A new grievance ranking is a useful reminder for policyholders: when a claim is delayed, phone calls alone are not a strategy. A proper complaint file is.

Many insurance disputes begin politely. One call to the agent. Then another. Then a forwarded WhatsApp message, a “sir, dekh raha hoon”, and suddenly two weeks have gone.

This week, the Department of Financial Services said its Insurance Division topped the Group A category in the Grievance Redressal Assessment and Index, or GRAI, for March 2026. The Banking Division retained fifth place. GRAI is released by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances and measures grievance handling on CPGRAMS.

Why this matters

The ranking itself is not the story for a family waiting for a health, life or motor claim. The real story is simpler: there is a formal route beyond repeated calls to an agent.

CPGRAMS is the government’s online grievance platform, available 24x7, where citizens can lodge service-delivery complaints linked to government departments and authorities. The Department of Financial Services also points users to CPGRAMS for grievances relating to financial services.

Build the file first

Before escalating, policyholders should collect the dull things. Dull, but useful. Policy copy, claim number, premium receipt, hospital bills, discharge summary, surveyor report, rejection letter, emails, SMS updates, call dates and names of officials spoken to. Screenshot everything, because memory is a leaky bucket.

For insurance-specific complaints, IRDAI says policyholders should first approach the insurer’s grievance redress channel. If that does not work, they can use Bima Bharosa, IRDAI’s grievance monitoring portal, or contact IRDAI through its listed complaint channels.

What should people do now?

If a claim is stuck, write a short timeline. Mention dates, claim amount, insurer response and what relief you want. Keep the tone calm. No drama-baazi needed. A clean complaint often travels better than an angry one.

What’s next

After filing, track the complaint number. If the insurer responds vaguely, reply with documents and dates. If the matter remains unresolved, explore IRDAI’s Bima Bharosa route and, where applicable, the Insurance Ombudsman.

A stuck claim needs evidence, not endless chasing. Build the paper trail first; then escalation has teeth.