HDFC ERGO General Insurance has launched a new campaign, #GalatRaastePeMatJao, to raise awareness about unsafe driving practices and promote responsible road usage during National Road Safety Week. The campaign aims to reach drivers across India and encourage them to rethink their unsafe actions behind the wheel. The initiative is a response to the rising number of road accidents in the country, with over 4.60 lakh accidents and 4.40 lakh injuries reported in 2022.

The campaign highlights the risks associated with reckless behaviors such as speeding, using mobile phones while driving, and distracted driving. To promote road safety, HDFC ERGO is distributing car danglers with key road safety messages at select networked cashless garages across India. The company’s Director and Chief Business Officer, Parthanil Ghosh, emphasized the importance of road safety, stating that road crash casualties lead to emotional and financial turmoil for families and dent the Indian GDP annually.

The #GalatRaastePeMatJao campaign is part of HDFC ERGO’s long-standing commitment to road safety. The company has launched several campaigns in the past to address various aspects of unsafe driving, including #TakeItEasyonRoads, #DoNotDisturb, and #EyesOnTheRoad. HDFC ERGO has also partnered with NGOs for urban trials and intersection redesigns to transform high-risk areas into zero-fatality zones, impacting over 2.6 lakh lives in FY24. The company’s goal is to raise awareness about the impact of unsafe driving habits and foster a culture of responsible road behavior.

HDFC Ergo, a leading non-life insurance company, is planning to introduce a cashless claims facility for post-hospitalization treatment. This move would make it one of the first non-life insurance companies to offer this service, which is not currently available in the industry. While some insurance companies provide reimbursement for post-hospitalization claims, HDFC Ergo is set to pioneer cashless settlements through its “HERE” app, which has over 70 lakh downloads and four lakh users.

According to HDFC Ergo’s Chief Business Officer and Director, Parthanil Ghosh, the new facility will be launched by the third week of December. The company has already paid out over Rs 2,900 crore in claims nationally, with Rs 147 crore going to retail customers in West Bengal. Ghosh assured that there will be no additional load on policyholders once the cashless claims facility is introduced.

HDFC Ergo has a significant presence in West Bengal, with 7,800+ advisors, 10 branches, and 430+ employees. The company has been focused on increasing health insurance inclusion in the region and has settled over 56,761 claims worth Rs 118 crore in West Bengal, including 14,345 claims worth Rs 86 crore in Kolkata. The company’s premium collection in the state has also risen, with Rs 240 crore collected from retail health policies in 2023-24 and Rs 122 crore in the first half of the current fiscal year. Nationally, HDFC Ergo has collected over Rs 4,000 crore in premiums from retail health policies.

HDFC Ergo and Zopper have collaborated to launch the “India Gets Moving” program, a unique initiative that encourages individuals to adopt a healthier lifestyle through technology and rewards. The program challenges participants to take 15,000 steps daily for a year, with a tempting reward: a free Apple Watch. To participate, customers must purchase an eligible Apple Watch model from an Apple Premium Reseller, register for the Zopper Wellness Program, and sync their Apple Health Kit data with the HDFC Ergo app.

The program tracks daily steps and converts them into points, with a maximum of 4 points earned for steps above 15,000. To qualify for a full refund, customers must accumulate 110 points each month. Partial refunds can be claimed based on fewer steps, calculated on a pro-rata basis. For example, customers who earn fewer than 30 points will receive a 0% refund, while those who earn 91-110 points will receive an 80% refund.

The “India Gets Moving” program is available at offline Apple Premium Resellers in India, including Invent, Unicorn, and others. The offer is not applicable for purchases made on the official Apple website, Amazon, Flipkart, or other online retailers. With this program, HDFC Ergo aims to promote healthier lifestyles while integrating technology, fitness, and rewards. Customers who consistently meet their monthly targets for 12 months will receive a full refund for their Apple Watch, making it free. Even if they walk fewer steps than the target, they can still receive a partial refund of up to 30%.

HDFC ERGO, a leading non-life insurance company in India, has launched a new initiative called “GalatRaastePeMatJao” to raise awareness about the risks associated with unsafe driving practices and promote responsible road usage. The campaign aims to educate individuals about the importance of not using mobile phones while driving, not exceeding speed limits, and following road safety guidelines.

