Cheat sheet
- India’s life insurers received 1,20,429 grievances in FY 2024-25. LIC alone accounts for 74,104 (61.5%), but resolved every single one with zero carryover.
- The biggest turnaround: Bajaj Allianz dropped from 52,314 grievances (FY 2013-14) to 3,827. But they’ve been rising again since 2019-20 (+143%).
- Shriram Life’s grievances grew 449% since 2019-20 (523 to 2,869), the steepest increase among all insurers.
- Sahara Life resolved none of its grievances in FY 2024-25 and ended the year with 346 unresolved, the most of any life insurer. Bharti AXA carried 80 unresolved grievances into the next year.
- Rising grievances are a leading indicator. When complaints spike, claim problems and regulatory action follow. Check your insurer’s trend, not just the latest number.
- All data from IRDAI Handbook on Indian Insurance Statistics (FY 2013-14 to 2024-25 editions).
Total Grievances
FY 2024-25
Down from 1,27,378 in 2022-23
Bajaj Allianz Drop
FY 2013-14 to 2024-25
52,314 → 3,827
Shriram Life Increase
Since FY 2019-20
523 → 2,869
IRDAI Handbook on Indian Insurance Statistics, FY 2013-14 to 2024-25 editions.
Grievance data doesn’t tell you who’s the best insurer. It tells you who’s getting worse. A single year’s number means little; the trend over a decade tells you whether your insurer is cleaning up or sliding backwards.
We pulled 12 years of IRDAI grievance data for every life insurer in India. The industry picture looks good on the surface: grievances have fallen dramatically since 2013-14. But underneath that headline, several insurers are quietly going in the wrong direction.
The cleanup story: grievances fell 70-95% in a decade
In FY 2013-14, Bajaj Allianz Life received 52,314 grievances. HDFC Life received 52,402. Aditya Birla Sun Life: 30,825. These were enormous numbers for companies that were still maturing their customer service infrastructure.
By FY 2024-25, those same insurers report a fraction of their former volumes. Reliance Life dropped 95.8%. Aditya Birla Sun Life dropped 95.2%. Bajaj Allianz dropped 92.7%. HDFC Life dropped 90.9%. This is a genuine industry-wide cleanup, driven by IRDAI’s tightened regulations and better grievance resolution systems.
52,314
3,827
52,402
4,744
30,825
1,494
IRDAI Handbook on Indian Insurance Statistics, FY 2013-14 and 2024-25 editions.
What this means for you
If you’re with Bajaj Allianz, HDFC Life, or Aditya Birla Sun Life, the 12-year trend is reassuring. These insurers had serious servicing problems a decade ago and have largely fixed them. But check the recent direction; some of these improvements have started to reverse.
The backsliders: who’s getting worse since 2019?
The decade-long trend masks a more recent problem. Since FY 2019-20, several insurers have seen grievances climb, not fall.
| Insurer | FY 2019-20 | FY 2024-25 | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shriram Life | 523 | 2,869 | +2,346 | +449% |
| Bajaj Allianz Life | 1,572 | 3,827 | +2,255 | +143% |
| Max Life | 3,052 | 5,165 | +2,113 | +69% |
| Tata AIA | 2,383 | 3,391 | +1,008 | +42% |
| Kotak Life | 1,134 | 1,911 | +777 | +69% |
| HDFC Life | 4,232 | 4,744 | +512 | +12% |
| Canara HSBC Life | 899 | 1,186 | +287 | +32% |
IRDAI Handbook on Indian Insurance Statistics, FY 2019-20 and 2024-25 editions.
Shriram Life stands out. Their grievances went from 523 in FY 2019-20 to 2,869 in FY 2024-25, a 449% increase. They also carried 42 unresolved grievances into the next year. For a mid-size insurer, that trajectory is a red flag.
Bajaj Allianz is the most interesting case. They achieved a 92.7% drop over a decade, then reversed course. From a low of 1,572 in FY 2019-20, grievances have climbed back to 3,827. That’s still 93% below the 2013-14 peak, but the direction has changed.
Steepest increase among all insurers
IRDAI Handbook on Indian Insurance Statistics, FY 2019-20 and 2024-25 editions.
What this means for you
A rising grievance count doesn’t mean your claim will be denied, but it signals operational stress. If your insurer’s grievances are climbing while others are flat or declining, that’s worth factoring into your next purchase decision. The Insurer Scorecard shows grievance data alongside claims and ombudsman metrics.
Who can’t close their complaints?
