Technology enhances reach and effectiveness. This is true of New India's business initiatives and servicing. Being a vibrant organisation with a long history of market leadership, formidable technical knowledge, exceptional financial strengths, a huge domestic network and an impressive worldwide presence, it is no surprise that New India has adopted technology readily through the decades.

Today, its use of technology amplifies its customer-related initiatives. Over and above a physical network of over 2,000 offices and an Agency force of over 60,000 Agents, customers can buy or renew policies online or using a mobile app. And for those with less access to personal technology and the knowhow to use it, these facilities are made available through the Common Service Centres of the National e-Governance Plan.

Technology has also enabled new business development channels and made the old ones more effective. Business to Business (B2B) tie ups with automobile manufacturers and dealers as well as empowerment of its own Agents with a portal and a mobile app has led to increase in business for New India.

The networked core insurance solution of New India powers all its offices to provide competitive quotes promptly and has also enabled very successful business development through the micro-office network.

Networking over 2,200 offices and over 18,000 employees empowering and enabling them. Reaching out to customers through the web, their mobiles and outlets like e-Seva. Empowering business development channels like Agents and Corporate Agents through web portals and apps...

All these are made possible by the customised and powerful Centralised Web Based Insurance System Solution, or CWISS, developed and maintained for New India by its information technology partner, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). Backed by a modern Data Centre housed in the premises of TCS near Mumbai and a Disaster Recovery Centre in Chennai, CWISS holds the key to all underwriting, claims and servicing throughout the company and all its methods of reaching out to the customer.

Its scope and robustness is demonstrated through the fact that New India, through CWISS, issues 2.21 crore policies in a year, processing 17 lakhs claims across more than 200 products and in over 2,200 offices! The micro-office, a one-man-with-a-computer operation focussed entirely on marketing, depends on entrepreneurial energy backed by the power of technology. Its success is apparent through the quick expansion of this network over the last two years.

Online purchase of insurance has become more of a reality in India in the last few years. Web technology reaches out to the end customer through various routes and also directly, each path holding out more promise than the other.

UNLOCKING THE B2B ENERGY

New India's business to business tie-ups with various automobile manufacturers has been a successful business model. Just the online component of this through dedicated portals brought in premium of over R1,075.87 in 2014-15, a growth of 40 per cent over the previous year. Similar marked increases in business are seen in the online business through the Dealer Portal.