

Investor FAQ
On Transfers
What care should I take while buying or selling securities?
Purchase or sell securities only through authorized stockbrokers duly registered with Stock Exchanges. Ensure that you receive a Contract Note for all transactions. The broker's stamp with the SEBI registration/Code number should be affixed on the reverse of the transfer deed(s). For securities held in electronic form, please contact your depository participant.
What amount of stamp duty should I affix on the transfer deed?
For Shares, stamp duty @ 0.25% of the market value or the consideration amount (whichever is higher) should be affixed on the transfer deed. The rate per share can be picked up from any newspaper. The date for which the rate is picked up must be the same as the execution date mentioned on the transfer deed. Stamps are available at the stamp Office, Stock Exchange or with the Share brokers.
Special note: With effect from 1.7.02, for transactions in physical form, the Government of Maharashtra has banned the sale and use of share transfer stamps. The Government has started putting their stamp by using franking machine at the Stamp Office. For transactions executed in Maharashtra, instead of affixing share transfer Stamps, stamp duty @ 0.25% of the market value or the consideration amount (whichever is higher) should be franked on the transfer deed.
Electronic transactions do not attract any stamp duty, however each Depository Participant may levy a transaction charge. The rate should be confirmed with your depository participant beforehand.
Why should I keep securities in joint names?
It is advisable to register securities in joint names in order to facilitate Succession.
If I wish to add the name of my spouse, children or any other person, what procedure should I follow?
Addition of the name of a joint holder, even a family member, is considered a "Transfer" and attracts stamp duty. A regular transfer deed would be required to be executed. Blank transfer deeds would be available with your local stockbroker / stock exchange. (Please refer question no.2 for stamp duty payable.) For securities held in electronic form, please contact your depository participant.
Can I avail the nomination facility?
Yes. For securities held in physical form, you may nominate a person by completing Form 2B and registering the same with Tata Share Registry Limited.
For securities held in electronic form, please contact your depository participant.
Important points to note
- Always include your complete address along with pin code while filling in the transfer deed / opening an account with a depository participant.
- Keep photocopies of certificates, transfer deeds and other documents sent by post to TSRL. In case of a loss in transit, they come handy.
- A transfer deed for shares is valid for only one year from the date of presentation or the last book closure of the company, whichever is later. For debentures the transfer deed is valid for an indefinite period.
On Transmission
If the holding is in joint names and either of the holders is deceased, what is the procedure for deletion of name?
Submit an attested copy of the death certificate of the deceased holder along with the relevant certificates and the prescribed transmission form available with TSRL, duly completed and signed by the survivors so that the name of the deceased can be deleted from the Company's records as well as from the certificates.
Attestation on the document should be done by a Notary or your Bank Manager under his official seal. For securities held in electronic form, please contact your depository participant.
Along with the deletion of the deceased holder's name, can I add another joint holder?
Yes, but the transaction would be treated like a normal transfer and would attract stamp duty. An attested copy of the death certificate of the deceased holder along with the relevant certificates and duly completed transfer deed should be submitted to TSRL. (Please refer question no.2 for stamp duty payable.)
For securities held in electronic form, please contact your depository participant.
I am the legal heir / executor in respect of the sole holder who is now deceased. How do I transmit the securities?
Please submit the certificates along with the Succession Certificate or Probate of Will or Letter of Administration obtained in respect of the sole holding. In case you do not have any such form of Legal Representation, please write to TSRL for further advice. Dependent upon the type and size of holding, certain documentation may be required for transmission of securities in favor of the legal heirs
For securities held in electronic form, please contact your depository participant.
On Transposition
Can I interchange the order of names for my holdings?
Yes. For securities held in physical form, the request for change in the order of names of registered holders should be made in the prescribed Transposition form available at the offices of TSRL. The form is to be signed by all the joint holders and submitted along with the certificates.
In case you wish to interchange the order of the names for demat purposes, the form OA (available with your Depository Participant) may be duly completed in the desired order of names and submitted to them with the Dematerialisation Request Form and the certificates.
Note: You can transpose full or part of the holdings. For securities held in electronic form, please contact your depository participant.
On Amalgamation/Consolidation
I have multiple folios, can I amalgamate the accounts?
