E-comm poaches insurance agents ahead of festive rush

Insurance agents' consultative selling skills make them valuable for retail, e-commerce roles

- Anshika Kayastha & Devina Sengupta

India's insurance sector is increasingly becoming a poaching ground for e-commerce, quick commerce, and logistics firms, which are hiring aggressively ahead of the festive season in anticipation of a sales surge following last week's goods and services (GST) rate cuts.

The insurance industry experiences very high attrition rates at junior levels, as its young workforce are attracted to these new-age sectors, lured by hefty bonuses, easier sales targets and relatively less-stressful job conditions, recruiters and industry experts said.

"Insurance companies' sales staff (mainly employees doing retail sales) are leaving for e-commerce and digital platforms because these roles often offer higher and more structured/predictable commissions or incentives, faster payouts, and stable fixed pay compared to the target-heavy, commission-driven structure in insurance," Sudhish Ramteke, associate director, Anand Rathi Insurance Brokers, said.