The RBI’s Depositor Education and Awareness Fund reports ?86,917 crore in unclaimed deposits as of June 30, 2026. State Bank of India contributes the largest share at ?20,040 crore. This update highlights the regulatory push for banks to reconnect with customers for inactive accounts.
The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Depositor Education and Awareness (DEA) Fund holds a total of ?86,917 crore in unclaimed bank deposits as of June 30, 2026. These funds comprise money from savings and current accounts that have remained inoperative for 10 years, or term deposits that have not been claimed for a decade after maturity. Under regulatory requirements, banks transfer these dormant balances to the RBI's dedicated fund.
State Bank of India (SBI) is the largest contributor to this pool, with ?20,040 crore transferred to the DEA Fund. Other public sector banks also hold significant balances, reflecting their large and historically older customer bases. Punjab National Bank has transferred ?7,585 crore, Canara Bank ?6,830 crore, Bank of Baroda ?5,848 crore, and Union Bank of India ?5,549 crore. Private sector banks contribute smaller, though still substantial, amounts, with ICICI Bank holding ?2,278 crore, HDFC Bank ?1,912 crore, and Axis Bank ?1,734 crore in unclaimed balances.
Operational Impact and Regulatory Focus
While this transfer of funds does not indicate financial instability for the banks, it signals a significant administrative and compliance focus. The RBI has been increasingly strict about banks maintaining updated customer records and making active efforts to trace the rightful owners of these funds. For shareholders and investors, this represents an operational aspect where banks must allocate resources toward customer engagement, financial literacy, and the regular tracking of inactive accounts.
The RBI and the government have launched several initiatives to facilitate the return of these funds. One notable measure is the UDGAM (Unclaimed Deposits – Gateway to Access inforMation) portal, which allows individuals to search for unclaimed deposits across multiple banks. Additionally, a special one-year incentive scheme is currently active until September 30, 2026, aimed at accelerating the process of settling these accounts.
Reimbursement Progress
Although the corpus remains high, the DEA Fund has also been active in returning money to rightful claimants. As of June 30, 2026, approximately ?17,415 crore has been reimbursed from the fund to banks, which then pass these funds to the original account holders. Banks remain liable to pay the deposits to customers with interest, even after the money is transferred to the RBI fund. The next critical monitorable for the sector will be the success rate of the ongoing special drives and the UDGAM portal in reducing the total unclaimed balance before the current incentive scheme concludes.