General insurance premiums rise over 13% in December; private sector sees growth

Gross premiums underwritten by India’s general insurers rose in December, driven by strong year-on-year growth across key players, according to data from the General Insurance Council.

Overall, gross direct premium for non-life insurers climbed 13.7% to ₹28,447 crore in December 2025.

Private-sector general insurers reported a 14.8% rise in premiums to ₹23,748 crore, while state-owned insurers underwrote ₹10,126 crore, up 14.7% year-on-year. Other general insurers contributed ₹13,621 crore, marking a 14.9% increase.

Standalone health insurers saw their gross direct premium jump 38.8% to ₹4,260 crore during the month.

Among individual insurers, Go Digit General Insurance posted 22.2% year-on-year increase in December premiums. ICICI Lombard General Insurance rose 16.1%, while New India Assurance recorded a 16.6% gain. Bajaj General Insurance posted a modest 6.3% increase.

Standalone health insurers also posted robust growth. Niva Bupa Health Insurance saw premiums surge 52.7%, and Star Health & Allied Insurance rose 23.7% year-on-year.

Industry analysts said the expansion in December was supported by policy shifts, including GST rationalisation on health insurance, which boosted demand in the health segment.

Analysts expect continued momentum in motor and retail health insurance in the December quarter.

For the April–December period,

gross direct premiums underwritten by non-life insurers rose 8.6% to ₹2.50 lakh crore. The data is not strictly comparable with the previous year, as the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) revised reporting formats in October 2024, now reflecting only the annual premium for long-term policies.