GENERAL INSURANCE BLOG

With the onset of the New Year, travel experts predict a significant increase in tourism despite the possibility of an incoming recession. As the covid-19 has restricted travel for a long time, travel enthusiasts view their hobby not just as a leisurely interest but as a priority. Before making your travel plans in 2023, renew or purchase general insurance that covers travel-related losses and makes your journey less worrisome and more enjoyable.

Check out these forecasted trends before planning your perfect vacation in 2023!

1. Growth of ecotourism:
Ecotourism focuses on observing natural habitats of flora and fauna and untamed wildlife with the intent to preserve and appreciate it. Also known as nature tourism or wildlife-watching tourism, the activity is expected to become popular with the constantly increasing interest of nature enthusiasts.
Several travel agencies now organise such tours and curate itineraries in well-preserved habitats with ample support from local experts and communities to educate tourists and display a side of nature beyond standard safaris.
Before going on such trips, consider the allied risks of the activity and ensure that you have appropriate insurance, like general insurance, that covers any potential accidents and costs you may incur.

2. Focus on sustainable travel:
Sustainability is no longer just a passing phase but an aspect of travel that is expected to stay for years. With Millenials and Gen Zs showing an interest in minimising their travel impact, the tourism industry is adapting to their preferences.
While itineraries in the past used to be all about extravagance and fancy travel without a care for its impact, the effect of travel on the local economy, environment, and community are factors that tourists now keep a check on. The sustainability movement is set to grow in the year and will directly impact travel.

3. Domestic destinations to win favour:
With soaring inflation and the incoming recession, prudent decisions are the need of the hour. Despite the rising costs and uncertainties about the future, travel enthusiasts are not settling for another year of staying cooped up at home.
Instead of cancelling or postponing plans, travellers are altering their plans to stay within their budget while deriving the greatest value. Local destinations are predicted to see a significant rise in footfall in 2023 with their relatively lower accommodation costs and other expenses.

4. Business travel and remote working:
Despite the relaxation of restrictions, many companies are choosing to allow remote working as an option for employees to reduce office expenses and provide flexibility of working from anywhere.
In the last two years, several employees have spent their time working from a remote destination while on vacation, allowing them to travel while working. The trend is expected to continue with a rise in business trips, retreats, and recreational events.

5. Unique experiences to take centre stage:
Almost 75% of responders to a survey focused on Indian travellers' preferences indicated their intention to savour out-of-the-box experiences. While domestic travel is set to be significantly high due to budget constraints, expenditures on experiential activities are not left far behind, with the desire to explore offbeat cultures and cities to gain unique experiences.

6. Focus on savings:
Travellers are focusing on mindful budgeting to prepare for their upcoming travel plans, and most of their travel fund is set to come from their savings. Budget-friendly destinations with affordable transport, accommodation, and plenty of attractions are vital factors that tourists are looking for while planning their trips.

With careful research and planning, it is easy to successfully plan your trips in 2023, despite the expected economic slowdown. By keeping track of budgets, loyalty programs, off-season activities, and purchasing general insurance, you can make the most of your trip while staying within your budget!

Click HERE to buy the best general insurance in India before your next travel trip.

Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.

Can you imagine a car without a windshield or with a cracked windshield? A car windshield caters to various functions, such as keeping dirt and debris out of the vehicle, preventing the heat and glare from the sun, saving the driver from an impact, providing a clear front view to the driver, and much more.

Taking proper care of your car's windshield is not difficult or expensive. All you need to do is regularly check for any cracks and fix them as soon as possible. Proper care and maintenance make the windshield last longer and keep the passengers safe. Additionally, purchasing car insurance India can help shoulder the burden of replacing any car components due to an accident.

If you are planning a long trip, here are a few tips to ensure the safety of your car's windshield.

1. Review the condition of windshield:
Parking at the wrong spot, especially for long periods, can damage your car's windshield beyond repair. Due to extreme temperature exposure under direct sunlight, the windscreen gets stress cracks. Such stress cracks lead to an increase in windshield breakage risk. Moreover, such damages can get worse due to constant temperature fluctuations.
Whenever you decide to leave for a trip, ensure the windshield is in good condition to prevent glass breakage and maintain the glass's durability.

2. Fix every crack:
Before leaving for any trip, ensure your car's windshield is crack free. Ignoring small cracks or chips in their car's windshield can result in bubble formation between the cracked glass layers. Regardless of the bubbles' size, they can severely damage the windscreen if left unattended. It is essential to fix them immediately because if you don't, you might have to vent your pockets to replace the windshield after you return.

3. Replace the windshield wipers timely:
Some car owners don't know, but the windshield wiper affects the glass's health in many ways. Along with the windshield, taking care of the wipers is also essential. It is common knowledge that wipers have an internal metal structure with a rubber coating on the outside. The rubber coating wears off regularly, revealing the metal frame. Using metal on the glass can weaken it and lead to scratches. Therefore, check the condition of your wipers before leaving on your trip to prevent the exposed metal's pressure on the glass.

4. Windshield tinting:
The windshield is the largest glass surface of a car that facilitates proper traffic visibility for the driver. Since parking under shade may not always be possible, laminating your windshield may minimise the impact of harmful UV rays and block out sun glare to a certain extent to preserve the strength of the glass.
We recommend approaching a professional mechanic or your authorised car servicing centre to ensure that you adhere to the mandated visibility limit of applying laminated tints that allow a minimum of 70% light transmission. While car tinting kits are readily available, self-modification may result in your insurer rejecting your claim against car insurance India.

Considering the massive investment required to purchase and maintain your car and its components, it is essential to take preventive measures when leaving your vehicle unused for long periods. Your car demands regular care to be in its best shape and ensure effective functioning. Additionally, consider buying car insurance India to cover any replacement costs or damages that may arise from involvement in accidents.