Yes, you can. If you have more than one folio with identical names and in the same order, please write to TSRL along with the certificates pertaining to the folio having the smaller holdings. Do not send the certificates pertaining to the larger holdings, in which account the multiple folio is being amalgamated. Prescribed amalgamation forms are available at all offices of TSRL.
For securities held in electronic form, please contact your depository participant.
I have certificates in various denominations, can these be consolidated into marketable lot/ Single certificate?
Please send us the certificates, provided they are under the same folio, along with a covering letter to TSRL. If they are not under the same folio, but have the same order of names, please follow the procedure mentioned for amalgamation of the accounts to facilitate consolidation into marketable lots/single certificate.
On Change of Specimen Signature
Over a period of time, my signature has changed, what should I do to change my specimen signature in your records?
Any change in the specimen signature should be intimated to TSRL immediately to enable mailing of the required forms. This is applicable only for holdings in physical form.
For securities held in electronic form, please contact your depository participant.
On Change of Address
How do I record a change in my address?
A letter duly signed by the first holder stating the new address and all the Folio Nos. must be sent to TSRL. You must ensure that the signature of the first holder is as per the specimen signature recorded with TSRL.
A computerized acknowledgement will be sent to your new address confirming the updation of the change in our records. In case you have dematerialized your holdings, please write to your DP immediately and ensure that you receive a confirmation of them having noted your new address.
On Loss of Securities
What should I do if my share/debenture certificates are lost/stolen?
Please immediately intimate TSRL regarding loss of certificates, giving details of folio number and distinctive numbers. It is advisable to lodge a complaint with the local Police Station.
Kindly send TSRL an acknowledged copy of the Complaint / FIR for advice on the further course of action.
You should state:
- Name of the Company in which you hold securities.
- Your full name and address, as recorded with TSRL.
- The distinctive number(s) of the certificate(s) that is/are missing.
If you do not know the number(s) of the missing certificate(s) please provide the number(s) of the certificates still in your possession. Please also state if the certificate(s) is/are lost or stolen. If the certificate(s) is/are stolen, we will require the F.I.R as issued by the Police. Your letter must be signed by at least one of the holders. We will send you the documents to be executed for issue of duplicate certificates.
In case you trace your certificates, please inform TSRL immediately so as to avoid any complexity/delay in future transactions
On Tax Deduction
I am not a taxpayer, am I required to file a declaration for non-deduction of tax at source for my dividend/interest amount?
As per the recent Finance Bill, tax will be deducted at source at the prescribed rates, if the amount due to you exceeds Rs.2500 (the current threshold limit). In case you are not a tax-payer/not liable for deduction of tax at source, please furnish a declaration in Form 15G for dividend, Form 15H for claiming tax exemption from interest paid on debentures/Fixed deposits., Form 15 for Non-Residents and for Corporate, tax exemption certificate issued by Income tax authorities. Note: Kindly send the forms duly completed by the 1st of April every year to avoid missing out on the book closure/record dates due to oversight. Forms15H/15G are valid for only one financial year and fresh declaration has to be submitted every year.
Note: Kindly send the forms duly completed by the 1st of April every year to avoid missing out on the book closure/record dates due to oversight. Forms15H/15G are valid for only one financial year and fresh declaration has to be submitted every year.
How do I obtain a duplicate Tax Deduction certificate?
Please write, giving:
- Details of the TDC that you require.
- Name of the Company in which you hold the securities.
- Your full name and address.
- Your folio number, which will be available from the share/debenture certificate(s) or dividend/interest warrant(s).
- Payment date(s) and financial year.
For any queries not covered herein, please refer to TSRL for clarifications, quoting your Reference Folio No.
On Mandate/ECS
What are the ways I can receive the dividend/interest amount due to me?
Advantages:
- Ensures receipt of your dividend/interest amount in any designated bank account on the payment date, thus maximizing interest.
- Ensures receipt of payments even if the change in your address has not been notified to TSRL.
- Minimizes risk of misappropriation.
- Precludes the need for you to pay the payment cheque into a bank account.
The following ways to receive the corporate benefits i.e dividend / interest are listed below:
- The warrant can be mailed to your address as recorded with us or to the address as downloaded to TSRL by your Depository Participant.
- The warrant can be posted directly to your bankers if a mandate instruction is registered with us, for physical holding only.
- The net amount due to you can be credited electronically to your bank account based on the ECS instructions submitted to TSRL for physical holdings, and downloaded to TSRL by your Depository Participant for electronic holdings.
