General insurance is the insurance of non-living objects. General insurance policies are taken to cover goods or assets which, if damaged, cause financial loss to the owner. Besides covering assets, general insurance policies also cover financial costs incurred due to specific perils. For instance, fire insurance policies cover damages suffered due to fire. Similarly, health insurance policies cover the cost of medical expenses incurred in case of a medical contingency.
Every asset has a financial value attached to it. If the asset is damaged or lost, there would be a financial loss. Similarly, in the case of insurable perils, if the perils occur, they cause a financial loss. These financial losses can be substantial which might threaten your financial stability. General insurance policies compensate you for the financial losses which you suffer giving you financial relief. That is why these policies become important and are bought by people looking to secure their finances against possible risks.
General insurance deals in different types of coverage options. The types of plans which fall under the scope of general insurance include the following – Each of these types of plans has further sub-variants. Let’s understand these variants in brief –
Health insurance policies cover medical contingencies. These plans cover the high costs associated with medical treatments and give policyholders financial relief in a medical crisis. Health insurance plans are available in different types which are mentioned below –
Maternity insurance plans help you to become financially prepared for additional expenses during pregnancy. Read more about maternity health plans here.
Health insurance plans help you to stay ahead of time by planning against health risks in the future. Compare and buy the best health insurance plans in a few steps by clicking below.
Travel insurance plans are those which cover the financial contingencies suffered when you are travelling. If you fall sick on a trip and need medical treatments, if you lose your baggage or if you suffer from any other contingency, a travel insurance plan would cover the costs incurred. Travel insurance plans also offer different types of policies which are as follows –
Motor insurance policies are mandatory coverage requirements for vehicles which run in India. The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 states that every vehicle on Indian roads should have a third party cover on it. As such, motor insurance policies are bought by every vehicle owner. Motor insurance policies can come in the following variants –
An insurance policy for your vehicle can provide you coverage against expenses during an unforeseen event such as an accident. Get an insurance plan today and have the freedom and peace of mind to commute through your personal vehicle.
Home insurance plans cover the financial loss suffered if the structure of the home and/or its contents are damaged or lost. Home insurance plans come in three variants which are as follows –
Commercial insurance policies are those which are bought by businesses, traders, retail outlets and other types of business establishments to protect against specific risks that they face. There are a lot of variants under commercial insurance.
However, some of the popular types of commercial insurance policies are as follows –
Let’s check in detail the updated list of General Insurance Companies in India –
Acko General Insurance limited started as India’s first digital insurer in 2016 and is the fastest growing insurance company in the country with over 50 million customers. Its joint venture partners include Catamaran, Accel Partners and others. Acko has partnered with major tech companies such as Amazon and Ola. Solvency Ratio of the company for the financial year 2019-2020 is 2.94.
Aditya Birla Health Insurance Company Limited is a subsidiary of Aditya Birla Capital Limited. Aditya Birla Health Insurance Company was incorporated in 2015 in which Aditya Birla Capital Limited and MMI Strategic Investments hold 51% and 49% shares respectively. As of June 2020, Aditya Birla Capital limited manages an aggregate asset under management around INR 2,560 billion.
HDFC EGRO Health Insurance Company was previously known as Apollo Munich Health Insurance Company Limited. It is a standalone health insurance provider which has a range of plans to cater to the needs of every individual. The company has received the Outlook Money: Gold Award Health Insurance provider of the year 2018 for being the best insurance provider in the private sector.
Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Limited was incorporated in the year 2001 and is headquartered in Pune, Maharashtra, India. The company is a joint venture between Bajaj Finserv Limited and Allianz SE holding 76% and 26% shares respectively. The company has an authorised and paid up capital of INR 140 Crores. IT has registered 28.1% increase in its net profit and revenue growth of 15.6% over the last fiscal year.
Cholamandalam Ms General Insurance is one of the leading insurance brands in the country. The company was established in 2005 when Murugappa group and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company of Japan joined hands. The company has achieved a Gross Written Premium (GWP) of INR 41,026 million in the year 2018. During the financial year 2019, the company reported a net profit of INR 178.9 crore on a GDP of INR 4,428.2 crore.
Manipal Cigna Health Insurance Company Limited is a joint venture between Manipal Group and Cigna Corporation which came into existence in 2014. The headquartered is located in Mumbai and has 28 branches all over India. It has over 6500 network hospitals and over 20,000 agents all over the country. Solvency Ratio of the company as on 30th June, 2020 is 197%.
Navi General Insurance is a wholly owned subsidiary of Navi Technologies. The company was incorporated on July 5, 2016 and started its business operations in November 2017. It has more than 1.1 million customers as on December 31, 2020 and offers a variety of health, motor, property, commercial and gadget insurance solutions. Navi General Insurance inspires complete trust, assuring customers that it has their best interest at heart. In an industry where security is key, their product offerings and claims processes are fully transparent. Overall, Navi General Insurance provides customers with a sense of empowerment that comes with financial independence through a wide range of well-priced products and a seamless user experience.
