How do I make sure my startup shares and ESOPs actually reach my family?

Equity needs its own plan, because it does not move as simply as a bank balance. Start by naming who inherits your shares and vested ESOPs in your will, then check the mechanics that sit around it: your company's articles and shareholders' agreement often have transmission provisions and sometimes transfer restrictions or buy-back clauses that decide how shares pass to a nominee or heir, and ESOP plans usually spell out what happens to vested and unvested options if a founder or employee dies. Make sure a nominee is set on your demat account so shares can actually be transmitted, and that your co-founders and company secretary know the plan. There can be tax consequences when equity or ESOPs are transferred or later sold, and those rules and rates change, so confirm the current position with a CA. This is general education, not legal or tax advice.

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