HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company
HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Limited is an IRDAI-registered private general insurer founded in 2002 and headquartered in Mumbai, holding registration number 146. In November 2020, HDFC ERGO took over Apollo Munich Health Insurance. Apollo Munich only sold health insurance, so after the merger, all of its health policies and customers came under HDFC ERGO. This made HDFC ERGO a much bigger name in health insurance. For everyday customers, HDFC ERGO sells insurance for:
- Vehicles such as cars and bikes
- Health, to help pay hospital and medical bills
- Home, to protect your house and belongings
- Travel, for problems during a trip
- Personal accident, which pays out if you are hurt or disabled in an accident
Key Facts
| Legal name | HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Limited |
| Former names | HDFC General Insurance Limited from 14 September 2016, and L&T General Insurance Company Limited up to 13 September 2016 |
| IRDAI registration number | 146 |
| CIN | U66030MH2007PLC177117 |
| Licence class | General insurance |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Headquarters | Mumbai; 6th Floor, Leela Business Park, Andheri – Kurla Rd, Bori Colony, Vijay Nagar Colony West, Marol, Andheri East, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400059 |
| Promoters | HDFC Bank Limited 50.33%, ERGO International AG 49.46%, ESOP holders 0.21%, as on 31 March 2026 |
| Incurred claim ratio [FY 2026] | 89.47% |
| Solvency ratio [FY 2026] | 2.07 |
| Last verified | September 2026 |
About HDFC ERGO
HDFC ERGO was set up as a partnership between two companies. The first was HDFC Limited, the well-known Indian home loan company. The second was ERGO International AG, a German insurer that belongs to the Munich Re group, one of the largest insurance groups in the world. On 1 July 2023, HDFC Limited merged into HDFC Bank. Since HDFC Limited no longer existed as a separate company, its stake in the insurer passed to HDFC Bank. That makes HDFC ERGO a subsidiary of HDFC Bank today, which simply means the bank holds the controlling share.
As of 31 March 2026, the ownership stood as:
- HDFC Bank held 50.33%
- ERGO International AG held 49.46%
This is slightly different from the 51:49 split the company talked about back in 2020.
The registration itself has carried three names.
- L&T General Insurance Company Limited: the name until 13 September 2016
- HDFC General Insurance Limited: from 14 September 2016, after HDFC ERGO bought L&T’s general insurance business
- HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Limited: the name used since 2017, when the two businesses were joined into one company
So if you find an old policy document or renewal notice with L&T General Insurance or HDFC General Insurance printed on it, don’t worry. It is the same insurer, and HDFC ERGO is the company you should contact for claims, renewals or any questions about that policy.
The Apollo Munich Health Acquisition
The company describes it as a two-stage transaction.
| What happened | Concluded | Approved by | |
| Stage one | HDFC Limited acquired about 51% of Apollo Munich Health Insurance Company Limited, which was renamed HDFC ERGO Health Insurance Limited and held IRDAI Reg. No. 131. Both companies traded on as independent legal entities. | 9 January 2020 | Competition Commission of India, Reserve Bank of India, IRDAI |
| Stage two | HDFC ERGO Health merged into HDFC ERGO General Insurance. The surviving entity is HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Limited. | 13 November 2020 | National Company Law Tribunal, IRDAI |
Why the Deal was Unusual
That transaction is unusual and worth understanding. Apollo Munich was a standalone health insurer, licensed for health business exclusively, with a large retail health book and hospital relationships built over more than a decade. Moving that book into a general insurer is the reverse of the usual direction of travel, and it made HDFC ERGO one of the largest health insurers in India despite not holding a standalone health licence.
How big the combined business was in 2020: The figures below are the company’s own, published in its November 2020 merger communications on a proforma basis for FY2019-20. They describe the scale of the merger at the time and are not a current statement of where the company sits today.
- Third-largest private general insurer, 6.2% market share, with more than 1.5 crore active policies as at 30 September 2020
- Second-largest private insurer in accident and health, around 8% market share
- Third-largest private insurer in corporate insurance, around 6% of the market
- Combined gross written premium of ₹11,961 crore for FY20
Have an Apollo Munich Policy? Here’s What Happens to It
If you hold a policy issued by Apollo Munich Health, it is still valid. HDFC ERGO now looks after it, so you can keep using the policy number printed on your original document. Many people bought Apollo Munich plans over the years, and since health policies renew every year, some customers may still have papers with the old name on them.
