As the insurance and risk management industry undergoes profound transformation—driven by regulatory reforms, technological advancements, climate risks, and evolving customer expectations—the need for Continuous Professional Development (CPD) has never been more urgent. In an environment where traditional models are being disrupted and new risks are emerging rapidly, staying professionally relevant and technically competent is no longer optional—it is critical to industry resilience and credibility.
CPD refers to the systematic maintenance, enhancement, and extension of knowledge, skills, and competencies that professionals acquire after entering the workforce. For insurance practitioners, this spans underwriting, claims management, product design, actuarial insights, regulatory compliance, and customer servicing. However, in India, CPD remains an underemphasized and inconsistently implem-ented aspect of professional development—posing long-term risks to the quality and growth of the insurance sector.
The CPD Deficit in India: A Growing Concern
Unlike mature insurance markets such as the UK, Australia, or Singapore—where CPD is a regulatory mandate backed by well-structured training ecosystems—in India, there is no uniform CPD framework across the sector. While initial pre-licensing training exists, ongoing training and skill upgradation post-licensing is often neglected, especially for intermediaries such as agents and brokers.
In fact, IRDAI’s relaxation of training norms for intermediaries in recent years, particularly to promote digital onboarding, has diluted one of the core mechanisms for skill development. As a result, many insurance sales personnel lack deep product understanding or technical expertise in underwriting, leading to mis-selling, poor claims experience, and erosion of customer trust.
This CPD vacuum is even more concerning given the growing complexity of risks—such as cyber threats, health pandemics, climate events, and demand for niche products like microinsurance or parametric coverage. The absence of structured learning pathways risks creating a generation
of professionals ill-equipped to deal with tomorrow’s challenges.
The Way Forward: A Regulatory and Institutional Push
The IRDAI must now place stronger emphasis on CPD as part of its broader strategy to reform and professionalize the industry. Just as the regulator is focusing on risk-based capital and customer-centric reforms, it must also institutionalize mandatory CPD hours for all licensed professionals, linked to license renewal and career progression.
Insurers and intermediaries must be incentivized or mandated to invest in the training of their distribution force, underwriters, claims handlers, and product teams. Training content should move beyond compliance to include real-time industry trends, global practices, ethical selling, emerging technologies, and practical case studies.
In a knowledge-driven and trust-based industry like insurance, the lack of focus on continuous learning could stall innovation, reduce competitiveness, and compromise customer outcomes. CPD is not merely an academic exercise—it is a strategic tool for developing a skilled, ethical, and future-ready insurance workforce.
Furthermore, IRDAI’s ambitious push for 100% insurance penetration across the country must be seen in tandem with a robust strategy for skill development. Only by enhancing the technical competence and ethical grounding of insurance professionals can India achieve a comprehensive coverage target that leaves no citizen unprotected.
If India’s insurance industry is to match global standards in underwriting, claims handling, and customer servicing, CPD must become a central pillar of regulatory and institutional thinking. The time for piecemeal efforts is over. A structured, industry-wide CPD mandate could be the game-changer India’s insurance sector urgently needs.