Edelweiss General Insurance is an Indian Non-government Company and a member of the Edelweiss Group which is a home-grown multinational corporation. The company is registered in Mumbai, Maharashtra with authorised and paid-up capital of INR 5 Lakh. The company was founded in 2017 and currently have over 200 employees. The company has received ‘SAP ACE AWARD 2018’.
Future Generali India Insurance Company was founded in the year 2006 as a joint venture between Future Group and Generali Group. The company has more than 3000 corporate clients with over 125 branches all over India. The asset under management of the company as on 31st March, 2019 was worth INR 3,629 crores.
Owned by Fairfax Group, Go Digit General Insurance Limited has been awarded as the Asia’s General Insurance Company of the year in 2019. It was founded in the year 2016 with headquarter located in Bengaluru, Karnataka. It is a non-life general insurance company currently having a customer base of over 50 Lakh customers.
HDFC EGRO General Insurance Company Limited was formed as a joined venture between HDFC Limited and EGRO International AG. It has over 120 branches in 106 cities all across the country with over 3000 employees in India. It has been assigned ‘iAAA’ rating by the ICRA which indicates its highest claim paying ability.
ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited is one of the leading private sector general insurance companies in India. The gross written premium (GWP) of the company is INR 147.89 billion for the financial year 2019. The company was founded in 2001 and owned by ICICI Bank Limited. During the financial year 2018, it has settled 99.9 health insurance claims and 90.8% motor insurance claim thus having a high claim settlement ratio in India.
IFFCO Tokio General Insurance Company Limited is a joint venture between Indian Farmers Fertiliser Corporative and Tokio Marine Group in the ratio of 51% and 49% shares respectively. Founded in 2001, it is now one of the most popular insurance companies in India. The company has won Asia’s Top Most Influencer Insurance Leaders Award in 2020. Its claim ratio for financial year 2018-19 is 87% for motor insurance and 102% for health insurance.
Incorporated in December 2014, Kotak Mahindra General Insurance Company Limited is 100% subsidiary of Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited. It received an approval to start a general insurance business by IRDA in April 2015 and it commenced its operations from December 2015.
Liberty General Insurance Limited is a joint venture between Liberty Citystate holdings PTE Limited and Liberty Industries Limited. It was formed in 2013. The claim settlement ratio of the company for financial year 2018-19 was 91%. It has over 5000 partner hospitals and 4300 partner garages.
Magma HDI General Insurance is a privately owned company held by Magma Fincorp Limited and HDI Global SE from Germany. It has over 135 offices all over India with customer base of 24 Lakhs. With 1.24 lakhs claims settled till date, the claim settlement ratio of the company is 91.85% for the financial year 2018-19.
Max Bupa is a standalone health insurance company which was formed in 2010 when two reputed companies- Max India Limited and Bupa joined hands. From December 2019 onwards, Max Bupa Limited has exited its shares and is transferred to Fettle tone LLP. It has more than 4000 network hospitals in 190 countries all across India.
National Insurance Company Limited is owned by the Government of India. It is one of the four public sector companies in the general insurance segment in India. It was incorporated in Kolkata in 1972. It has over 1730 offices all over India and also has an office in Nepal. It has more than 13000 skilled employees and over 50000 agents in India. It is India’s oldest general insurance company.
Raheja QBE General Insurance is a joint venture between Raheja Group and QBE Insurance with 74% and 26% shareholding respectively. The head office of the company is situated in Mumbai. It has a wide network of 5000+ hospitals and 1300+ garages.
Reliance General Insurance Company Limited Founded in 2000, the company is a 100% subsidiary of Reliance Capital, a part of Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group. It has 139+ offices and 28900+ intermediaries across India. It has more than 4000 network hospitals and more than 3800 network garages. The company has received ‘’ET Best Brands’’ award at ET Edge Award 2019.
Launched in July, Religare Health Insurance Company is 100% subsidiary of Religare Enterprises Limited. It has been awarded as the Best Health Insurance Company of the year 2019. It has a claim settlement ratio of 93%. The company has 122+ offices with employee strength of 5000+.
Royal Sundaram General Insurance Company Limited is a joint venture between Sundaram Finance, Ageas Insurance International N.V and other shareholders in the ratio of 50%, 40% and 10% respectively. The company has over 4.50 million customers, 2000+ employees and 156 branches across India.
SBI General Insurance Company Limited is a collaboration of State Bank of India and Insurance Australia Group (IAG) which commenced its operations in 2010. It has SBI network of 22000+ branches in over 125 branches across India. The company has over 6.8 customers served till date. It has over 6000 network hospitals.
Established in 2008, Shriram General Insurance Company Limited is a 100% subsidiary of Shriram Capital Limited. It has been awarded ‘Best General Insurance Company of the year, 2019’. It is the India’s fastest growing insurance company.
