**Executive Summary**
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has issued 9 principle-based regulations by March 2024 as part of a comprehensive review to strengthen the regulatory framework. Following these, 5 regulations/amendments have been notified to foster innovation, enhance governance, and improve data security within the insurance sector. These include regulations pertaining to regulatory sandboxes, maintenance and sharing of information, and amendments to meetings regulations.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Regulations on Regulatory Sandbox:**
* The regulatory sandbox framework is strengthened to promote innovation and efficiency.
* Regulations are now principle-based, with operational aspects detailed in a master circular.
* The scope has been expanded to encourage proposals that foster innovation and ease of doing business.
* Inter-Regulatory Sandbox proposals, cutting across multiple financial sectors, are now enabled.
* **Regulations on Maintenance of Information:**
* IRDAI (Maintenance of Information by the Regulated Entities and Sharing of Information by the Authority) Regulations, 2025 consolidates:
* IRDA (Sharing of Confidential information concerning domestic or foreign entity) Regulations, 2012
* IRDAI (Maintenance of Insurance Records) Regulations, 2015
* IRDAI (Minimum Information required for Investigation and Inspection) Regulations, 2020
* Electronic record-keeping with security and privacy measures is mandated.
* Regulated entities must adopt a data governance framework and implement Board approved policies for record maintenance.
* Guidelines are set for sharing confidential information.
* Data must be stored in data centers located and maintained within India only.
* **Amendments to Meetings Regulations:**
* Amendments have been notified to enhance operational flexibility, governance, and efficiency of conducting meetings.
* The amendments apply to:
* IRDAI (Meetings)(Amendment) Regulations, 2025
* IRDAI (Insurance Advisory Committee) (Amendment) Regulations, 2025
* IRDAI (Re-Insurance Advisory Committee) (Amendment) Regulations, 2025
**Impact Analysis**
**Regulated Insurance Entities**
* **Impact:** Must adhere to the revised regulations for regulatory sandboxes, including the updated principles and broader scope for innovation proposals. Required to comply with new data maintenance and sharing regulations, particularly regarding electronic record-keeping, data governance, and the location of data storage. Need to adhere to amendments in meeting regulations, designed to improve flexibility, governance, and efficiency.
* **Action Required:** Review and update internal policies and procedures to align with the new regulations. Implement electronic record-keeping systems and data governance frameworks. Ensure compliance with data storage requirements (India-based data centers). Update procedures to align with amendments to meetings regulations.
**Policyholders**
* **Impact:** Policyholders will benefit from strengthened data security measures and greater innovation and efficiency within the insurance sector.
* **Action Required:** No direct action is required from policyholders.
Key Entities Referenced
IRDAI: Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India, responsible for regulating and developing the insurance sector in India.
Regulatory Sandbox: A framework to foster innovation in the insurance sector, allowing entities to test innovative products and services.
IRDAI (Maintenance of Information by the Regulated Entities and Sharing of Information by the Authority) Regulations, 2025: Regulations concerning the maintenance and sharing of information by regulated entities within the insurance sector.
IRDAI (Meetings)(Amendment) Regulations, 2025: Regulations concerning the conduct of meetings by the IRDAI.
India: The country where data centres should be located as per the regulations.
प्रेस िवज्ञ��
Press Release
आईआरडीएआई िविनयामक ढाँचे को और मजबूत करता है
IRDAI further strengthens the Regulatory framework
एक कु शल, प्रगामी, और अग्रदश� िविनयामक ढाँचे को बनाये रखने के िलए, िविनयामक ढाँचे की �ापक
समीक्षा के भाग के रूप में भारतीय बीमा िविनयामक और िवकास प्रािधकरण (आईआरडीएआई) ने
माचर् 2024 तक 9 िसद्धांत-आधा�रत िविनयम जारी िकये हैं। िविनयामक संरचना को मजबूत करने की
प्रिक्रया के अनुक्रम में िन�िल�खत 5 िविनयम/संशोधन अिधसूिचत िकये गये हैं।
I. िविनयामक सैंडबा� संबंधी िविनयम
बीमा क्षेत्र में नवो�ेषण, अनुकू लनीयता और प�रचालनगत कौशल को बढ़ावा देने के िलए िविनयामक
सैंडबा� ढाँचे को आगे और मजबूत िकया गया है।
उ� िविनयम अब अिधक िसद्धांत-आधा�रत हैं िजनके द्वारा प�रचालनगत पहलू एक मा�र प�रपत्र के
