Unclaimed wealth: Why a will is essential for every Indian family

In a feature published by the prestigious The Week on India’s growing challenge of unclaimed wealth, Monika Taparia of AasaanWill emphasized the urgent importance of will creation and structured succession planning for every Indian family.

The article highlights how disciplined financial habits—such as savings, insurance, mutual fund investments, and bank deposits—are helping Indian families build long-term wealth. However, a significant portion of this wealth remains unclaimed due to missing documentation, lack of nominations, relocation, or unawareness among legal heirs. With thousands of crores lying unclaimed across banks, insurance companies, mutual funds, and dividend payouts, the issue has become a major financial concern.

Against this backdrop, Monika Taparia stressed that writing a will should not be viewed as an activity reserved for old age or the ultra-wealthy. She noted that the responsibility of succession planning begins the moment an individual starts earning, especially for parents with minor children. Her statement reinforces the idea that even modest savings can become inaccessible to loved ones without proper estate planning.

Taparia also observed a significant cultural shift in India’s perception of wills and inheritance planning. Once considered taboo and associated solely with death, discussions around wills, trusts, and succession are now becoming more open and mainstream through awareness initiatives targeting families, professionals, women, entrepreneurs, and senior citizens. Her remarks position wills not as secretive legal documents, but as essential tools for protecting family wealth, ensuring smooth intergenerational transfer, and preventing financial hardship for future generations.

You can read the full article here : https://www.theweek.in/theweek/cover/2026/04/11/unclaimed-wealth-in-india-why-a-will-is-essential-for-every-indian-family.html