Now Reading: Rising vet costs and pet humanisation drive insurance demand
-
01
Rising vet costs and pet humanisation drive insurance demand
Pet insurance is gaining ground in India as veterinary costs rise and owners treat pets as family members. Insurers Bajaj General Insurance and Universal Sompo General Insurance report consistent growth in policy…
Pet insurance is gaining ground in India as veterinary costs rise and owners treat pets as family members. Insurers Bajaj General Insurance and Universal Sompo General Insurance report consistent growth in policy adoption since launching products in 2021. The demand is no longer limited to metros, with Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities showing increasing awareness.
Dogs account for the largest share of insured pets, followed by cats. Policies offer sum insured from ₹10,000 to ₹15 lakh and cover accident surgery, illness, fractures and third-party liability. OPD cover for consultations and minor treatments is an optional add-on. Industry data pegs the total pet insurance portfolio at roughly ₹40-50 crore.
A software engineer from Bengaluru told businessline his one-month renal treatment for his dog cost ₹1.5 lakh, of which his insurer paid ₹1.3 lakh. Insurers say the category is still nascent but growing, and the opportunity extends beyond selling policies to changing how owners prepare for healthcare costs.
Indian Opinion Analysis
India's pet insurance market is tiny against the global benchmark: in the UK, roughly a quarter of dogs are insured. At ₹40-50 crore, the Indian pool is dwarfed even by a mid-sized motor insurance portfolio. The real constraint is awareness, most pet owners still absorb bills out of pocket. Two structural shifts may change this: the rapid growth of organised veterinary chains with transparent pricing, and a regulatory push. IRDAI is working on a standardised pet insurance product, which would let customers compare policies more easily. The next catalyst to watch is whether general insurers start bundling pet cover with health or home policies, which would expand reach overnight.
Source: thehindubusinessline.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
