Health Insurance comparison
Niva Bupa vs Royal Sundaram
Niva Bupa leads on overall score, but the better choice depends on your priorities. Here is how they compare, dimension by dimension.
IRDAI figures side by side
| Measure | Niva Bupa | Royal Sundaram |
|---|---|---|
| Claim settlement ratio (latest year)Claims paid out of claims decided, by number. 95% or more is strong; below 90% is a flag. | 92.55% in FY 2024-25 | Not available |
| Claims counted in that yearBelow 1,000 claims, the ratio swings too much to compare. Each insurer's review names the exact IRDAI table used. | 10,24,782 reported, 9,42,543 paid | Not available |
| Three-year average claim settlement ratioShown only when all three years are available. | 91.74% | Not available |
| Incurred claims ratioClaims incurred as a share of premium earned, from IRDAI's Annual Report. | 61.63% in FY 2024-25 | 97.20% in FY 2024-25 |
| Complaints to IRDAIGrievances reported, from IRDAI's Handbook. | 7,970 in FY 2024-25, 77.8 per 10,000 claims | 1,052 in FY 2024-25, 28.4 per 10,000 claims |
| Solvency ratioIRDAI's minimum is 1.50. | 3.03 at 31 Mar 2025 | 2.20 at 31 Mar 2025 |
Sources: IRDAI Handbook on Indian Insurance Statistics 2024-25, IRDAI Annual Report 2024-25 and insurers' NL-37 public disclosures. Each insurer's review lists the exact table and link. See how we calculate these.
Side-by-side scores
| Dimension | Niva Bupa | Royal Sundaram | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 8.2/10 | 7.7/10 | Niva Bupa |
| Claim settlement | 8.4/10 | 7.4/10 | Niva Bupa |
| Value | 8/10 | 7.8/10 | Niva Bupa |
| Customer service | 7.6/10 | 7.5/10 | Niva Bupa |
| Digital experience | 7.8/10 | 7.5/10 | Niva Bupa |
| Flexibility | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | Niva Bupa |
Niva Bupa
8.2/10Strong health insurer for families with solid restoration features.
Pros
- Good restoration options
- Strong plan variety
Cons
- Can be premium-priced
- Policy terms still require careful reading
Royal Sundaram
7.7/10Private insurer with strong Lifeline plans and good family-cover choices.
Pros
- Strong Lifeline lineup
- High-cover Elite option
- Good listed hospital network
Cons
- Global benefits may add cost without everyday value
- Classic variant can be too small
- Health claim settlement ratio not yet verified; FY 2024-25 health ICR was 97.2% (IRDAI Handbook Table 62)
The verdict
On our scoring, Niva Bupa edges ahead overall. That said, the loser may still win for you on a dimension you weight heavily, so match the table above to your priorities and read both full reviews.