'NRIs losing crores in India': Banker blames it one brutal legal document
“The moment they go to claim the property and get it registered, they’re asked for a succession certificate,” Ahuja wrote. “And getting this is one of the hardest things on the planet if there’s no registered will.”
- Oct 11, 2025,
- Updated Oct 11, 2025 8:24 AM IST
NRIs are losing crores in inheritance every year due to one missing document: a succession certificate. According to investment banker Sarthak Ahuja, the lack of a registered will by parents leaves their overseas heirs tangled in costly, years-long legal battles to claim what’s rightfully theirs.
In a LinkedIn post, Ahuja warns that thousands of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) struggle to take control of their family assets in India because they lack a court-issued succession certificate — a legal prerequisite for claiming bank accounts, investments, and other financial instruments in a deceased parent’s name.
“The moment they go to claim the property and get it registered, they’re asked for a succession certificate,” Ahuja wrote. “And getting this is one of the hardest things on the planet if there’s no registered will.”
The process is slow and bureaucratic: heirs must file a petition in the district court where the deceased lived or owned assets, triggering a 45-day public notice period to allow for any objections. Meanwhile, banks freeze accounts, Demat holdings remain inaccessible, and the estate sits idle.
For NRIs, the process is even more complex. Foreign documents must be apostilled, powers of attorney granted, and multiple affidavits and indemnities submitted in Indian courts — often without them setting foot in the country.
It’s not cheap either. Ahuja pegs the total cost at ₹10–20 lakh, with court fees in Delhi reaching 4% of estate value. Lawyers routinely charge another 2–5% — a practice that’s technically discouraged but “a market reality,” he noted.
The entire ordeal can drag on for 6 to 18 months.
To avoid these pitfalls, Ahuja strongly advises two preventive steps: “Update nomination details across all bank, insurance, mutual fund, and demat accounts,” he wrote, “and more importantly, have your parents make a Registered Will clearly naming heirs and assets.”
Without that, inheritance could turn into a legal nightmare.
NRIs are losing crores in inheritance every year due to one missing document: a succession certificate. According to investment banker Sarthak Ahuja, the lack of a registered will by parents leaves their overseas heirs tangled in costly, years-long legal battles to claim what’s rightfully theirs.
In a LinkedIn post, Ahuja warns that thousands of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) struggle to take control of their family assets in India because they lack a court-issued succession certificate — a legal prerequisite for claiming bank accounts, investments, and other financial instruments in a deceased parent’s name.
“The moment they go to claim the property and get it registered, they’re asked for a succession certificate,” Ahuja wrote. “And getting this is one of the hardest things on the planet if there’s no registered will.”
The process is slow and bureaucratic: heirs must file a petition in the district court where the deceased lived or owned assets, triggering a 45-day public notice period to allow for any objections. Meanwhile, banks freeze accounts, Demat holdings remain inaccessible, and the estate sits idle.
For NRIs, the process is even more complex. Foreign documents must be apostilled, powers of attorney granted, and multiple affidavits and indemnities submitted in Indian courts — often without them setting foot in the country.
It’s not cheap either. Ahuja pegs the total cost at ₹10–20 lakh, with court fees in Delhi reaching 4% of estate value. Lawyers routinely charge another 2–5% — a practice that’s technically discouraged but “a market reality,” he noted.
The entire ordeal can drag on for 6 to 18 months.
To avoid these pitfalls, Ahuja strongly advises two preventive steps: “Update nomination details across all bank, insurance, mutual fund, and demat accounts,” he wrote, “and more importantly, have your parents make a Registered Will clearly naming heirs and assets.”
Without that, inheritance could turn into a legal nightmare.