IRDAI Information and Cyber Security Guidelines, 2026
April 08, 2026
1. IRDAI vide Circular ref: IRDAI/GA&HR/GDL/MlSC/88/04/2023 dated 24th Apr, 2023 has issued IRDA Guidelines on Information and Cyber Security for Regulated Entitles.
2. In view of the evolving threat landscape, feedback received from the Industry & recommendations of various IRDAI committees, the revised Guidelines are hereby issued in order to enable the insurance industry to further strengthen their defenses as well as related governance mechanism to deal with emerging cyber threats.
3. The brief summary of the major changes in the guidelines are enclosed as Annexure – A.
4. The IRDAI Information and Cyber Security Guidelines, 2026 are attached as Annexure – B. These guidelines set out the minimum standards and governance mechanisms to be adopted by all Regulated Entities.
5. All Insurers including FRBs, Insurance Intermediaries covering Brokers, Corporate Agents, Web Aggregators, TPAs, IMFs, insurance Repositories, ISNP, Corporate Surveyors, MISPs, CSCs and the Insurance Information Bureau of India (IIB) shall strictly adhere to the said guidelines and ensure compliance from the current financial year
Constitution of Insurance Advisory Committee – Sub-committee on Health Insurance
April 07, 2026
As part of on-going initiatives to improve policyholder experience and penetration of Health Insurance, IRDAI has constituted a sub-committee of the Insurance Advisory Committee to review the current landscape of private health insurance in India including coverage, penetration, claims experience, product design, grievance redressal and consumer experience. The sub-committee will recommend regulatory, policy, and operational measures to promote innovation, wider coverage, better risk pooling, and improved financial protection through health insurance. The emphasis will be on and increasing trust and the overall consumer experience.
The sub-committee will also examine the role of health care provider networks, hospital tariffs, fraud control, and digital systems in improving value to policyholder, reducing administrative inefficiencies. A review of interaction between private health insurance and public health insurance/assurance schemes, including opportunities for complementarity, portability, and convergence where appropriate will also be done.
The sub-committee will also review and incorporate the recommendations emerging from the working groups set up by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on key issues relating to the health insurance ecosystem including a joint code of conduct for insurers and providers, methodology for commercial engagements and provider classification, adoption and scale-up of the National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX), analytical studies on claim trends and medical inflation, and a framework for a basic product.
Compliance with Guidelines on Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns
April 02, 2026
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) recently highlighted the need for regulated entities offering insurance products on e-platform to comply with the Guidelines on Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns issued by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) on November 30, 2023.
The move is in line with a broader regulatory push across the financial sector to curb deceptive digital practices. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has also flagged concerns around “dark patterns” — user interface designs that mislead or manipulate consumers into unintended actions.
While bringing attention to the Guidelines, IRDAI advised the concerned regulated entities to carry out a self-assessment on the status of compliance and submit a report within 15 days. Wherever non-compliance is found, an action plan with timelines for removing the dark patterns has to be submitted within one month.
Industry Stakeholders’ Discussion on ‘Public Insurance Registry’ and ‘Bima Sugam’
March 3, 2026
The IRDAI convened an Industry Stakeholders’ Discussion on the proposed Public Insurance Registry (PIR) and Bima Sugam on March 17, 2026, at the India International Centre, New Delhi.
The meeting brought together senior leadership from insurance companies and other invited stakeholders from the insurance ecosystem to deliberate on the vision, design, and implementation roadmap of Public Insurance Registry, the digital public insurance infrastructure, aimed at enhancing transparency, consumer protection, and market efficiency in the sector.
The PIR is envisioned as a consent-driven, legally compliant digital infrastructure covering the entire policy lifecycle from issuance to claims, grievance redressal, and dispute resolution. As a structured, interoperable information infrastructure it will empower consumers by bridging the knowledge gap between different participants and bringing more transparency in the entire insurance value chain.
Shri Ajay Seth, Chairman, IRDAI, while delivering the keynote address highlighted the broader reform context and the importance of strengthening transparency, accountability, and trust in the insurance ecosystem. He emphasized on strategic significance of strengthening governance architecture and enabling data-driven development of the insurance market.
Shri Deepak Sood, Whole Time Member, IRDAI in his address brought out the economic and business case of the PIR and the value proposition for all stakeholders, with a focus on the public good.
The platform is envisaged to consolidate structured insurance data across stakeholders, reduce information asymmetry, improve fraud detection, and enable data-driven regulatory oversight.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chairman, IRDAI stated:
“The proposed Public Insurance Registry represents an important step towards modernising the information architecture of the insurance sector. By enabling standardised, consent-based access to structured insurance data, the initiative seeks to enhance transparency, strengthen consumer confidence, and support more effective regulatory oversight. This reform is intended to build a more accountable, efficient and data-driven insurance ecosystem that can support sustainable growth in insurance inclusion, as envisaged in ‘Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha’ vision.”
Key expectations from the insurance sector were also discussed including compliance readiness, data governance standards, cybersecurity safeguards, and the role of interoperable digital infrastructure in modernizing the insurance ecosystem. An open forum enabled industry participants to share feedback and suggest practical approaches for smooth implementation.
The programme also featured a dedicated session on Bima Sugam, which included a presentation by the CEO of the Bima Sugam India Federation. The session provided an overview of the platform’s vision, objectives, and its role in transforming insurance accessibility in India.
This was followed by remarks from IRDAI leadership on the way forward and highlighting the importance of industry-wide collaboration to strengthen digital insurance infrastructure. The discussion underscored the need for alignment between the PIR and Bima Sugam to enable seamless access to insurance policies, enhance service delivery, and redefine the overall customer experience.