The company’s own commitments at the time of the merger were that:
- all active policies issued under the HDFC ERGO Health or Apollo Munich name remain valid till expiry and need no amendment
- continuity benefits, including cumulative bonus and pre-existing disease cover, carry over unchanged
- existing health cards stay valid till policy expiry
- no fresh medical tests are required
- anyone who wanted out was entitled to a pro-rata premium refund on cancelling because of the merger
HDFC ERGO Is Not HDFC Life
People often mix up these two because both belong to HDFC Bank today. They are separate companies with separate licences.
- HDFC Life sells life insurance, such as term plans, savings plans and pension plans. It is judged by its claim settlement ratio, which shows how many claims it pays out of all the claims it receives.
- HDFC ERGO sells general insurance, such as health, car and home cover. It is judged by its incurred claim ratio, which shows how much money it pays in claims compared with the premium it collects.
So a policy from one cannot be handled by the other.
What HDFC ERGO Is Allowed to Sell
HDFC ERGO holds IRDAI registration number 146 as a general insurer. Under this licence, the company can sell cover for vehicles, health, travel, homes, goods in transit (marine), fire damage, legal liability and businesses. The one thing it is not allowed to sell is life insurance.
Why the Licence Type Matters When You Compare Health Insurers
You will often see HDFC ERGO compared with Star Health, Niva Bupa and Care Health. All four sell health insurance, but they don’t hold the same kind of licence.
Star Health, Niva Bupa and Care Health are standalone health insurers. IRDAI puts them in a separate category, and their licence lets them sell health insurance and nothing else.
HDFC ERGO runs a big health insurance business too, but because it holds a general licence, it can also sell you car and home insurance. That means you can keep your health, vehicle and home policies with one company. With a health-only insurer, you would need to go elsewhere for the other two.
Seeing Two Different Codes on Your Policy? Both Are Genuine
Every insurance product sold in India has its own code, called a UIN (Unique Identification Number). On HDFC ERGO papers, this code may start with IRDAN146 or IRDAN125.
- IRDAN146 matches the company’s current registration.
- IRDAN125 comes from its older registration. A policy showing this code is simply an older product from the same company, not a different or fake insurer.
Health policies follow a different pattern, with codes starting with HDF or HDH. The products section below explains what these mean.
Claim Record
HDFC ERGO is measured on incurred claim ratio, not claim settlement ratio. Claim settlement ratio applies to life insurers. Incurred claim ratio shows claims paid as a percentage of premium earned, and higher is not automatically better.
HDFC ERGO reported an incurred claim ratio of 89.47% in FY26, the year ended 31 March 2026, unchanged from 89.47% in FY25
| Line of business | ICR [FY26] | ICR [FY25] | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall, blended | 89.47% | 89.47% | Mixes motor, health and commercial |
| Health | 88.42% | 87.04% | The figure that matters for a health buyer |
| Motor | 116.90%
| 101.80%
| Above 100% in both years The part most car and bike buyers claim on Priced by IRDAI, not the insurer |
| Fire | 47.51% | 63.45% | Commercial and home property |
| Marine | 85.92% | 89.50% | – |
| Personal accident | 59.18% | 63.03% | – |
| Travel | 20.42% | 42.95% | – |
Financial Strength
HDFC ERGO reported a solvency ratio of 2.07 as at 31 March 2026 against the IRDAI minimum of 1.50.
| Measure | HDFC ERGO | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Solvency ratio | 2.07, 31 March 2026 | IRDAI minimum 1.50 |
| Gross direct premium | ₹15,817.29 crore, FY2024-25 | 9.71% of private-sector premium of ₹1,62,897.68 crore; 5.08% of the ₹3,11,666.33 crore industry total |
| Gross written premium | ₹15,768.8 crore, FY26 | Company states 4.5% market share on a GDPI basis |
| Profit after tax | ₹813.1 crore, FY26 | FY25: ₹500.2 crore |
| Empanelled hospitals and diagnostic centres | ~16,700 across 632 districts, FY26 | – |
| Network garages | ~13,000, FY26 | 12,277 active as at 28 February 2025 |
At first glance, HDFC ERGO’s premium income seems to be shrinking:
- Gross written premium (the total premium from policies it sold) fell from ₹16,229.4 crore in FY25 to ₹15,768.8 crore in FY26.
