General Insurance Council

What is the General Insurance Council?

The General Insurance Council is the industry body of non-life insurers in India, set up under section 64C of the Insurance Act, 1938. Its members are general insurers, standalone health insurers and reinsurers, including the public sector general insurers, the private general insurers and specialised insurers such as the Agriculture Insurance Company of India. It sits alongside the Life Insurance Council, which covers life insurers.

The Council, which is based in Mumbai, is not a regulator. It helps members maintain standards, advises IRDAI, publishes industry statistics and runs several shared services that no single insurer could run alone. Its web banner carries the line "Insurance for All by 2047".

What the General Insurance Council does

How the 2025 amendment changed the Council

The Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Act, 2025 changed the Council in three ways. First, its functions under section 64L now expressly cover health insurance business and reinsurance business, not only general insurance. Second, its executive committee was broadened under section 64F, with more insurer representatives (seven instead of four), two eminent persons not connected with insurance, representatives of agents, intermediaries and policyholders, and two Central Government nominees. Third, it may now collect fees from members as laid down in its own bye-laws.

What the General Insurance Council means for distribution

• Flash figures are the market scoreboard. The Council's monthly premium data by insurer and line is what brokers, banks and analysts use to track market share and growth in motor, health, fire and other lines. Distribution leaders use it to judge which insurer partners are gaining and to time negotiations.
• Hospital empanelment affects health sales. A common empanelment platform for hospitals is meant to give customers a wider and more consistent cashless network across insurers. A larger cashless network makes a health policy easier to sell and reduces disputes at claim time.
• Motor accident compensation. The Council administers hit and run compensation, which an agent or motor dealer may need to explain to accident victims' families who have no claim against a known vehicle.
• Awareness campaigns help category selling. Industry campaigns aim to make customers more open to health, motor and property cover in general. Field teams can use the campaign message to open conversations, without it being any one insurer's advertising.
• Industry response to IRDAI. On matters such as expenses of management, commission limits and the September 2026 distribution reform paper, the Council collects member views. Brokers and corporate agents usually also respond through their own associations.