To address this problem, we have resorted to three out-of-the-box methods.

1)  Creation of Database of IEPF Shareholders. We have been, for the last two years, collecting the details of IEPF shareholders from various sources and continuously updating the database. All the data are stored in a program which runs on an in-house developed software.

2)  We engage our staff to follow up at the local level, starting with the last known address, to ascertain whether the shareholders have either relocated or have passed on, .This approach has led to some shareholders being traced at new addresses, which they had not communicated to the companies. In a few cases, this has led to survivors of the deceased shareholders, who had remained in the dark so far, reaching out to the companies to stake their claim.

3) We have also resorted to some unusual methods to attempt to reach such shareholders or their descendants through social media like Linkedin and Facebook or search engines like Google and ChatGPT.