On April 28, 2025, Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA), Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MoCA), hosted the virtual preparatory meeting with Nodal Officers of Stakeholders companies. This meeting was convened for finalizing operational details for ‘Niveshak Shivir’ initiative.
- Niveshak Shivir, a collaborative initiative of IEPFA and the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI), to enhance investor services and streamline the claim process.
- The session was chaired by Anita Shah Akella, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), IEPFA and Joint Secretary, MoCA.
Key Outcomes:
i.Niveshak Shivir, will be organized in the cities, where the number of unclaimed dividends with companies is high in number for a period of 6 to 7 years.
- As part of the initiative, selected companies, with the highest number of investors with unclaimed dividend accounts will be invited to set up dedicated kiosks at the Niveshak Shivir events, to assist investors directly without intermediaries.
ii.The pilot phase of the initiative, is scheduled to launch in Ahmedabad (Gujarat) and Mumbai (Maharashtra) in May 2025.
iii.This initiative simplifies the procedures for claiming unclaimed dividends and shares, improves financial literacy among investors, and ensures direct and transparent access to investor services.
iv.Direct interaction with companies and Registrars and Transfer Agents (RTAs), immediate grievance redressal support significantly reduces investors’ dependency on intermediaries, which mitigates risks of fraud and misinformation.
v.These camps will serve as One stop comprehensive helpdesk, where investors can update their Know Your Customer (KYC) and nomination details, check the status of their unclaimed assets.
- They receive guided assistance reclaiming their investments, whether assets are with the companies or transferred to IEPFA.
vi.Officials from IEPFA, SEBI and RTAs will be present on ground to assist investors, ensuring a robust and supportive framework.
IEPFA partners with KMBL to strengthen Investor Education:
During the meeting, the IEPFA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Mumbai (Maharashtra) -based Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited(KMBL), to enhance investor education and protection through extensive digital outreach.
- The MoU was exchanged between Samiksha Lamba, Deputy General Manager(GM), IEPFA and Vishal Agarwal, Senior Vice President, KMBL, in the presence of Anita Shah Akella, CEO of IEPFA and Joint Secretary, MoCA.
Key Points:
i.Under this partnership, IEPFA’s curated educational content on responsible investing, financial fraud prevention, and investor rights will be spread widely through KMBLs network.
ii.The initiative aims to broaden the reach of investor education across diverse demographic segments without any financial obligation on IEPFA.
iii.The rollout of the campaign is planned during the current Financial Year 2025-26(FY26)
About Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited(KMBL):
Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Ashok Vaswani
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Established – 1985
Tagline – Lets Make Money Simple
About Ministry of Corporate Affairs(MoCA):
Union Minister – Nirmala Sitharaman (Rajya Sabha – Karnataka)
Minister of State(MoS) – Harsh Malhotra (Constituency – East Delhi, Delhi)