Please ensure that the bank account details provided is correct and complete to avoiddelay in credit.
How do I change or lodge fresh mandate instructions with the company?
For securities held in physical form, please send us a covering letter specifying your folio number, banker's name, address, account type and account number. The dividend/Interest amounts payable to you can be sent directly to your bank under intimation to you. In case you desire the warrant to be mailed to your registered address after incorporating the bank account details on the warrant, you may specify this requirement. In your request letter to be lodged with TSRL.
For securities held in electronic form, please contact your depository participant.
What are the features of the Electronic Clearing Facility (ECS) introduced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)?
Reserve Bank of India has introduced the Electronic Clearing Service which allows electronic credit of the dividend /interest amount to your bank account for the amount due to you.
The salient features are:
- Instant credit - This Facility provides instant credit of dividend/interest amount to your bank account electronically at no extra cost. ECS also eliminates the delay in postal transit and fraudulent encashment of warrants.
- Optional Scheme - This scheme is optional Coverage - ECS is presently available in major cities / centres like Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune. RBI has been extending this facility to various centres from time to time. The scheme is at present available only for payments upto a maximum amount of Rs. 5,00,000/-.
- Procedure for credit - Under this facility the amount of dividend / interest payable to you would be directly credited to your bank account. Your bank branch will credit your account and indicate the credit entry as 'ECS' transaction in your passbook / statement of account.
In case ECS facility is not made available to you by the Company / their Bankers at a particular centre or the amount payable to you exceeds Rs. 5,00,000, the dividend / interest amount due to you would be remitted by means of a dividend / interest warrant which would be posted to your address with the particulars of the bank/branch and account number furnished by you duly incorporated on it.
How do I avail of the ECS Scheme introduced by Reserve Bank Of India (RBI) ?
To avail of ECS facility (i.e direct electronic credit to your bank account), please write to TSRL specifying the following details:
- 1.Your Folio Number
- 2.Name and address of the bank branch
- 3.Account type and account Number.
- 4.The 9 Digit code number of the bank and branch as appearing on the MICR cheque issued by the bank.
This is applicable only for securities held in physical form. For securities held in electronic form, please contact your Depository Participant.
On Old/time-barred instruments/unclaimed dividend/interest
I have an old warrant which I forgot to encash and is now time-barred? Can I still obtain the amount due to me?
Yes. Provided the amount is not transferred to the General Revenue Account of the Central Government or the Investor Education and Protection Fund.
Please mail the outdated instrument to TSRL to enable issue of a fresh instrument, if the amount reflects an outstanding status in the records of the company.
When is unclaimed dividend/interest amount transferred to the General Revenue Account/Investor Education Protection Fund of the Central Government?
As per the Companies Act, all unclaimed and unpaid dividend maintained in the separate dividend account of the Company was to be transferred to the General Revenue Account of the Central Government after the prescribed period of approximately 3 years. Prior to such transfer, an intimation requesting the investor to claim the amount has always been sent by TSRL. In spite of this, if an investor did not make the claim, the outstanding dividend amount would get transferred to the Central Government after the stipulated period. Any claim thereafter would have to be made to the Registrar of Companies in the prescribed form available with TSRL.
However as per the Amendment vide the Companies (Amendment) Ordinance, 1998, Section 205 (A) of the Companies Act 1956, this clause has been amended with effect from 31st October, 1998. Accordingly, any amount, which remains unpaid or unclaimed for a period of 7 years, shall be transferred by the company to the "Investor Education and Protection Fund"("The Fund").
No investor can claim this amount thereafter from the Fund.
On Issue of New Certificates
How do I collect the new certificates issued on Exchange/ Sub-division for some companies that I have not collected earlier?
Please send the old certificates along with the computer- printed intimation sent to you earlier or a covering letter signed by the holders to TSRL. The new certificates will be mailed to you.
On Dematerialisation/Rematerialisation
How do I open an account with a Depository and will I be periodically informed about the movement in my electronic account?
You may open an account with a Depository Participant (DP) of your choice. As an investor you will interact with National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) or Central Depository Services Ltd. (CDSL) through your Depository Participant) Your DP will allot you an account number which will serve as a reference for all your future dealings with them. It may be advisable to be aware of the rates that will be charged to you by your DP for various activities.
Your DP will update your account after each transaction, and would periodically furnish you with a statement of holding. You may verify this with your DP at the time of opening your electronic account.
