IRDAI Pushes to Link Insurer CEO Pay to Customer Grievances

India's insurance regulator is moving to more closely link the pay of insurance company chief executives to how well their firms treat customers. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India has recommended tying CEO remuneration to metrics such as customer grievances, signalling that senior executives should be rewarded for delivering good policyholder outcomes rather than growth alone. The proposal reflects a wider governance agenda aimed at aligning incentives with service quality, fair treatment and long-term value for customers. It comes as the regulator has separately warned that rising commissions and weak profitability in parts of the industry are undermining policyholder value and sector resilience. Linking executive pay to grievance levels is intended to sharpen accountability at the top of insurance companies and encourage boards to prioritise complaint resolution, transparency and customer trust. The approach echoes a broader debate about how remuneration structures shape corporate behaviour, and what firms choose to optimise for. Alongside other reforms, including efforts to widen access and digitise distribution, the measure forms part of the regulator's push to build a more customer-centric and durable insurance market in India.