“Zindagi ke saath bhi, zindagi ke baad bhi.” For millennials who grew up hearing this line in insurance commercials, the category came with a clear script. Insurance was about family, responsibility, and preparing for a future. Buying it meant sitting across from an agent, listening to a pitch, and trusting someone to explain the fine print.
But Gen Z may not be seeing insurance the same way. The challenge for insurance brands is finding a reason for them to care about a category traditionally sold around life stages that may feel distant.
A New Trigger
Health is proving to be the easiest entry point into insurance for Gen Z.
In Policybazaar’s 2025 survey of 4,620 Indians, 61 per cent of Gen Z had bought or considered health insurance. Term insurance, at 19 per cent, was less compelling.
“I don’t think Gen Z cares less; look at how seriously they take their health,” says Nitin Khanna, chief marketing officer, Acko.
The Covid-19 pandemic made health risks more tangible. Ahmed Aftab Naqvi, co-founder of independent marketing agency Gozoop Group, says, “Gen Z has watched hospital bills wreck families post-Covid, so the need doesn’t need explaining.”
That is pushing health insurers to broaden the conversation beyond hospitalisation into telemedicine, wellness, preventive health checks, and digital health tools.
Vikram Pandey, CCO, Leo South Asia, the advertising agency that worked on Acko’s health insurance campaign, says the storytelling needs to reflect what Gen Z cares about today. “Insurance has an opportunity to become a partner in that journey, not just a safety net for when things go wrong.”
Rewriting the Playbook
The big change may be in how young consumers discover and evaluate insurance.
Earlier generations relied heavily on agents or family recommendations. They still matter, but Gen Z has added digital validation to it. The survey had found that 23 per cent used AI for insurance research, while YouTube was their preferred research channel at 46 per cent.
“Where Gen Z is different is not in what they evaluate, but in how they evaluate it,” says Tanya Marwah, head of marketing, Digit Insurance. They still compare prices, features, and value, she says, while looking for brands they trust. “They’re using technology to verify trust.”
That has implications for how insurers communicate. Creators, short-form video explainers, and user-generated content are becoming useful tools. Naqvi estimates brands that allocated 20–30 per cent of consumer budgets to digital five or six years ago now routinely put 50–70 per cent or more into campaigns for younger audiences.
The Harder Sell
The challenge is sharper with term insurance.
Marriage, children, and dependents, long-standing triggers for it, are happening later in life on average. Working adults are focused on careers, financial independence, or supporting parents.
Tata AIA-NielsenIQ’s 2025 study of working Gen Zs found roughly one in three planned to buy term insurance.
“Gen Z sees health insurance as relevant to their own lives today, whereas term insurance is fundamentally associated with protecting dependents against a future financial loss,” says Himanshu Walia, chief marketing officer, Star Health Insurance.
“While curiosity has improved, actual buying tends to get deferred because insurance purchase is closely linked to key life-stage milestones,” says Pritika Shah, head of marketing, HDFC Life.
Naqvi believes the answer lies in changing the narrative. “The real fix is reframing it around financial independence and protecting future choices, not death,” he says.
That may be the biggest lesson for the category.
