The Unraveling of Life Insurance in India: A Systemic Collapse

47 million Indians just lost their life insurance coverage. But not one of the country’s biggest insurers seem bothered.

In this episode, we look at the silent collapse of credit-linked life insurance—policies that were once bundled with microloans and quietly protected millions of low-income borrowers. But now, that model is breaking down.

Blame mounting defaults, shaky microfinance lending, and a post-pandemic spike in death claims. As lenders pull back and insurers retreat, entire communities are being pushed out of the safety net—with barely a ripple in the headlines.

Why the regulator won’t step in and what persistent high mortality means for the future of group insurance?

Tune in.

To apply to The Ken’s podcast team, click here

Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India’s first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.