This week on The Leadership In Insurance Podcast, I sat down with Tarun Mathur, Co-founder & Chief Business Officer of Policybazaar.com, to explore their journey from pioneering digital insurance in India to building out an ambitious global reinsurance strategy.
Founded in 2008, PolicyBazaar has grown into India’s largest insurance broker, managing $3B in annual premiums across life and general insurance. Built on a unique digital + human model, their mission has always been clear: protecting India’s middle class through affordable, accessible insurance.
In this episode, Tarun shares the story behind their growth, their push into reinsurance and surety bonds, and their vision to expand into Europe, the US, and beyond.
✨ Highlights from the conversation:
🌍 How PolicyBazaar grew from a small tech-driven startup in 2008 to India’s largest insurance broker, helping millions access affordable protection.
🤝 Why blending digital platforms with human customer support was the game-changer that unlocked consumer trust and adoption in a market hesitant to buy insurance online.
🏥 The company’s sharp focus on term life and health insurance as the cornerstone of protecting India’s middle class — and why this demographic remains at the heart of their strategy.
🔄 Tarun’s vision for a reinsurance marketplace: simplifying complex transactions, reducing inefficiencies, and building a transparent, global risk-sharing ecosystem.
💡 Lessons learned from digitising direct insurance that can now be applied to modernise and streamline reinsurance, an industry still reliant on traditional processes.
🌐 Ambitious plans for geographic expansion — with Tarun outlining how PolicyBazaar aims to build a truly international footprint across the Middle East, Europe, and the US within the next 12–18 months.
This was a fascinating conversation about innovation, trust, and global growth in insurance.
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