- Gross direct premium, as reported by IRDAI, fell from ₹18,567.56 crore in FY24 to ₹15,817.29 crore in FY25.
This does not mean the company lost most of that business. The main reason is a change in how insurers must count their money.
The Rule That Changed
Some policies cover you for more than one year, and you pay for all those years upfront. Say you buy a three-year policy and pay ₹30,000 at once. Earlier, the insurer could show the full ₹30,000 as income in the year you bought it.
From 1 October 2024, IRDAI changed this rule. Now the insurer has to spread that money evenly across the policy’s life, so it shows ₹10,000 each year for three years. IRDAI calls this the “1/n” method, where “n” is the number of years the policy runs.
The money for future years is still with the insurer. It just sits in the books as advance premium until that year arrives. By 31 March 2026, HDFC ERGO was holding ₹2,285 crore this way.
The company says the rest of the FY26 fall came from a deliberate decision to cut back on business that was not making enough profit.
Be Careful When Comparing Numbers Across Years
If you compare premium figures from before October 2024 with figures after it, you are comparing two different ways of counting. This applies to every general insurer in India, not just HDFC ERGO.
The same care is needed around 2020. That year, HDFC ERGO took over Apollo Munich, and its premium, customer count and hospital network jumped overnight. That growth came from buying another company, not from selling more policies on its own.
So a sudden rise or fall in either of these periods tells you about a rule change or a merger, not about how well the company is really doing.
Products Offered
HDFC ERGO keeps an official list of every plan it currently sells on its public disclosures page. Each plan on that list comes with its UIN, the unique code that shows the product has been filed with IRDAI. The list is updated from time to time. The latest versions are:
- Non-health plans (such as car, bike, home and travel): updated on 20 August 2026
- Health and personal accident plans: updated on 26 June 2026
The table below shows the main plans for individual customers in each category. It is not the full list. For every plan HDFC ERGO offers, check the official disclosure page linked here.
| Category | HDFC ERGO product range |
| Health, retail | my: Optima Secure (HDFHLIP26058V082526), Optima Restore (HDFHLIP26055V102526), Easy Health (HDFHLIP26054V102526), my: health Women Suraksha (HDFHLIP22142V032122), Arogya Sanjeevani Policy (HDFHLIP20175V011920), and others including top-up, critical illness and hospital cash plans |
| Health, group | HDFC ERGO Group Health Insurance (HDFHLGP24095V032425), Group Mediclaim Insurance (HDFHLGP21461V012021), HDFC ERGO Group Protect (HDFHLGP22214V012122), my:credit Comprehensive Suraksha (HDFHLGP22143V032122), and others |
| Health add-ons | Optima Wellbeing (HDFHLIA2762V022627), Unlimited Restore (HDFHLIA2760V022627), Cumulative Bonus Plus (HDFHLIA25038V012425), Surrogacy and Oocyte Protect (HDFHLIA25037V012425), Wellness Corner (HDFHLIA24051V012324), and others |
| Motor, car and two wheeler | Private Car Policy – Bundled (IRDAN146RPMT0041V01202425), Two Wheeler Package Policy – Annual (IRDAN125RP0009V01202122), Standalone Motor Own Damage Cover – Private Car (IRDAN125RP0001V02201920), Liability Only Policy – Private Car (IRDAN125RP0001V01202122), and others covering goods carrying vehicles, trailers and motor trade, plus add-ons including Nil Depreciation, EMI Protector Plus and EV battery and motor covers |
| Travel | Travel Insurance (HDFTIOP22056V022122), HDFC ERGO Explorer (HDFTIOP24042V022425), TravelX (HDFTGBP21269V022021), Beyond Borders (HDFTGOP26056V022526), and others including group travel plans |
| Home | HDFC ERGO – Bharat Griha Raksha (IRDAN125RP0003V01202021), Bharat Griha Raksha Plus (IRDAN125RP0035V01202223), Home Shield Insurance (IRDAN146RPMS0071V01202526), Home Insurance – Multi Year Policy (IRDAN146RPMS0072V01202526) |
