One Place To Track All Your Insurance? What Irdai’s New Registry Could Offer

A person may have a health policy with one insurer, motor cover with another and an old life insurance policy bought years ago. Keeping track of all three is not always easy. Policy papers get misplaced, nominees may not know about a cover, and claim records remain scattered across companies.

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) wants to tackle this problem through a Public Insurance Registry (PIR). It released a consultation paper on September 1, 2026, setting out what such a registry could do and who may use it.

More Than A Storehouse Of Policies

The word “registry” may suggest one large database. Irdai’s proposal is wider. The PIR is being planned as common digital infrastructure that would allow different participants to access or exchange verified insurance information under a shared framework.

The information need not be moved into one central warehouse. It may continue to sit with the insurer or institution that holds it, while the registry provides a consistent view of the relevant records.

Irdai expects the system to serve policyholders, insurers, reinsurers, agents and other intermediaries, regulators, financial institutions, government agencies and researchers. The larger aim is to widen insurance access, reduce information gaps and make the market more transparent.

What A Policyholder May Be Able To Do

If the plan takes shape as proposed, customers could get a consolidated view of policies purchased from different insurers. They may be able to check claim details, compare products, verify whether an insurer or intermediary is authorised and trace benefits that have remained unclaimed.

This could be particularly useful for families trying to locate the policies of a deceased member. It may also cut down the need to submit the same documents repeatedly while buying, renewing or servicing a policy.

Much of the proposed work would happen behind the scenes. Insurers could use verified records for underwriting, pricing and claim handling. Reinsurers may get standardised information on losses and risk exposure. Banks could verify whether a borrower owns a policy offered as collateral.

For Irdai, a broader view of complaints, claims and coverage gaps could help with supervision. Government departments may use aggregated information to identify areas or groups that remain inadequately insured.

Questions Of Consent And Accuracy

The convenience, however, will come with questions. Insurance files may contain health, financial and personal information. Customers will need to know exactly what is being shared, with whom and for what purpose.

There must also be a simple way to correct an inaccurate record. A mistake in a claim history or identity detail should not lead to a higher premium, delayed service or denial of cover.

Irdai has sought comments on privacy, consent, data standards, governance, commercial confidentiality and the transition to the proposed system. Feedback can be submitted until September 30, 2026.

The PIR is not yet available to policyholders, and no launch date has been announced. Its final structure will depend on the consultation and the rules framed thereafter.

FAQs

1. What is the Public Insurance Registry?
It is a proposed digital system that would provide a common view of insurance records held across different insurers and institutions.

2. How could the registry help policyholders?
Customers may be able to view policies and claims together, compare products, verify insurers and intermediaries, and trace unclaimed benefits.

3. How will customers’ data be protected?
The framework is still under consultation. Privacy, consent, data accuracy, access and correction mechanisms will be important parts of its final design.