Star Health and Allied Insurance Company limited was formed as a joint venture of ICICI Ventures, Oman Insurance Company, Sequoia Capital, Alpha TC holdings and Tata Capital Growth Fund in the year 2006. The company has 9,900 network hospitals, 2.95+ lakhs agents and over 4.9 million claims settled since its inception. The company has been awarded ‘Best BFSI Brands 2019’ by Economic Times.
Tata AIG General Insurance Company Limited is a collaboration of Tata Group and American International Group (AIG). The company commenced its operations in January 2001. It has over 5000 network garages and over 5200 network hospitals all across the country. It has more than 5 crore customers since its inception and is known to have issued more than 1 crore policies last year. The company has an asset base of approximate INR 10,050 crores as on 31st March, 2019.
Founded by Sir Dorabji Tata in 1919, The New India Assurance Company Limited is a 100% Government owned company headquartered in Mumbai, India. It is the largest public sector general insurance company operating in 128 countries. The company has been rated ‘AAA’ by CRISIL since 2014. The solvency ratio of the company, as on the fourth quarter of 2020, stands at 2.11.
Oriental Insurance Company Limited was incorporated in 1947 as wholly owned subsidiary of Oriental Government Security Life Assurance Company Limited but now it is owned by the Central Government of India. The company has its head office at New Delhi with 29 regional offices and nearly 1800+ operating offices in various cities in India. The premium figure of the company at the end of the year 2018-19 stood at Rs.13, 199 crores.
Established in 1938, United India Insurance Company Limited is one of the oldest companies in the insurance sector in India. The company has over 14000 employees spread across 2276 offices providing insurance to 1.74 crore customers. The headquarters of the company are situated in Chennai and it also has presence in more than 200 Tier II and Tier III villages in India.
Universal Sompo General Insurance Company Limited is a privately held company owned collectively by Indian Overseas Bank, Allahabad Bank, Dabur Investments, Karnataka Bank Limited and Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Insurance Incorporation. The company was found in 2007 with its headquarters in Mumbai.
The above-mentioned companies offer general insurance solutions for retail as well as commercial clients. Besides these companies, there are two specialized general insurance companies which deal in only specialized general insurance products. These companies and their product profile is as follows –
The Agriculture Insurance Company of India Limited is a Government owned general insurance company which deals only in agriculture insurance policies. The policies are designed to offer financial security to farmers and are specialised as per the needs of specific farmers.
ECGC Limited is also owned by the Government of India. The company offers specialised general insurance policies to protect the credit risks involved in the export of goods. The policies of the company are designed to cover export credit risks faced by exporters, banks, MSMEs and other financial institutions.
To estimate the profitability of a general insurance company, the Incurred Claim Ratio of the company is taken into consideration. The ratio is determined as the amount of claims paid by the insurance company against the total premiums received in a financial year. The higher the ratio, the higher the claim experience of the company.
Here is the Incurred Claim Ratio of different general insurance companies for the financial year 2017-
Name of the insurer | Incurred Claim Ratio |
Acko General Insurance Limited | 65.02% |
Aditya Birla Health Insurance Company Limited | 89.05% |
Apollo Munich Health Insurance Company Limited | 62.47% |
Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Limited | 77.61% |
Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Company Limited | 39.96% |
Manipal Cigna Health Insurance Company Limited | 46.29% |
DHFL General Insurance Limited | 7.89% |
Edelweiss General Insurance Company Limited | 70.01% |
Future Generali India Insurance Company Limited | 87.42% |
Go Digit General Insurance Limited | 60% |
HDFC Ergo General Insurance Company Limited | 52.58% |
ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited | 68.26% |
IFFCO Tokio General Insurance Company Limited | 90.69% |
Kotak Mahindra General Insurance Company Limited | 48.21% |
Liberty General Insurance Limited | 74.98% |
Magma HDI General Insurance Company Limited | 34.93% |
Max Bupa Health Insurance Company Limited | 50.19% |
National Insurance Company Limited | 115.55% |
Raheja QBE General Insurance Company Limited | 18.19% |
Reliance General Insurance Company Limited | 106.54% |
Religare Health Insurance Company Limited | 51.97% |
Royal Sundaram General Insurance Company Limited | 61.41% |
SBI General Insurance Company Limited | 52.93% |
Shriram General Insurance Company Limited | 50.83% |
Star Health & Allied Insurance Company Limited | 61.76% |
TATA AIG General Insurance Company Limited | 60.68% |
The New India Assurance Company Limited | 103.19% |
The Oriental Insurance Company Limited | 113.86% |
United India Insurance Company Limited | 110.55% |
Universal Sompo General Insurance Company Limited | 104.17% |
With more than 30 general insurance companies in the market, it becomes difficult to choose the best company to buy insurance from.
So, here are five useful tips using which you can choose the best general insurance company –
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