| Marine | Marine Cargo Insurance (IRDAN146RP0015V01201011), Marine Hull and Machinery Policy (IRDAN125CP0003V01200809), Port Package Policy (IRDAN125CP0004V01200910), Ship Repairer’s Liability (IRDAN125CP0007V01201213), and others |
| Commercial and liability | Commercial General Liability Plus Policy (IRDAN125CP0026V01202324), HDFC ERGO Professional Indemnity Policy (IRDAN146CP0001V01202425), Bharat Laghu Udyam Suraksha (IRDAN125RP0002V01202021), e@Secure cyber cover (IRDAN125RP0003V01201819), Surety Insurance Policy (IRDAN146CP0001V01202324), and others including Industrial All Risk, Mega Risk and engineering covers |
| Personal accident | Saral Suraksha Bima, HDFC ERGO (HDFPAIP21624V012021), Individual Personal Accident (HDHHLIP21346V042021), my: Credit – Personal Accident, Group (HDFPAGP19125V011819) |
| Pet | HDFC ERGO Paws n Claws (IRDAN146RP0001V01202324) |
The Apollo Munich Lineage is Visible in the UIN
HDFC ERGO’s filings carry several UIN families, and the prefix tells you which entity originally filed the product. All of this is checkable against the company’s own two disclosure lists.
| UIN prefix | Filed by | Status today |
| AMHI | Apollo Munich Health Insurance | All now in the withdrawn products list |
| HDH | HDFC ERGO Health Insurance, the renamed Apollo Munich, during the January to November 2020 window when it traded as a separate entity | Fourteen still active: Optima Cash, Optima Plus, Optima Senior, Optima Super, Optima Vital, Maxima, Health Wallet, iCan, Day2Day Care, Dengue Care, Individual Personal Accident, and the Critical Advantage, Hospital Daily Cash and Protector riders |
| HDF | HDFC ERGO General Insurance | The main current health, travel and personal accident families. Easy Health and Optima Restore were refiled here in February 2026 at version 10, indicating a long revision history behind the current filing |
| IRDAN125 / IRDAN146 | The non-health families, reflecting the company’s earlier and current registration numbers | Both active |
A policy schedule showing a UIN beginning HDH belongs to a plan that came in through the Apollo Munich side of the business. Same insurer, same registration, same servicing. HDFC ERGO does not publish a name-by-name map of which current product replaced which Apollo Munich original, so where a plan was renamed rather than refiled, that link cannot be traced from public documents.
How HDFC ERGO Compares
| Parameter | HDFC ERGO | ICICI Lombard | Bajaj General |
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2002 | 2001 | 2001 |
| Incurred claim ratio FY25 | 89.47% | 70.64% | 74.59% |
| Health ICR FY25 | 84.85% | 82.24% | 87.31% |
| Motor ICR FY25 | 101.80% | 64.21% | 68.54% |
| Solvency ratio 31 March 2025 | 2.00 | 2.69 | 3.25 |
| Gross direct premium FY25 | ₹15,817.29 crore | ₹26,833.36 crore | ₹21,416.80 crore |
| Cashless hospitals | ~16,700 hospitals and diagnostic centres, FY26 | ~10,200 | 18,400+ |
| Cashless garages | ~13,000, FY26 | ~8971 | 7,200+ |
| Recent structural change | Absorbed Apollo Munich Health, 2020 | Absorbed Bharti AXA General, 2021 | Renamed from Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Limited following Allianz SE’s exit from the joint venture |
Verdict:
all three clear the same 1.50 solvency requirement and none is safer than the others. HDFC ERGO did sit closest to the floor through FY25, at 1.56 in June 2024 before recovering to 2.00 by March 2025 and 2.07 by March 2026. HDFC ERGO carries the strongest retail health position of the three because of the Apollo Munich book, which makes it the one worth comparing directly against standalone health insurers rather than only against other general insurers. For motor cover, compare the garage network and motor-line ICR instead. And note that HDFC ERGO’s motor line is the weakest of the three by a wide margin, at 101.80% against 64.21% and 68.54%.
