India's Insurtech market is at an inflection point. By 2027, more than 80% of insurers will adopt cloud-first modular technology platforms to modernize operations and provide personalized experiences at scale, according to Gartner. This shift is especially important in India where the push to expand access to insurance beyond the metro is scalable, resilient and requires a Bharat-enabled platform.
In this landscape, Insurancedekho illustrates how new eras of Insurtech companies are rethinking distribution and operation with cloud-native, API-driven systems designed to serve both urban and Bharat markets. The company's focus is combining scale and accessibility, making it easy for agents and customers to carry, issue and manage, even in Tier 2-4 towns.
In a conversation with ETCIO, co-founder & CTO Ish Babbar shares how diverse careers from telecom to gaming have shaped his leadership, why AI sits at the heart of their architecture, and what actually means by the “Bharat-First” approach.
From telecoms to gaming, how did these experiences shaped the leadership and vision of insurance technology?
One insight that remains constant in my years of experience is that technology is only valuable when solving real human problems at scale. Telecom has taught us the value of infrastructure and core systems, such as FCAPS (faults, configuration, accounting, performance, security). The game emphasized user engagement and psychology, but travel in Yatras in particular made it acute focus on the importance of trusts and failsafes, which are very important to insurance.
In Insurancedekho, these learnings converge. Whether you're building a Quote engine that compares hundreds of products in milliseconds or designing a POSP (Sales Points) tool in a Tier-3 town, I'm focusing on systems built to be intuitive, scalable, and endure. My leadership style is shaped by this philosophy. It's user enthralled, clearly constructed and practical.
Gartner predicts that over 80% of insurance companies will adopt a cloud-first modular platform by 2027. How do you approach building InsuranceDekho's infrastructure, and are you scalable and resilient?
Cloud-native API first architecture is purposefully built to ensure modern integration with all insurance companies. Runs on a proprietary microservices-based, low-code platform supported by automated test suites. All layers reduce friction and increase speed.
AI and data are here in the nervous system. From comparing plans with Genai to Health Pro Genie chats that guide your partners when choosing the right plan, we've built intelligence into every interaction. Features such as automated CKYC (Central Know Your Customer) smart renewal and real-time prompts enhance your agents while building customer trust. The ecosystem is not only technical, but Bharat-enabled and fits your local language, format, and tier 2-4 needs.
Can you share AI-driven innovations that dramatically improve the user or agent experience?
A great example is a rethinking of PDPNR customer support (policies where payments were made that were not received). Previously, solving such cases meant multiple touch points. Now, AI-powered NLP reads emails, automatically request missing details, match data between systems, and provide resolution-enabled responses with policy links without manual intervention.
This is not just automation for efficiency, but expanding trust through accuracy and seamless service. For us, AI is not an add-on, but the backbone of how Bharat is insured.
What does the “Bharat-First” approach actually mean?
This means constructing to include by default. Our partners often require first-time entrepreneurs in Tier 2-4 with mobile-first, lightweight, multilingual, and intuitive tools. Idedge is designed for this. AI-equipped modules such as ID Progenie, Smart Renewals and Guided CKYC flow reduce friction. Slang descriptions and self-learning modules promote adoption.
Over 85% of the 28 lakh agents are from Tier 2/3/4 India. Combining automation and ease of use, they increase their income, serve their communities, and build lasting trust in their insurance.
Which emerging technologies are most important to assure all Indian households?
Genai, ML, blockchain and IoT revolutionize insurance. I've already built an ID Pro Genie Chatbot with genai. This helps partners recommend a proper health plan from over 200 options in 23 insurers. Handle unstructured queries, analyze existing conditions, and provide personalized recommendations in seconds.
This reduces the cognitive load of partners, improves accuracy and improves customer experience. These tools are not only accessible to insurance, but tailored, efficient and transparent.
