SEBI has allowed a one-time special window for investors to re-lodge physical share transfer requests that were submitted before April 1, 2019, but were rejected or returned due to deficiencies. The market regulator announced the decision on Wednesday, offering a fresh chance to process earlier requests.
The special six-month window will be available from July 7 to January 6, 2026. This move is part of SEBI’s efforts to make investing easier and protect the rights of investors. Notably, the transfer of shares in physical form has not been allowed since April 1, 2019.
Earlier, the regulator had given investors a chance to re-lodge share transfer deeds that were submitted before the cut-off date but were rejected due to incomplete or incorrect documents. The deadline for this was set as March 31, 2021. However, many investors missed that deadline. After receiving requests from investors, registrars and share transfer agents (RTAs), and listed companies, SEBI asked a panel of experts — including legal professionals, RTAs, and company representatives — to review the matter.
The expert panel recommended giving another chance to such investors. Following this, SEBI announced that a special six-month window will be opened exclusively for the re-lodgement of share transfer deeds that were submitted before the April 1, 2019 deadline but were rejected, returned, or left unattended due to document or process-related issues. This window will remain open from July 7 to January 6, 2026.
To simplify the investment process and protect investor rights, a special window has been introduced. During this period, transfer requests will be accepted only in dematerialised form, and the necessary procedures must be strictly followed. Companies and RTAs have also been instructed to promote this window through newspapers and social media every two months while the window remains open.
They are also required to assign dedicated teams to manage these cases and submit monthly reports to SEBI. These reports must include the number of requests received, processed, and approved, along with reasons for any rejections and the average processing time.