FICCI FLO, under the leadership of 43rd National President, Ms. Puja Garg, organized an informative and valuable webinar, titled “Know Your Property Rights: Bulletproofing Your Legacy,” with Ms. Chitra Sampath, Senior Advocate at Madras High Court, who discussed women rights around inheritance, succession, ownership, and estate planning in India, as per religion, personal law and nature of property.
FLO members understood not only their legal entitlement to property but also the practical steps required to secure, document, manage and transfer their property and family wealth. According to Ms. Sampath, properties are inherited, ancestral, self-acquired, gifted, or willed, but it is crucial to secure the property rights in India via maintaining proper documentation, make appropriate succession arrangements and actively participate in decisions concerning property and family wealth.
One of the most important aspects of estate planning is that there is no single inheritance formula applicable to every family in India. The webinar examined the different legal frameworks for succession applicable to Hindu, Muslim and Christian families, as well as considerations arising in interfaith marriages.
Ms. Sampath discussed common property transactions, such as sale, gifting or settlement of property, making a will, partition of jointly owned property and family arrangements. Women were encouraged to understand their potential share before signing any document. They should not postpone estate planning until later stages of life. A comprehensive estate plan should consider the will, nominations, ownership documents and the succession law applicable to the particular asset and family.
Women were encouraged to maintain and periodically review their property and financial documents. Also, the senior advocate discussed benami property transactions, which are generally prohibited by law, except in certain legally permitted cases. Overall, the webinar highlighted that women’s property rights are fundamental to women’s economic security, independence and long-term empowerment.
While Indian law provides women with significant rights to own and inherit property, awareness and effective exercise of these rights remain equally important. Know Your Property Rights session was organized under the Legal & Advocacy Initiative, led by Ms Divya Abhishek, Initiative Lead, and Ms. Shubhraa Maheshwari, Initiative Co-Lead.