Irdai’s insurance overhaul: What it means for policyholders

Meanwhile, a financial journalist and certified financial planner, Aprajita Sharma brings clarity and depth to the complex world of funds.

What happened

Deepti Bhaskaran is Editor, Mint Funds, and a leading voice in personal finance journalism with almost two decades of experience tracking India's evolving financial landscape. She brings deep domain expertise throughout insurance, pensions and household finance, with a robust focus on consumer protection, financial literacy and regulatory accountability.<br><br>A member of the founding team of Mint Funds in 2009, Deepti rose to lead the vertical as Editor, shaping it into one of India's most trusted personal finance platforms. Her work has influenced public discourse and policy, particularly through her reporting on insurance mis-selling, cost structures and claims practices. It contributed to greater regulatory scrutiny and reforms.<br><br>She additionally conceptualised and rolled out Mint's Health Insurance Ratings, an industry-first framework that evaluates policies beyond cost to prioritise customer needs and outcomes.<br><br>Her expertise extends beyond journalism into research and industry practice. She has authored a policy paper, "Examining Reasons Behind Market Failure in Health Insurance, " which analyses structural inefficiencies in India's retail health insurance market, including under-penetration, product design gaps and subdued consumer outcomes. It highlights how regulatory gaps, information asymmetry and misaligned incentives drive market failure, and calls for a more integrated approach to health financing with stronger oversight, product innovation and consumer protection.<br><br>She has additionally worked in the healthtech sector to lead strategic initiatives and product design engaging with regulators and contributing to discussions on managed care and digital claims infrastructure. Her stint with the healthcare start-up allowed her to view the financial universe from the manufacturer and distributor's side, further sharpening her ability to red-flag harmful industry practices and advocate for market transparency and better consumer products.<br><br>Known for her rigorous analysis and solid industry network, Deepti regularly engages with policymakers, regulators, businesses and think-tanks and has represented the consumer voice at key industry forums. She has been recognised among India's Top 100 Women in Finance (AIWMI) and is a recipient of the Citi Journalistic Excellence Award (runner-up).<br><br>Her work is driven by a commitment to create complex financial systems transparent, accountable and accessible to households.

The bottom line

In short, irdai's insurance overhaul: What it means for policyholders is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.