Click HERE to buy car insurance India.

Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.

In a high-population nation like India, pedestrian deaths from road accidents are alarming. Drivers should be fully aware of pedestrian behaviour and the dos and don’ts of driving to avoid accidents with pedestrians. This would make pedestrians feel safe and secure while walking on the roads.

Here are some practical tips for drivers to avoid pedestrian accidents.

1. Control your speed:
Proper control of your car’s speed is the key to ensuring that you don’t get involved in pedestrian accidents. You need to drive slowly where the density of pedestrians is high. Often in a crowd, people tend to move quickly on the roads without bothering much about the approaching vehicles.
Lower speed will give you ample time to react and apply brakes if someone suddenly turns up in front of you.

2. Patience:
Patience is the key for any driver while dealing with senior citizens and children on the roads. Senior citizens may walk slowly on the roads, while children may do the exact opposite and rush. Also, while senior citizens may not see any approaching vehicle clearly due to poor vision, children may completely ignore looking at the vehicles on the road and just run here and there.
The same applies to dealing with people with disabilities on roads. A blind person will not be able to see the traffic on the roads, while a disabled person may be trying to go from one place to another in a wheelchair slowly. The drivers must drive patiently around such people. They should let them pass through first to avoid any accidents with them.

3. Do not drink and drive:
The worst thing to practise is drink and drive as it hampers your senses and decision power. You will not be able to react in time which may cause a serious accident with the pedestrians. Drinking and driving also attract punishment under the law. Never let someone innocent be a victim of your carelessness.

4. Look carefully before overtaking:
A driver should always be extra cautious while overtaking a stationary car in the middle of the road or at crossroads. There is a high chance that a pedestrian might be crossing the road.
The pedestrian may suddenly appear in front of you while trying to overtake the car from the right at high speed. Hence, be cautious while overtaking, as you might hurt pedestrians or risk their lives.

5. Keep away all distractions while driving:
Nowadays, a common cause of road accidents is talking on a mobile phone while driving, texting, eating, adjusting the stereo, etc. Drivers lose focus on the road, resulting in an accident with pedestrians or other vehicles.
Never take your eyes off the road while driving, be it for any reason. If you are getting a call on your phone and it is urgent, stop your car on the side and then take the call. Do the same if you want to send a text, take a small eating break, or if you have to adjust your car’s music system. This will ensure that you drive attentively and are in total control of your car while driving.

Drivers should never drive rashly nor give pedestrians a sense of danger or fear while accessing the roads. Roads are public property, and every citizen has the right to use them without fearing an accident. Drivers should follow the above tips and ensure the safety of pedestrians on the roads.

Motor insurance does the same for drivers and vehicle owners. It gives a sense of safety and security from the probable perils on the roads and provides protection even when the vehicle is stationary and parked somewhere. Moreover, it is also mandatory under the law. Hence, go for the best motor insurance company and choose the right policy offering you maximum benefits with an attractive premium.

Click HERE to buy reliable motor insurance for your car.

Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.

Establishing a business can be challenging but not impossible. Many thoughts may cross your mind when you consider starting a business. Whenever you start a business, you need to take small steps to fuel your business growth. A small-scale business can take flight later and become a lucrative and flourishing venture. It is also a given that you will encounter many problems during your startup. These issues are generic and are experienced by every business. Hence, you must plan accordingly and prepare to face these challenges.

If you're a new entrepreneur looking forward to mapping the roadmap of your startup, then this article is for you. We have carefully curated a list of the common obstacles you may face in scaling your business. You should also know about public liability insurance prices before establishing your business.

We have mentioned the everyday problems of a business owner below.

1. Raising capital:
Every business needs enough capital to get started. It is the first prerequisite before a company is established. Putting initial investment can be overwhelming as you require it to run your business. It can put a lot of pressure on you as the owner. Hence, it is recommended that owners work a side job to generate capital for the business.

2. Dealing with work fatigue:
When establishing a business, you must devote more hours than others. The company becomes your sole responsibility; you still hustle even when you feel tired. Hence, you continue to give in extra work hours even when physically and mentally exhausted. This can lead to rash and unhealthy decisions that you can take in an unstable frame of mind.
It is recommended to take frequent breaks. You need to find a balance between your work and personal life. Try to incorporate the 8+8+8 rule (8 hours of dedicated hard work + 8 hours of proper sleep + 8 hours of personal time for family, friends, hobbies, and health).

3. Time management:
As a startup owner, you must manage most tasks throughout the day. This means that filing the paperwork, answering calls, attending meetings, and also employing others will be done by you. This can put you in a real-time crunch. You will fail to meet deadlines. You should always work out proper time and task management before starting your day.

4. Finding the right people:
When a small business is established, you must find skilled and trustworthy staff. Not only should they be qualified, but they should have the potential to adapt to the dynamic environment and evolve as their role expands. It can be a big challenge as most skilled people work in established companies. You must identify and sort through multiple applications before finding the ones you seek. It can take a lot of time and effort. Bring only those people on-board who have the same vision as you do.

5. Establishing a customer base:
Your small business will be unable to take off without the involvement of customers. It is their demand that helps set wings for your vision. However, it is a daunting task in itself. Customers might not know about you as you are not a big name in the market yet. They may also not trust you with their needs. It is advised to create effective brand awareness to attract the ideal customers.

These are some of the many obstacles small business owners face while setting up their enterprises. Entrepreneurship is a challenging journey that requires significant efforts but provides excellent returns. You need to be patient and resilient until your company takes off. We also recommend researching public liability insurance prices in advance for your business to protect your business from any lawsuits or claims made by employees or third-party.

Click HERE to buy public liability insurance.

Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.