Most insurers resolve 100% of grievances within the year. But 12 insurers carried unresolved complaints into FY 2025-26.
Sahara Life is the worst case: 346 new grievances reported and zero resolved, leaving 346 unresolved at year-end on IRDAI’s count. They’re functionally unable to process complaints. Bharti AXA carried 80 unresolved grievances into FY 2025-26. Shriram Life carried 42. Reliance Life carried 33.
LIC received 74,104 grievances (61.5% of the entire industry) and resolved every single one. Zero closing balance. Their grievance resolution machinery works.
What this means for you
If your insurer can’t close complaints within a year, imagine what happens when your family files a death claim and needs a response within 30 days. Unresolved grievances are a concrete sign of institutional capacity problems.
Top 10 by grievance volume (FY 2024-25)
| Rank | Insurer | Reported | Resolved | Unresolved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LIC | 74,104 | 74,104 | 0 |
| 2 | Max Life | 5,165 | 5,165 | 0 |
| 3 | ||||
| 4 | ||||
| 5 | Bajaj Allianz Life | 3,827 | 3,827 | 0 |
| 6 | ||||
| 7 | Tata AIA | 3,391 | 3,391 | 0 |
| 8 | SBI Life | 3,041 | 3,041 | 0 |
| 9 | ||||
| 10 |
IRDAI Handbook on Indian Insurance Statistics, FY 2024-25 edition.
Raw volume alone is misleading. LIC’s 74,104 grievances look alarming until you note they process 8.48 lakh death claims a year. That’s 87 grievances per 1,000 claims. Max Life’s 5,165 grievances against 20,200 claims is a far higher ratio. Context matters.
What to watch for
Check the 5-year trend, not just the latest number. An insurer with 2,000 grievances that were at 500 three years ago is a bigger concern than one with 5,000 that were at 50,000 a decade ago.
Look at the closing balance. If your insurer carries unresolved grievances year after year, their resolution process has structural problems. LIC, Max Life, HDFC Life, Bajaj Allianz, Tata AIA, and SBI Life all resolved 100% in FY 2024-25.
Cross-check with ombudsman data. When insurers can’t resolve grievances internally, policyholders escalate to the Insurance Ombudsman. If both grievance counts and ombudsman complaints are rising for the same insurer, that’s a pattern, not a coincidence. See the Insurer Scorecard for the full picture.
Frequently asked questions
Which life insurer has the most grievances in India?
LIC received the most grievances in FY 2024-25: 74,104 out of 1,20,429 industry total (61.5%). However, LIC also handles 84% of all death claims by count, so the per-claim grievance rate is lower than many private insurers. LIC resolved 100% with zero carryover (source: IRDAI Handbook FY 2024-25).
Which insurer has the fastest-rising complaints?
Shriram Life has the steepest increase: from 523 grievances in FY 2019-20 to 2,869 in FY 2024-25, a 449% rise. Among larger insurers, Bajaj Allianz saw a 143% increase (1,572 to 3,827) and Max Life rose 69% (3,052 to 5,165) over the same period (source: IRDAI Handbook).
What does a high grievance count mean for my policy?
A high grievance count alone doesn’t affect your policy’s validity or your claim. But it signals operational stress at the insurer: slower processing, harder-to-reach customer service, and potential delays when your family needs to file a claim. Rising grievances are a leading indicator of service quality problems. Check the trend alongside ombudsman data and CSR rankings.
How do I file a grievance against my life insurer?
Start with the insurer’s grievance cell (details on their website). Insurers must resolve a complaint within 14 days. If yours is not resolved, register it on IRDAI’s Bima Bharosa portal (bimabharosa.irdai.gov.in), which replaced the older IGMS system. If still unresolved, approach the Insurance Ombudsman (free, binding up to ₹50 lakh). For claims above ₹50 lakh, the Consumer Forum is the next step.
See the full picture: The Gyansurance Insurer Scorecard combines grievance data with claims, ombudsman, persistency, and solvency metrics for all 22 major insurers.
Related data stories
Methodology
Data source: IRDAI Handbook on Indian Insurance Statistics, FY 2013-14 to 2024-25 editions, Table 37 (Grievances).
Metrics: “Reported” = grievances received during the year. “Resolved” = grievances closed during the year. “Closing balance” = unresolved at year-end. Resolution rate = Resolved / (Opening balance + Reported).
Limitation: IRDAI grievance data does not break down complaints by category (claims, servicing, mis-selling, etc.). Per-claim grievance rates are approximations using death claim volume as the denominator; actual grievances cover all policy types, not just death claims.