Archive · 12 Aug 2026
RBI UDGAM portal helps claim ₹1 lakh crore unclaimed deposits
Sometimes people forget about money they have in a bank, or a grandparent passes away and the family does not know about their old account.
If an account has no activity for two years, banks call it 'inoperative.'
If the money stays unclaimed for 10 years, the bank sends it to a special fund run by India's central bank, the Reserve Bank of India.
That does not mean the money is lost forever.
The owners, or their family members, can still go to their bank and ask for the money back, and the bank gets reimbursed by the RBI.
To help people find forgotten money, the RBI created a website called UDGAM where you can search for unclaimed deposits.
Banks also have to contact customers by letter, email and SMS, and run special drives to find the rightful owners.
The government even held 'Your Money, Your Right' camps in 748 districts.
So far, over ₹5,777 crore has been given back to the people it belongs to.
Nearly ₹1 lakh crore in unclaimed bank deposits has been transferred to the RBI's DEA Fund, at ₹98,073 crore as of 31 January 2026.
Separate data cited in Parliament shows ₹86,917.08 crore as of 30 June 2026, a different reporting date rather than a continuous decline.
Savings and current accounts become inoperative after two years without customer transactions and are moved to the DEA Fund after 10 years unclaimed.
The money is not lost: account holders, nominees and legal heirs can claim deposits through their bank, which the RBI reimburses from the DEA Fund.
An incentive scheme launched in October 2025 pays banks 5%-7.5% per settled claim, and ₹5,777 crore across 22.95 lakh claims had been returned by 28 February 2026.
- Who
- Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the finance ministry and Indian banks; account holders, nominees and legal heirs
- What
- Nearly ₹1 lakh crore in unclaimed bank deposits has been transferred to the RBI's DEA Fund; new portals, drives and incentives aim to help people claim the money.
- When
- Figures as of 31 January 2026; incentive scheme introduced October 2025; campaign held October-December 2025
- Where
- India
- Why
- Outdated contact details, forgotten accounts and the death of account holders have left deposits unclaimed.
- DEA Fund balance (31 Jan 2026)
- ₹98,073 crore
- DEA Fund balance (30 Jun 2025)
- ₹90,545 crore
- Account considered inoperative
- After 2 years without customer transactions
- Transfer to DEA Fund
- After 10 years unclaimed
- Bank incentive per settled claim
- 5%-7.5% of claim amount, subject to a cap
- Amount returned (as of 28 Feb 2026)
- ₹5,777 crore
- Claims returned
- 22.95 lakh
- Campaign districts covered
- 748