How do I convert my paper certificates into an electronic holding and will I continue to receive corporate benefits?
To dematerialize your holding, you should first have an account with a DP of your choice. You may then hand-over to your DP, the certificates along with the 'Dematerialisation Request Form' (DRF). Only the securities registered in your name can be submitted for dematerialization. Your DP will then send the DRF and the certificates to TSRL and an electronic request will also be sent through the NSDL/CDSL network reconfirming the same. TSRL will verify the documents and if found in order, the dematerialization request will be confirmed to NSDL/CDSL who will in turn inform your DP. In the books of the Company, your folio with TSRL will be debited and the account of NSDL/CDSL will be credited in respect of such dematerialized securities. NSDL/CDSL in their electronic records will credit the account of your DP. Your DP will then credit your account with the number of securities that have been dematerialized and the securities will thereafter be held in electronic form. This process would take approximately 15-20 days.
Yes, all the corporate benefits such as dividend, interest, bonus shares, rights shares will be issued by TSRL to the beneficial owners i.e. the accountholders who hold the securities in electronic form. The dividend/interest amounts as and when declared/paid will be sent to you/your bankers directly. The entitlement of rights and bonus shares/debentures wherever applicable, will be credited to the beneficiaries account as per the investors' option and the terms of the issue.
How do I trade (buy / sell) in electronic form?
You may buy and sell securities in electronic form through the depository by coordinating with your broker and your DP. Such transactions would be simpler and faster. Payments for such transactions would be made in the same way as is done for physical certificates. Securities purchased in electronic form are credited to your account on the very next day of payout with no formalities of filling transfer deeds or applying to the Company for registration. All such transactions are exempt from stamp duty and accordingly no share transfer stamps are required to be affixed.
Such transactions are not routed through the Company and the debit/credit takes place directly in the Depository System. However, corporate benefits would be paid to the person holding such securities on the Record date/Book closure date as applicable.
How can I reconvert my electronic holding into paper form?
As per the existing guidelines, an investor can choose to reconvert his electronic holding into physical form at any time through his DP. On receipt of the rematerialisation request along with the 'Remat Request Form' (RRF) the Company will issue fresh certificates.
On Change of Name
How do I apply for change of name?
A. Individuals
Please write to TSRL, giving the following details:
- Reason for change of name accompanied by supporting document duly attested
- The name(s) of the company (ies) in which you hold shares
- Full details of both your old and new names
- Your Ref Folio Number - which can be found on your share/debenture certificates or dividend/interest counterfoil
Enclose:
Consequent to marriage / divorce / attaining majority,
Please send an attested copy of the marriage certificate / divorce decree / birth certificate or school leaving certificate as the case may be along with the certificates and a covering letter signed by all the holders.
You may use the prescribed transmission form available with TSRL
B. Corporate
Please write to TSRL enclosing an original or certified copy of the Certificate of Incorporation on Change of Name.
What is..
What is Transmission?
If the shareholding is in joint names and either of the holders is deceased, then the procedure to delete the deceased person's name from the Company's records as well as from the certificates.
Submit an attested copy of the death certificate of the deceased holder along with the relevant certificates and the prescribed transmission form available with TSRL, duly completed and signed by the survivors so that the name of the deceased can be deleted from the Company's records as well as from the certificates.
What is Consolidation?
The process by which an investor gets a single certificate in return for the submission of multiple share certificates of smaller denominations is called as consolidation. The denomination of the single certificate issued will be the sum of the smaller denominations of the multiple certificates. provided they are under the same folio.
What is Amalgamation?
The process by which an investor can merge the holdings of multiple folios (provided the names are identical and are in same order) into a single folio is called Amalgamation.
What is a Split?
Split is a process by which a requisite number of certificates as required by the Investor, can be generated in lieu of a single certificate of a particular denomination, provided the total denomination of the generated certificates is equal to the denomination of the original certificate.
What is a Subdivision?
Subdivision is a process by which the Company reduces the Face Value of it's existing shares. This leads to an increase in the no. of shares of a lesser Face Value.
What is a Merger?
Whenever a company buys a company or companies or performs a deed where by the share holders of the acquired company automatically become the share holders of the parent company then such an activity is called Merger.
What is Dematerialization?
This is a process whereby the holdings held in physical form are converted to Electronic form