A demat account doesn't pass to your family automatically just because they're your family. Shares, ETFs, bonds, and mutual fund units sitting in your demat account are legally yours alone until a formal process moves them elsewhere - and if you've never added a nominee, that process gets considerably longer, costlier, and more stressful for whoever is left to sort it out. At Techolic, this is one of the questions we hear most from investors who've been putting off a five-minute form for years. Here's exactly what happens, and what's changed heading into the second half of 2026.