Chandigarh man unearths 37-year-old Reliance shares worth Rs 12 lakh, ignites social media frenzy

A Chandigarh resident has stumbled upon a forgotten financial windfall, discovering decades-old Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) shares originally purchased in 1988, now valued at approximately Rs 12 lakh. The revelation has triggered a wave of social media reactions, ranging from financial advice to lighthearted banter.

Rattan Dillon, a car enthusiast from Chandigarh, found physical share certificates of RIL during a spring cleaning session. The documents revealed that the original shareholder—now deceased—had acquired 30 equity shares at Rs 10 each. Unfamiliar with stock market procedures, Dillon turned to social media for guidance.

We found these at home, but I have no idea about the stock market. Can someone with expertise guide us on whether we still own these shares?😅@reliancegroup pic.twitter.com/KO8EKpbjD3

— Rattan Dhillon (@ShivrattanDhil1) March 11, 2025

From 30 to 960 RIL shares: The power of stock splits and bonuses

A user named Tiger Ramesh did the math, explaining that due to multiple corporate actions—three stock splits and two bonus issues—the original 30 shares had multiplied into 960 shares. At current market prices, this translated to an estimated worth of Rs 12 lakh.

"Rough approximate calculations: Total initial shares = 30. After 3 splits and 2 bonuses, it should be 960 shares today. Today’s value approximate Rs 11.88 lakh," Ramesh wrote.

The road to demat

Social media users were quick to offer advice on the next steps. One commenter outlined the process of converting physical shares into digital format, known as Dematerialization (Demat):

"You have to email them with the attached proof, and they have their process to credit these to your Demat. You’ll need to bring these to their office for verification, and then they will credit these shares digitally to your demat, the total ones after splits, etc."

Dillon then asked whether the process would still be possible since the shares were in the name of a deceased person. The user reassured him: "Yup, they will ask you to present all documents, proofs, and it will be fine."

Brokerage firms join the conversation

Even leading brokerage firm Zerodha chimed in, responding to Dillon’s post with: "Hi Rattan, we've sent you a DM."

The discovery also led to humorous exchanges. One user jokingly suggested, "Rattan bhai, aur acche se ghar chaan maro, kya pata MRF ke bhi nikal aayein kuch shares…", implying he might find similarly valuable old shares of MRF Ltd, another high-performing stock, if he searches the house further.

Reliance shares performance

Reliance Industries shares are currently trading at Rs 1,250.80 on the BSE, up 0.3% on Wednesday. While the stock has gained 1.04% over the past month, it remains down 14.89% over the past year. As the second-largest stock on the benchmark indices, Reliance continues to be a key player in the market despite recent volatility.

Dillon’s unexpected discovery highlights the potential hidden value in old stock certificates—offering a reminder that a dusty drawer might just hold a small fortune.

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(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of the Economic Times)