मा�म से जारी िकये जाएँगे।
उ� सैंडबा� के िव�ार को उन प्र�ावो ं को प्रो�ािहत करने के िलए बढ़ाया गया है जो नवो�ेषण
को िवकिसत करते हैं, कु शलता तथा �वसाय करने की सुगमता में सुधार लाते हैं। एक उ�ेखनीय
प�रवधर्न एक से अिधक िव�ीय क्षेत्रो ं में अंतर-िविनयामक सैंडबा� प्र�ावो ं को फाइल करने के िलए
समथर्कारी उपबंध है।
II. िविनयिमत सं�ाओ ं के द्वारा सूचना का अनुरक्षण करने तथा प्रािधकरण के द्वारा
सूचना की साझेदारी करने से संबंिधत िविनयम
आईआरडीएआई (िविनयिमत सं�ाओ ंके द्वारा सूचना का अनुरक्षण तथा प्रािधकरण के द्वारा सूचना की
साझेदारी) िविनयम, 2025 िन�िल�खत का समेकन हैः
• आईआरडीए (देशी अथवा िवदेशी सं�ा से संबंिधत गोपनीय सूचना की साझेदारी) िविनयम,
2012
• आईआरडीएआई (बीमा अिभलेखो ंका अनुरक्षण) िविनयम, 2015
• आईआरडीएआई (जाँच और िनरीक्षण के िलए अपेिक्षत �ूनतम सूचना) िविनयम, 2020
उ� िविनयम सुदृढ़ सुरक्षा और गोपनीयता के उपायो ं से यु� इले��ािनक अिभलेख रखने की पद्धित
को अिनवायर् बनाता है, िविनयिमत सं�ाओ ं से डेटा अिभशासन ढाँचे को अपनाने और अिभलेख रखने
की पद्धित के िलए बोडर् द्वारा अनुमोिदत नीितयो ंको कायार्��त करने की अपेक्षा करता है।यह गोपनीय सूचना की साझेदारी करने के िलए िदशािनद�श िनधार्�रत करता है; तथा यह अिनवायर् बनाता
है िक डेटा को के वल भारत में ��त डेटा के �ो ंमें ही रखा जाए और उसका अनुरक्षण िकया जाए।
III. बैठको ंसे संबंिधत िविनयमो ंमें संशोधन
बैठको ंको संचािलत करने के संबंध में प�रचालनगत लचीलेपन, अिभशासन और कायर्कु शलता में वृ�द्ध
करने के िलए, िन�िल�खत तीन िविनयमो ंमें संशोधन अिधसूिचत िकये गये हैं :
• आईआरडीएआई (बैठकें ) (संशोधन) िविनयम, 2025
• आईआरडीएआई (बीमा सलाहकार सिमित) (संशोधन) िविनयम, 2025
• आईआरडीएआई (पुनब�मा सलाहकार सिमित) (संशोधन) िविनयम, 2025
ये प�रवतर्न एक आधुिनक, गितशील और िसद्धांत-आधा�रत कु शल िविनयामक ढाँचे की िदशा में
आईआरडीएआई के �ापक अग्रसरण के अनुरूप हैं। नवो�ेषण, संविधर्त अिभशासन मानदंडो ं और
डेटा सुरक्षा के अनुरक्षण संबंधी शत� का िवकास करने के द्वारा ये उपाय धारणीय वृ�द्ध का संचालन
करने, प�रचालनो ंमें कायर्कु शलता को सुधारने तथा गितशील बीमा प�रदृ� में पािलसीधारको ं के िहतो ं
के संरक्षण को कायम रखने का ल� रखते हैं।
As a part of the comprehensive review of regulatory framework to maintain an agile,
progressive, and forward-looking regulatory framework, the Insurance Regulatory and
Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has issued 9 principle based regulations till
March, 2024. In continuation of the process of strengthening the regulatory
architecture the following 5 regulations/amendments have been notified.
I. Regulations on Regulatory Sandbox
To promote innovation, adaptability and operational efficiency in the insurance sector,
the Regulatory Sandbox framework has been further strengthened.
The Regulations are now more of principle-based whereby operational aspects will be
issued through a master circular.
The scope of the sandbox has been expanded to encourage proposals that foster
innovation, improve efficiency and ease of doing business. A notable addition is an
enabling provision to file Inter-Regulatory Sandbox proposals, cutting across more
than one financial sector.II. Regulations on Maintenance of Information by the Regulated Entities and
Sharing of Information by the Authority
IRDAI (Maintenance of Information by the Regulated Entities and Sharing of
Information by the Authority) Regulations, 2025 is a consolidation of the following:-
• IRDA (Sharing of Confidential information concerning domestic or foreign
entity) Regulations, 2012
• IRDAI (Maintenance of Insurance Records) Regulations, 2015
• IRDAI (Minimum Information required for Investigation and Inspection)
Regulations, 2020
The Regulation mandates electronic record-keeping with robust security and privacy
measures, requires regulated entities to adopt data governance framework and
implement Board approved policies for record maintenance.
It also sets guidelines for sharing confidential information; and mandates data to be
held in data centres located and maintained in India only.
III. Amendments to Meetings Regulations
In order to enhance operational flexibility, governance and efficiency of conducting
meetings, amendments to the following three regulations have been notified:
• IRDAI (Meetings)(Amendment) Regulations, 2025
• IRDAI (Insurance Advisory Committee) (Amendment) Regulations, 2025
• IRDAI (Re-Insurance Advisory Committee) (Amendment) Regulations, 2025
These changes align with IRDAI’s broader move towards a modern, dynamic and
principle-based efficient regulatory framework. By fostering innovation, enhanced
governance norms and stipulations of maintenance of data security, these measures
aim to drive sustainable growth, improve efficiency in operations and uphold
policyholder protection in the dynamic insurance landscape.
*******