dormant or has no available owner examples include savings account deposits, unused proceeds from policies, dividends owed, shares held by an individual investor, mutual funds, An unclaimed asset refers to all of the savings/investment accounts associated with many families across India that have not been properly identified by their owners.
The 'Your Money, Your Right' Campaign
TheFinance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, launched the 'Your Money, Your Right' campaign nationwide on October 4, 2025, from Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The campaign did not end in October. It will continue to December 2025 and is based upon a 3A Framework - Awareness, Accessibility and Action.
The Prime Minister, Modi, is supporting the national campaign by encouraging the public to "turn a forgotten financial asset into a new opportunity" and to participate in reclaiming their entitled property.
The campaign involves the collective participation of the following entities:
- Department of Financial Services (DFS) as the nodal agency
- Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
- Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
- Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI)
- Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA)
- Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA)
How to Find and Claim Your Unclaimed Assets
The government has created dedicated portals to help citizens track and claim their funds. Here's your step-by-step guide:
- For Bank Deposits - RBI's UDGAM Portal: The Reserve Bank of India's UDGAM (Unclaimed Deposits Gateway to Access Information) portal is your primary tool for tracing forgotten bank deposits.
How to search:
- Visit https://udgam.rbi.org.in and register using your mobile number
- Log in and select "Individual" search category
- Enter the account holder's name and select the banks you want to search
- Provide at least one identification: PAN, Voter ID, Driving License, Passport number, or Date of Birth
- Click 'Search' to view results showing bank name, branch location, and Unclaimed Deposit Reference Number (UDRN)
- Click the bank's hyperlink for specific claim procedures
To claim: Visit the respective bank branch with identity proof (Aadhaar/PAN), address proof, and current bank account details. The bank will verify your identity and typically credit the amount within 30-60 days.
B. For Shares and Dividends - MCA's IEPFA Portal: Access the Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority portal at https://www.iepf.gov.in/ to search for unclaimed shares and dividends by name, folio number, or demat account details.
Claims process:
- Register on the IEPF portal with your details
- Fill out and submit Form IEPF-5 online with all supporting documents
- The system sends your claim for verification by the company or its registrar
- After verification, IEPF processes and disburses the claim, typically within 60-90 days
C. For Insurance Policies - IRDAI's Bima Bharosa Portal : The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority has created a dedicated platform, the Bima Bharosa Portal at https://bimabharosa.irdai.gov.in/ to help trace unclaimed insurance benefits. Required documents ARE Policy number or details, death certificate (for death benefit claims), claimant's identity proof, address proof, and bank account details. Once properly documented claims are admitted, insurance companies typically process them within 30 days.
D. For Provident Fund - EPFO Portal: If you've changed jobs and forgotten to claim or transfer your EPF, log into the EPFO portal at https://www.epfindia.gov.in/site_en/index.php using your Universal Account Number (UAN).
Process: Submit Form 19 for PF withdrawal with Aadhaar-based authentication. For straightforward claims with proper KYC, expect the amount credited to your bank account within 15-20 days.
E. For Mutual Funds - SEBI's MITRA Portal: SEBI's MITRA, Mutual Fund Investment Tracing and Retrieval Assistant platform helps investors trace unclaimed amounts in mutual funds.
As Finance Minister Sitharaman assured citizens at the campaign launch: "It is absolutely safe. You come with proper papers, and the money will be given to you. The government is the custodian for it." Through the creation of infrastructure and better process flow through the government, the government is providing support to individuals during their claims process. It is now time for you to claim what is rightfully yours by supporting yourself.
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