Sriram has over 25+ years of expertise and he is a seasoned C-suite leader with a track record of excellence in Technology, Digital Transformation and Innovation for both greenfield and established high-growth businesses.

In a conversation with Keerthana H K, Correspondent, CIO Insider Magazine, Sriram Naganathan, President and Chief Technology Officer, HDFC ERGO General Insurance, shared his views and thoughts on Digital Transformation in Insurance companies.

What challenges do insurance companies typically face when implementing digital transformation initiatives, and how can they overcome them?
In an age of digital transformation, ensuring a seamless integration of new digital processes with the existing platforms process is imperative. From lead generation to policy issuance and claims processing, this integration warrants a hassle-free experience for customers, mitigating any potential negative impacts. This along with robust cyber security measures becomes crucial for protecting data, while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. Besides, the data, which insurance companies handle in their business processes is often fragmented, hence it is vital to establish comprehensive fraud control mechanisms to safeguard the integrity of insurance processes and maintain trust of the customers.

In the dynamic landscape of insurance, companies must embrace agility and forward-thinking in their digital transformation efforts. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of digital readiness, making it essential for insurance companies to remain future-focused in their strategies and solutions. Further, frequent strategy reviews are crucial to adapt to evolving technology, changing consumer behavior, and competitive forces.

It is also very important to resist digitally enabling sub optimal processes. First step with transformation of any user journey is a process re-looks to identify any redundancies and re-engineer the same.

Can you explain the impact of the Internet of Things (IoT) and telematics on the insurance industry's digital transformation efforts?
The Internet of Things (IoT) and telematics have a profound impact on the digital transformation in the Indian insurance sector. During the COVID-19

pandemic, when there were restrictions for face-to-face meetings the Indian insurance sector leveraged these technologies to introduce features like online policy renewal, virtual doctor consultations, etc; which were well-received by customers, demonstrating the potential of digital technologies in the industry.

Devices like connected cars and wearable technology gather real-time data, allowing for more precise risk assessment and personalized pricing. This data-driven approach also accelerates claims processing and fraud detection. Moreover, the insights derived from IoT and telematics data enable insurers to offer hyper-personalized pricing and comprehensive coverage to policyholders, thus, enhancing customer engagement. However, while these measures have gained prominence among insurers from advanced economies, India is yet catch up for implementation in these areas.

The use of IoT in commercial lines of business is also increasing day by day. Advanced sensors being used in the factory line can provide valuable inputs to detect and prevent down times. Data feeds from IoT devices can be fed to data lakes on the Cloud which can then feed AI / ML models to identify risks and provide early warning indicators.

In your view, what regulatory and compliance considerations must insurance companies be aware of when implementing digital transformation initiatives?
While introduction of new-age digital technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning ensure hyper personalized offerings, insurers also need to be aligned with the regulatory framework and legal binding under Information Technology Act, safeguarding customers’ data privacy.

The recently introduced Digital Personal Data Protection Act provides clear guidelines which need to be factored into any digital initiative. Newly introduced accounting standards like IFRS17 also mandate guardrails around working with granular data and associated risk.