Building Resilience For A New India: How Insurance Is Evolving Beyond Protection

As India advances toward Viksit Bharat 2047, the insurance sector is undergoing a fundamental shift—transitioning from a traditional safety net into a proactive partner in national resilience. In this conversation, Shanai Ghosh, MD & CEO of Zuno General Insurance, shares insights on how digital innovation, telematics, and behavioral data are reshaping the industry to make protection simpler, more accessible, and preventative for a modern India.

Q1. As India celebrates 80 years of Independence, how do you see the insurance industry contributing to the country's journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047?

Over the past eight decades, India's progress has been driven by enterprise, innovation and the aspiration to build a stronger, more resilient nation. As we move towards Viksit Bharat, the insurance industry's vision of 'Insurance for All by 2047' will play an important role in building resilience across individuals, families and businesses, empowering them to pursue opportunities and navigate uncertainty with confidence.

Today, insurance is far more than a financial product. It supports long-term security and sustainable growth. As India's economy grows, the industry's contribution will increasingly be measured by its ability to make protection more accessible and inclusive.

Q2. Customer expectations are evolving rapidly. What will define the next generation of insurance in India?

Customers today don't just compare products, they compare experiences. They expect insurance to be simple, transparent and dependable. The next generation of insurance will be shaped as much by trust and customer experience as by product innovation.

Technology will accelerate this transformation, but digital capabilities alone won't define successful insurers. The real differentiator will be combining innovation with empathy to deliver personalised, seamless experiences. The opportunity lies in using technology to simplify complexity.

Q3. Zuno has invested in initiatives like SmartDrive and the India Road Safety Report. What inspired this approach?

At Zuno, we believe meaningful innovation begins with understanding behaviour. This philosophy is reflected in Zuno SmartDrive, our mobile telematics platform that provides personalised driving scores and insights to encourage safer driving.

The same thinking led to the Zuno India Road Safety Report 2026, which analysed over 4.5 million trips covering more than 55 million kilometres. One of its key findings is that over 80% of road accidents are linked to behavioural factors, reinforcing that safer roads require not just better infrastructure but also better driving habits. Our focus is on using data to understand risk and reduce it through awareness and positive behavioural change.

Q4. Looking ahead, what role do you see insurers playing in shaping a safer and more resilient India?

The role of insurers is evolving from risk protectors to partners in resilience. Through customer education, data-driven insights and technology-enabled solutions, insurers can help people reduce risk before losses occur.

Building a more resilient India will require collaboration between governments, regulators, industry and technology partners. As an industry, our responsibility extends beyond financial protection. We must simplify insurance, encourage responsible behaviour and use innovation to help people prepare for risk, not just recover from it.