India’s Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDAI) has introduced a centralised digital system to simplify and monitor insurance grievances, requiring policyholders to initially approach insurers before escalating issues, with enhanced transparency and tracking features.
India’s Finance Ministry has reminded insurance customers that complaints should first be taken to the insurer before any escalation to the regulator, in guidance aimed at making the grievance process easier to follow and more time-bound.
According to the advisory, the first point of contact is the insurer’s Grievance Redressal Officer, who is responsible for registering and handling complaints. Insurers are also required to maintain a complaints management system and acknowledge grievances immediately, with a resolution expected within 14 days. If a policyholder remains unhappy, the matter can then be taken to the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India’s grievance wing.
IRDAI says complaints can be lodged through the Bima Bharosa portal, by email at complaints@irdai.gov.in, or through the toll-free numbers 155255 and 1800-4254-732. The regulator also says physical letters and emails sent to it are entered into the same system. Its call centre provides multilingual support in 12 languages, while the Bima Bharosa platform allows users to register, monitor and track complaints across insurers.
The regulator’s grievance framework is built around a centralised system that links insurer records with IRDAI’s own database, enabling complaints to be assigned unique IDs and tracked against turnaround times. The authority says the arrangement is designed to improve transparency, flag delays and monitor conduct across the insurance market. It also covers a broad range of disputes, including rejected claims, delays and allegations of mis-selling.
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