Complaints Against HDFC ERGO: What the Records Show
IRDAI releases complaint figures only for the insurance sector as a whole. Its Annual Report 2024-25, section II.6, does not break them down by company, so it has no official complaint count for HDFC ERGO or for any other individual general insurer.
The sector-wide figures are still useful as a yardstick:
| What was measured (FY2024-25) | Figure |
| Complaints against general and health insurers | 1,37,361 |
| Policies issued and lives covered | 2,59,18,85,672 |
| Complaints per lakh policies and lives | 5.29 |
| Complaints against private general and health insurers | 98,437 |
| Complaints dealt with by those private insurers | 97,032 |
| Complaints still pending at year end | 1,405 |
Roughly 5 complaints for every 1 lakh policies and people covered is the average any single insurer can be compared against.
Where company-wise figures can be found
The Council for Insurance Ombudsman does publish figures for each general insurer in its Annual Report 2024-25. Keep in mind that these count something different from IRDAI’s numbers. The Ombudsman records only complaints that customers took further after they weren’t satisfied with the insurer’s own reply. It also reports how many cases were decided in the customer’s favour. So Ombudsman figures, IRDAI figures and complaints made directly to the insurer are three separate measures and shouldn’t be read as the same thing.
What HDFC ERGO says about itself
In its FY2025-26 annual report, HDFC ERGO says it resolves complaints about eight days faster than the average of other insurers, based on turnaround times published on IRDAI’s Bima Bharosa portal. It also reports a payout ratio of 98.7%. These are the company’s own figures. IRDAI has not published independent numbers to confirm them.
Complaints around the Apollo Munich merger
When one insurer takes over another, it takes on all of that company’s customers, hospital partners and service requests at once. Complaints often rise for a while during this changeover, and that short-term rise doesn’t necessarily reflect how well the insurer serves customers normally. HDFC ERGO prepared for this in 2020 by setting up a separate helpline for questions about the merger.
How to Contact HDFC ERGO and File a Claim
| Channel | Detail |
|---|---|
| Registered office | 6th Floor, Leela Business Park, Andheri-Kurla Road, Bori Colony, Vijay Nagar Colony West, Marol, Andheri East, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400059 |
| Customer service office | D-301, 3rd Floor, Eastern Business District (Magnet Mall), LBS Marg, Bhandup West, Mumbai 400078 |
| Customer care number | 022-6158-2020 for claims, renewals and existing policies. 080-41763550 to buy a new policy |
| Text “Hi” to 8169500500 | |
| care@hdfcergo.com for general issues, healthclaims@hdfcergo.com for health claims, preauth@hdfcergo.com for pre-authorisation, nsp@hdfcergo.com for network hospital issues | |
| Website | hdfcergo.com |
| Cashless hospital list | hdfcergo.com → Hospital Network locator searchable by city, no static list published |
| Cashless garage locator | hdfcergo.com → Garage Network locator Searchable by city; no static list published |
| Health claims office | 5th Floor, Tower 1, Stellar IT Park, C-25, Sector 62, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201301 |
| Grievance | grievance@hdfcergo.com or hdfcergo.com/customer-voice/grievances |
For a health claim, cashless: confirm the hospital is on the current list, obtain pre-authorisation before a planned admission within the notice period your policy specifies, or have the hospital notify the insurer after an emergency admission. Settle what the policy does not cover at discharge.
For a motor claim: notify the insurer within the period your policy specifies, file an FIR where required, photograph the damage, and use a network garage or arrange a survey.
For a policy originally issued by Apollo Munich Health: use the policy number on your original document. HDFC ERGO services it. The company confirmed at the time of the merger that these policies remain valid till expiry with no amendment needed, that continuity benefits carry over, and that existing health cards stay valid.
To escalate: grievance with HDFC ERGO first, then its grievance redressal officer, then IRDAI through Bima Bharosa, then the Insurance Ombudsman. The Ombudsman cannot award compensation above ₹50 lakh, including expenses, under Rule 17(3) of the Insurance Ombudsman Rules, 2017, as amended. That ceiling was raised from ₹30 lakh by notification G.S.R. 828(E) dated 9 November 2023. A complaint must be filed within one year of the insurer’s rejection, and only after a written representation to the insurer.
