Vehicle insurer ICICI Lombard has launched a new mobile application that enables vehicle owners hassle-free renewal of their lapsed motor insurance policy by uploading a video of the vehicle.

The feature, named ‘Mobile Self-Inspection’, allows customers to renew their policy without a physical inspection required by a surveyor. The customer has to pay online on ICICI Lombard's website or mobile app, after which he is prompted to upload the self-inspection video via the app. A demo video is provided for step-by-step guidance of the process. The policy is generated within a few hours if the self-inspection video is approved as per the company’s guidelines.

Traditionally, when a motor insurance policy expires, a mandatory inspection is required which results in delay in policy issuance. Usually, when a customer applies for renewal for a lapsed policy, the insurer initiates a process called break-In. In this process, a survey by the authorised party is carried out and the policy is issued based on satisfactory inspection.

ICICI Lombard claims that the new online renewal feature – the first in the auto industry – is a win-win situation for both the customers and the insurer. The feature is available across all platforms – desktop, tablets and smartphones.

According to Sanjay Datta, Health and Motor, Underwriting and Claims, ICICI Lombard, “At ICICI Lombard, we understand that once a motor insurance is lapsed, it takes much effort for consumers to renew a policy. Keeping this in mind, we have introduced this unique feature – Mobile Self-Inspection. It reduces renewal time from two-three days to barely a couple of hours. This initiative is part of customer-centric endeavours.”

“Moreover, the feature is open to all and not just ICICI Lombard users. We initially did a pilot and surveyed our existing customers on the improvements that they would wish to see with the insurance policies and services. The mobile self-inspection feature makes life easier for us as well our customers. Initially, the service is rolled out only for passenger vehicles and cars. We might include two-wheelers in the service at a later point of time,” added Datta. 

The only pre-requisites for the renewal process are an internet connection, 3 MP or above camera resolution and recording in broad daylight. Additional functionalities to discard and re-record the video are available. Following the upload, the status can be checked in ‘My Policy’ section of the website or app in sometime.

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