What type of insurance coverage do Indians prefer now?

Women are increasingly choosing Critical Illness (CI) riders.

India is seeing a shift toward more comprehensive term insurance protection, with new data from Policybazaar showing strong growth in rider adoption, especially in the South and amongst younger, urban buyers.

The South continues to lead the country in rider uptake, with attachment rates at about 46%, roughly double the North’s 23%. 

Policybazaar said southern metros and Tier-2 cities are driving demand for Accidental Total Permanent Disability (ATPD) and Accidental Death Benefit (ADB) riders. 

The East maintains rider uptake of around 32% to 34%, whilst the West is steady at about 30% to 31%.

Gender patterns are also becoming more distinct. Men are more likely to add riders to their term plans, particularly ADB and ATPD. 

Women are increasingly choosing Critical Illness (CI) riders that include cancer screening, reflecting growing awareness of long-term health risks. 

CI riders are most popular in metro markets such as Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kochi and Mumbai, where younger and higher-income customers are more conscious of lifestyle-related illnesses.

Waiver of Premium (WOP) riders are also seeing stronger demand. 

Attachment rates rose 42.5% from 4.7% in July 2025 to 6.7% in October 2025, driven mainly by Hyderabad and Bengaluru. 

Women showed the highest take-up of WOP, aiming to keep policies active during periods of disability or income disruption.

For policies with cover below ₹2 crore, ADB riders remain the most common add-on. But at higher cover levels, more customers are shifting toward CI riders for broader medical-related financial protection.

ATPD continues to be the most widely attached rider overall, rising from 20.4% in July 2025 to 21.4% in October 2025. 

Policybazaar said the NRI segment stands out, with ATPD attachment reaching 42.1% in October, showing strong demand for disability coverage amongst overseas customers who prioritise long-term risk management for their families in India.

Varun Agarwal, Business head for Term Insurance at Policybazaar.com, said the data points to a growing preference for broader financial protection amongst Indian consumers, with disability and illness covers gaining almost equal footing with basic death benefits.