Industry Intelligence · Insurance

Policy promotions run through agents, brokers, web aggregators, and influencers. Every claim about your products carries your name.

IRDAI’s 2024 policyholder-protection and operations framework unifies advertising rules across life, health, and general insurance — with insurer approval, UIN disclosure, and social media explicitly in scope.

Overview

A changing legal landscape

Curated for distribution and compliance leaders · Last updated October 2026

2024 framework replaces patchwork ad rules

IRDAI (Protection of Policyholders’ Interests and Allied Matters of Insurers) Regulations, 2024 and linked master circulars subsume earlier standalone advertisement regulations. “Advertisement” now clearly includes social media, influencers, and intermediary posts intended to solicit business — not only TV and print.

Insurer accountability for the chain

Distribution channels must not imply they are the insurer; joint ads need insurer approval in writing before issue. Life insurers must run a Board Approved Advertisement Policy and Advertisement Committee; misleading ads align with Consumer Protection Act definitions of unfair trade practice. Digital operations must respect data-protection obligations alongside TRAI norms on promotional contact.

Your distribution chain

Insurer (life / general / health)
→ Corporate agents & insurance brokers
→ Web aggregators & insurance marketplaces
→ Individual agents & POSP networks
→ Influencers & affiliate comparison content

Web aggregators: Comparison tables and “best plan” rankings trigger fairness and UIN rules.
Agents on social: ULIP and savings products often mis-framed as guaranteed wealth — a recurring IRDAI and ASCI theme.
Insurer role: Pre-approval, monitoring takedowns, and documented training for intermediaries on social posts.

Common pitfalls

Do

Show insurer registered name and product UIN on every ad format, including reels and stories.
Route intermediary creatives through insurer written approval before publish.
Pair promotional posts with customised benefit illustrations and prospectus links for life products.
Train agents on social-media do’s; archive approved templates partners may use.
Monitor aggregators for outdated premiums or withdrawn products still listed online.

Don’t

Allow intermediaries to present themselves as the insurer or omit insurer identity.
Advertise ULIPs or savings plans as fixed-return investments without risk disclosure.
Use superlatives (“best”, “cheapest”) without substantiation acceptable to IRDAI and ASCI.
Run health influencers making cure or treatment claims without qualified substantiation.
Ignore TRAI and DPDP requirements on promotional outreach and lead data.

Industry news & notices

Jun 2024 · IRDAI

Operations Master Circular — advertising governance

Consolidates operational expectations including advertisement committees, social media circulation, and insurer name/UIN on promotional material issued by distribution channels.

IRDAI portal →

2024 · IRDAI

PPHI Regulations — unified advertisement definition

Replaces earlier standalone ad regulations; defines advertisements to include digital and social solicitation; channels may not imply they offer insurer products as their own.

IRDAI regulations →

28 Apr 2025 · ASCI

Influencer guidelines — insurance-related technical claims

Technical BFSI advice (including insurance product merits) requires disclosed qualifications such as IRDAI licensing; generic wellness messaging treated differently.

ASCI Addendum II →

Summaries are for orientation only; rely on official IRDAI and ASCI publications for compliance decisions.

How CertiFlex covers this vertical

PACK_INSURANCE and PACK_INSURANCE_INTERMEDIARY — monitor brokers, agents, aggregators, and influencers for UIN presence, benefit/risk balance, and intermediary conduct; Mitigate with insurer-ready evidence.