Roughly 5 complaints for every 1 lakh policies and people covered is the average any single insurer can be compared against.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is HDFC ERGO a government company?
HDFC ERGO is a private company with no government shareholding. As on 31 March 2026, it is a subsidiary of HDFC Bank Limited, which holds 50.33%, with ERGO International AG, part of the Munich Re group, holding 49.46%. It became a bank subsidiary when HDFC Ltd amalgamated into HDFC Bank on 1 July 2023. It is regulated by IRDAI on the same terms as every other private general insurer and carries no sovereign guarantee. Deposits and policies are not covered by any government backing, and the ₹50 lakh Ombudsman award ceiling applies to it exactly as it does to a public-sector insurer.
Why does my policy document show registration number 125 when the website says 146?
Both are genuine and both belong to HDFC ERGO. The company’s active filings carry Unique Identification Numbers beginning IRDAN125 and IRDAN146, reflecting registration numbers the business has held at different points. A policy wording filed with the regulator carries an IRDAN125 UIN alongside the line “IRDAI Reg No. 146” on the same page. Health products use a different system again, with prefixes HDF and HDH. None of this means your policy sits with a different insurer. If you want to confirm a UIN independently, check it against the company’s list of active products on its public disclosures page.
Should I worry that HDFC ERGO's motor claim ratio is above 100%?
Not about whether your claim gets paid. A ratio above 100% means claims incurred on that line exceeded premium earned on it, which is a statement about the insurer’s pricing rather than its willingness to settle. HDFC ERGO’s motor line ran at 116.90% in FY26 and 101.80% in FY25, against a private-sector motor average of 74.62% in FY25. The practical consequence for a policyholder is at renewal, not at claim. A line running consistently above 100% tends to attract price increases. Most of the gap sits in third-party cover, at 135.42%, where premium rates are set by IRDAI rather than by the insurer, so it is partly outside the company’s control.
Does "16,700 hospitals" mean I can go cashless at 16,700 hospitals?
No, and the wording matters. HDFC ERGO’s own figure in its FY2025-26 annual report is roughly 16,700 “empanelled hospitals and diagnostics centres across 632 districts” a combined count of hospitals and diagnostic centres, not a hospital-only figure. Its contact page separately advertises a “16,000+ Cashless Healthcare Network”. Neither number is audited by the regulator, unlike the premium and solvency figures on this page. Before buying, search the hospital you would actually use on the company’s own network locator rather than relying on the headline count. Network membership also changes, so a hospital on the list today may not be on it at renewal.
How long do I have to take a complaint to the Insurance Ombudsman?
One year from the date the insurer rejected your complaint, and only after you have made a written representation to the insurer first, under the Insurance Ombudsman Rules, 2017 as amended. The Ombudsman cannot award more than ₹50 lakh including expenses, a ceiling raised from ₹30 lakh by notification G.S.R. 828(E) dated 9 November 2023. It also cannot take a complaint that is already before a court, consumer forum or arbitrator.
Sources
- IRDAI Annual Report (FY 2024-25) – Statement 7 (gross direct premium), Statement 9 (share capital), Statement 10 (incurred claim ratios), Statement 12 (solvency), section II.6 (sector grievance aggregates; this report does not publish insurer-wise grievance counts)
- HDFC ERGO Annual Report FY2025-26 – audited ratios, solvency, promoter holdings, network figures
- HDFC ERGO merger announcement FAQs, letter to policyholders dated 13 November 2020, customer FAQs and communication for corporate customers – these name the NCLT and IRDAI approvals but publish no IRDAI order number, so no order reference can be cited
- About Company, About Us, Contact Us and Public Disclosures
- List of Active Products as on 20 August 2026 and List of Withdrawn Products – product names and UINs
- Insurance Ombudsman Rules, 2017 as amended till 9 November 2023 – escalation route and award ceiling
- IRDAI-hosted policy wording, UIN IRDAN125P0001V01201819 – former names of the registered entity
Disclaimer:
MyRupia is not an insurance intermediary, does not sell insurance policies, and is not affiliated with HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Limited.
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