Kustodian Simplifies EPF, Pension and Insurance Recovery In India

Money that people earn, save, and rely on often becomes unreachable – not because it's lost, but because the systems meant to safeguard it were never designed for accessibility. From EPF and pension funds to insurance claims and dormant bank accounts, bureaucratic complexity quietly drains time, energy, and peace of mind from millions of Indian families. 

Across India, more than ₹2 lakh crore lies dormant in EPF accounts, insurance policies, and bank deposits. These aren't abandoned funds. They're hard-earned savings belonging to people who either don't know how to navigate the process or have given up after repeated failures. 

The friction is most visible in the Employee Provident Fund (EPF) system. Over 5.2 crore EPF claims are filed annually, yet rejection rates hover around 25% – not because of fraud, but because of small inconsistencies. A father's name was spelt "Manoj Kumar" in one record and "Manoj Kumarr" in another. An employer that shut down years ago, leaving no one to provide attestation. An online portal flashing "KYC mismatch" without explaining which document is incorrect.

Rebuilding a Broken Experience 

Kustodian, a Bengaluru-based fintech founded in 2023 by Harsh Jain and Kunal Kabra, is rethinking this experience from the ground up. 

Rather than asking users to navigate fragmented government portals, paperwork, and endless follow-ups, they act as a single, trusted partner. The platform combines AI-led diagnostics with on-ground support – handling documentation, coordination, and follow-ups on behalf of families to help them recover what's already theirs. 

This new approach isn't trying to "simplify claims." It's rebuilding the claims experience entirely, with trust and accountability at its core. 

Born From a Personal Loss 

The idea for Kustodian didn't come from a boardroom. It came from personal loss. 

In 2021, co-founder Kunal Kabra lost a close friend to a sudden heart attack. While the family grieved, Kabra helped them recover EPF balances, bank deposits, and demat accounts – only to encounter endless paperwork, office visits, and unexplained rejections. 

"Grief was made heavier by the system," Kabra says. "Even small errors led to months of delays." 

The experience raised a simple question: if someone with a finance background struggled this much, how could most families manage? Kabra teamed up with Harsh Jain to build Kustodian – so families wouldn't have to fight systems to access what was already theirs. 

Making the Hardest Moments Easier 

"We believe accessing your own money shouldn't feel like a battle," says Kabra. 

"When a family is dealing with a job transition or the loss of a loved one, the last thing they need is a rejection code from a portal. We exist to absorb that burden – handling the bureaucracy so families can focus on what actually matters." 

This emphasis on empathy is central to Kustodian's approach. The company designs its processes around moments of vulnerability, ensuring families are treated with dignity and clarity at every step.

A Model Built on Accountability 

In an industry where families are often asked to pay upfront with little transparency, Kustodian flips the model. The company operates on a success-based revenue system, charging customers only when claims are successfully recovered. 

To operate in a high-trust-deficient market, Kustodian aligns its incentives entirely with the user. While an upfront engagement fee is charged to initiate complex legal and operational work, the company earns its primary fee only upon successful recovery. If funds aren't recovered, the entire amount is refunded—no questions asked, says Jain. 

Throughout the process, families receive clear updates without having to chase offices, agents, or intermediaries. 

From Recovery to Prevention 

Kustodian's vision extends beyond recovery. The company is now moving upstream—working to ensure that wealth doesn't become inaccessible in the first place. 

With the addition of National Pension System (NPS) support and digital will-making services, Kustodian is building preventive infrastructure so today's savings don't turn into tomorrow's unclaimed assets. 

"Our goal is simple," says Jain. "Every Indian family should be able to access 100% of the wealth they've worked hard to build." 

Scaling Impact Across India 

In just eighteen months since launch, Kustodian has served over 3,500 families across 23 Indian states, helping recover more than ₹30 crore in stuck funds. For families, this money has gone toward medical treatments, children's education, home down payments, business investments, and everyday stability. 

But the impact goes beyond numbers. Families speak of relief—finally accessing funds after months of uncertainty. They speak of dignity—being treated with respect during difficult moments. And they speak of trust—often for the first time, believing that a financial services company truly cares about outcomes, not just transactions.

To scale its reach, Kustodian is building deep ecosystem partnerships. Integrations with platforms like Google India, Mobikwik, and BharatSure enable embedded access to claim support. The company is also part of leading incubation and accelerator programs, including Accelerating Asia, NSRCEL at IIM Bangalore, InFINity by PayU, and Conquest at BITS Pilani, supporting continued product and operational growth. 

By 2027, Kustodian aims to serve two lakh families and unlock ₹1,000 crore in stuck assets—addressing a massive, long-ignored problem across India's workforce. 

In a country where access often matters more than ownership, Kustodian is quietly ensuring that hard-earned money reaches the people it was always meant for.