# Pet insurance emerges as cushion as vet bills cross lakhs 2026-08-22T07:58:44+00:00 | Business & Economy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Pet owners in India are turning to insurance as veterinary bills for surgeries, hospitalisation and long-term treatment can run into lakhs of rupees. Pronita, a pet parent in Hyderabad, spent ₹1.2 lakh treating a rescued cat with FIP, while another cat’s surgery and paralysis treatment cost ₹60,000, ₹70,000. Dr. Nabat Lakhani, a Hyderabad-based veterinarian, said pet X-rays cost ₹1,000 each compared to ₹200, ₹500 for humans, and blood tests for pets can cost ₹2,000 or more. Pet insurance products, offered by companies such as Bajaj General Insurance, cover surgery (up to ₹3 lakh), hospitalisation (up to ₹50,000) and OPD treatment (up to ₹30,000). However, policies mostly work on a reimbursement basis, with claims processed in 15, 20 days. Co-founder of Petsfolio Sravanthi said rising veterinary costs are making insurance relevant, especially for medium and large breeds prone to hip dysplasia and accidental injuries. Pet parent Mukesh spent ₹40,000 treating his puppy for Parvo and noted that awareness of pet insurance remains low even among pet communities. ## Indian Opinion Analysis India's pet insurance market is tiny compared to human health insurance, with penetration estimated at under 1% of pet-owning households. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) does not mandate standardised pet insurance products, leaving coverage terms and exclusions to individual insurers. Key gaps include no cover for pre-existing conditions, limited breed eligibility (only 35 listed by Bajaj), and the reimbursement model requiring upfront payment. With pet ownership rising in urban India, especially among millennials, and treatment costs escalating, the market may grow, but only if insurers simplify claims and regulators consider guidelines. Watch for IRDAI's next set of product norms or a major insurer launching a cashless pet policy. ## Coverage - thehindu.com Straight news feature with multiple pet owner anecdotes and insurer quotes, no political or institutional framing. This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Bajaj General Insurance, Hyderabad, IRDAI, Petsfolio Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/pet-insurance-emerges-as-cushion-as-vet-bills-cross-lakhs/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/pet-insurance-emerges-as-cushion-as-vet-bills-cross-lakhs/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/