According to the World Health Organization, road traffic crashes are a major cause of death and disability worldwide, with India being no exception. In 2022, India saw over 4.6 lakh road accidents, resulting in over 4.4 lakh injuries. To address this issue, HDFC ERGO is encouraging people to take responsibility for their own safety and the safety of others on the roads.

The company has a strong track record of launching road safety campaigns, including “TakeItEasyonRoads” in 2015, “Do Not Disturb” in 2018, and “EyesOnTheRoad” in 2020. These campaigns aim to raise awareness about the importance of avoiding distractions while driving, the dangers of reckless driving, and the need for drivers to be focused on the road.

HDFC ERGO is also distributing car danglers with road safety messages across select cashless garages to encourage vehicle owners to follow safety measures. The company has also collaborated with NGOs for urban trials and intersection redesigns to transform high-fatality stretches into zero-fatality corridors.

Through its various road safety initiatives, HDFC ERGO has benefited over 2.6 lakh lives in FY2024, demonstrating its commitment to promoting road safety in the country. The company’s efforts are aimed at creating a culture of responsible road behavior and reducing the number of road accidents in India.

HDFC Ergo General Insurance has launched Optima Lite, a more affordable health insurance plan with a base sum insured of Rs 5 and Rs 7.5 lakh. This new product is a variant of their flagship my:Optima Secure health insurance plan and offers a range of benefits including organ donor expenses, home hospitalization, and emergency ambulance services. Additionally, it includes unlimited restorations of the base sum insured during the policy year.

Along with Optima Lite, HDFC Ergo has introduced three new add-ons, including Limitless, ABCD Chronic Care, and Parenthood, which provide coverage for various health conditions and expenses. These add-ons will be available to customers starting February 2025. The company has also launched a Post-Hospitalization Cashless Claims feature, which allows customers to receive cashless delivery of prescribed medications after hospitalization through their Here app.

Optima Lite offers key benefits such as unlimited restoration of the sum insured, up to 100% increase in sum insured over time, pre-and post-hospitalization coverage, and daily cash for shared room expenses. Premiums can be optimized by up to a 40% discount with aggregate deductible options starting from Rs 10,000.

HDFC Ergo, a subsidiary of HDFC Bank, is one of India’s leading private-sector general insurers. The company has a strong digital presence, with 94% of its 12 million policies issued digitally and 75% of customer requests serviced digitally. HDFC Ergo has a high claims payout ratio, with 95% of claims settled in FY24. The company’s move to introduce Optima Lite and new add-ons demonstrates its commitment to making health insurance more accessible and convenient for Indian citizens.

HDFC Ergo, an insurance company, launched the “India Gets Moving” initiative in November 2024, in collaboration with Zopper and Apple, to promote healthy habits by incentivizing customers to buy Apple Watches and track their daily step count. The initiative promised to return the cost of the Apple Watch to customers who achieved a minimum daily step count of 15,000 steps. However, after a backlash on social media, the company started making payments to customers who had genuinely achieved their step-count targets.

Initially, many customers, including fitness enthusiast Nikhil Dhawan, received a surprise rejection of their claims, with no explanation or proof of manipulating their step-count data. Dhawan and others were left unsure about why their claims were rejected, as they had genuinely tracked their steps. Some customers even contacted Apple to rectify the issue.

The company, through its mobile app, credited wellness points to customers based on their daily step count, with a maximum of 100 points per day. HDFC Ergo claimed that all valid claims were being cleared, as per the terms and conditions. The company, however, terminated policies of customers who had allegedly manipulated their step-count data, citing that it was “unusual and suspicious.”

The company faced backlash on social media, leading to a re-evaluation of the claims. Eventually, many customers received an update that their claim had been approved, and the payment was being processed. However, some customers, like Vinayak Chougule, remained unsure about the future of the program, citing uncertainty regarding the refund for the remaining 11 months.

The company’s move has raised concerns about data manipulation and the ability to control the way data is tracked. As part of its commitment to “customer first,” HDFC Ergo claimed that it would continue to honor its commitments and encourage citizens to adopt a healthy lifestyle.