The Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance, released guidelines on August 14, 2026, confirming that insurance policyholders can approach the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) and the ombudsman for quick grievance relief when struggling with insurance claims. According to the latest government statement, this structured framework ensures that policyholders have a clear, time-bound mechanism to register complaints and track their resolution effectively. The government aims to enforce accountability within the insurance sector and guarantee that consumer issues receive prompt high-level attention through this comprehensive grievance redressal system. As per DFS, "As insurance adoption accelerates across India, navigating the customer Grievance Redressal Mechanism has become a vital skill for policyholders. To ensure financial security, a clear understanding of the established regulatory grievance channels and recent customer statistics is critical for every policyholder."
Policyholders facing issues are advised to approach the Grievance Redressal Officer (GRO) of their insurer, who serves as the nodal officer for dealing with grievances. As reported by DFS, every office of the insurer is mandated to designate one of its officials as Grievance Redressal Officer. The Policyholder Protection, Grievance Redressal and Claims Monitoring Committee (PPGR & CM Committee), constituted by every insurer, operates as the Board-level Committee for ensuring efficient and effective redressal of grievances. Complainants are required to first approach the Complaints/Grievance Redressal Cell of the insurer concerned before escalating to higher authorities. Every grievance received through digital interfaces, direct correspondence, or call centres is registered in the Complaints Management System (CMS) of the insurer, with the CMS of insurers and the Bima Bharosa Portal integrated for seamless tracking.
According to DFS, every grievance received through digital interfaces, direct correspondence, or call centres is registered in the Complaints Management System (CMS) of the insurer. The CMS of insurers and the Bima Bharosa Portal are integrated, ensuring seamless tracking of complaints. It is mandatory for insurers to acknowledge complaints immediately and provide resolution within 14 days. Policyholders can register and monitor grievance redressal by logging into the Bima Bharosa Portal at https://bimabharosa.irdai.gov.in/. The portal serves as an integrated portal for monitoring policyholder grievances across the insurance industry by the IRDAI.
As reported by DFS, policyholders who do not receive response from insurers within 14 days or are dissatisfied with responses can approach the Grievance Redressal Cell in the Policyholders' Protection & Grievance Redressal Department of the IRDAI. The call centre run by the authority offers multi-lingual support in 12 languages and operates through toll-free helpline numbers 155255 or 1800-4254-732. Alternatively, citizens can lodge complaints via email at complaints@irdai.gov.in. Complaints sent through physical letters or emails are also registered in the Bima Bharosa Portal, providing multiple channels for policyholder grievance redressal. The DFS emphasizes that this comprehensive framework ensures policyholders have multiple avenues to address unfair claim rejections, delays, mis-selling, or other service-related issues.
