New Delhi, 3rd November 2025: Prudent Insurance Brokers, a prominent insurance broking firm in India, unveiled the third edition of its Annual Benefits Scorecard for 2025-26, powered by BenchmarkPro. This comprehensive report, leveraging data from 3,900 organisations and covering more than 50 lac+ employees based on Prudent’s internal data across 14 key industry sectors, provides unparalleled insights into the dynamic landscape of employee benefits in corporate India. With its in-depth analysis and forward-looking perspectives, the Annual Benefits Scorecard 2025-26 is a crucial asset for companies seeking to navigate and thrive in the evolving employee benefits sector.
Covering several industry sectors, the scorecard analyses benefits trends from 2024 to 2025 and offers a forward-looking perspective on emerging patterns. As employee expectations shift toward personalised and meaningful benefits, the report explores how organisations can design programs that are both comprehensive and engaging. A key focus this year is preventive care, highlighting OPD coverage and well-being initiatives as essential components of a robust benefits strategy.
Mr. Surinder Bhagat, Head- Employee Benefits, Large Account Practices, Prudent Insurance Brokers, said, “As organisations continue to adapt to the evolving needs of their workforce, the insights from this year’s Benefits Scorecard provide a roadmap for the future of employee well-being. With insights drawn from over 3,900 organisations and data from more than 50 lac employees, it’s evident that companies are moving towards benefits that focus on the overall well-being of their people and not just health insurance, but preventive care, mental wellness, and flexibility in how benefits are used.
Employees today want benefits that fit their lives, and organisations are recognising that supporting their workforce’s well-being directly impacts engagement, productivity, and retention. The growing use of wallet-based flex benefits also shows that people value the freedom to choose what works best for them.
At Prudent, our goal is to help organisations use this data to make smarter, more meaningful decisions about their employee benefits, ones that create a healthier, happier, and more resilient workforce.”
Major Trends in employee benefits are as follows:
SECTION 1 – Industry Benefits Benchmarking
| Automotive (92 automotive organisations, 1,23,750+ employees) | The Automotive sector shows that while maternity support, healthcare access, and financial protection are well-covered, the expansion of preventive care (OPD), DE&I linked benefits (such as same-sex partner and gender-affirmation coverage), and personalised health offerings remains crucial to meet evolving employee expectations. |
| Banking and Financial Services (262 BFSI organisations, 11,85,000+ employees) | The BFSI sector (with half of the firms under 500 staff and 18% having over 5,000) shows that while many employers are enhancing benefits such as family coverage for same-sex and live-in partners, higher sum-insured limits, and strengthened maternity & OPD offerings. DE&I linked and highly personalised benefits remain limited, making inclusive and customisable structures increasingly vital to attract and retain talent. |
| E-Commerce (59 Organisations, 131500+ employees) | The analysis of e-commerce organisations (with 44% of firms under 500 staff) shows that while many are enhancing core benefits – higher sum-insured limits, maternity cover, room-rent and expanded personal-accident/term-life protection, alongside growing DE&I led coverage for LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS – choice-based benefits and OPD (preventive care) offerings remain limited, highlighting a need for more personalised, accessible care. |
| EdTech (80 Ed-tech Organisations, 1,00,200+ employees) | The analysis of EdTech organisations (with 71% of firms employing fewer than 500) reveals that while many firms are digitising and reforming, they still rely on one-size-fits-all benefits; to truly compete for talent they must shift to personalised, holistic offerings – such as critical illness coverage, flexible top-up options, enhanced parental support and even pet-care – to build an inclusive and employee-centric benefits ecosystem. |
| Engineering Power and Renewable Energy (98 Organisations, 1,43,700+ employees) | The analysis shows that as the sector scales to support India’s clean-energy ambitions, companies are using stronger medical and well-being benefits to attract talent in higher-risk environments – yet most offerings remain broad and non-customised, underscoring the need for more flexible, inclusive, and personalised benefits such as mental-health support and diverse workforce coverages. |
| FMCG and Consumer Durables (109 Organisations, 2,16,000+ employees) | The analysis (50% employing fewer than 500) reveals that as competition from tech, e-commerce, and startups intensifies, companies are adopting flexible Group Medical Insurance with higher sum-insured options, OPD cover, wellness add-ons, and maternity benefits to attract talent, yet DE&I adoption remains limited and frontline workers face continued risk exposure, underscoring the need for stronger protection and modern wellness programs across all employer sizes. |
| Healthcare (84 Organisations, 1,51,750+ employees) | The analysis (with 56% of firms employing fewer than 500) shows that while many are enhancing benefits such as group medical insurance, parental cover, OPD, mental-health support, and advanced treatments, most still rely on legacy one-size-fits-all benefits, underscoring the need for personalised, employee-driven coverage tailored to a broader talent base. |
| Infrastructure, Real Estate, and Facility Management (120 Organisations, 1,33,500+ employees) | The analysis of Infrastructure, Real Estate & Facility Management sector (with 60% of employers having fewer than 500 employees) shows that while employers are expanding insurance benefits, such as higher sum-insured amounts, improved parental coverage, and stronger personal accident/term life protection – customisation remains limited, even as younger talent increasingly expects personalised offerings and modern benefits like mental health support, DE&I and gender-inclusive coverages. |
| Information Technology and ITES (1025 Organisations, 18,41500+ employees) | The study of IT & ITES organisations (with 68% of firms under 500 employees) finds that while the sector leads in employee-centric insurance, offering expanded OPD, enhanced maternity, mental-health support, and preventive-care benefits, and is increasingly adopting DE&I aligned coverages for non-traditional families and broader parental support, there remains considerable opportunity for greater personalisation and consistency across organisations. |
| Manufacturing (584 Organisations, 6,03,000+ employees) | The analysis of manufacturing organisations (with 76% of companies employing fewer than 500) shows that while manufacturers are enhancing benefits – with higher maternity coverage, increased sum-insured limits, and inclusive policies for all four parents, same-sex or live-in partners, and siblings, there is a growing need for modular, personalised insurance and OPD offerings to broaden healthcare access, boost well-being and improve retention. |
| Media and Entertainment (75 Organisations, 1,14,000+ employees) | The report of Entertainment organisations (with 61% of firms under 500 workers) reveals that while many employers are enhancing benefits, such as higher maternity cover, wellness initiatives, support for dependant parents, and insurance tailored to a younger, diverse workforce – benefit adoption remains uneven, underscoring a strong need for more personalised, flexible options like modular top-ups, voluntary parental insurance, gym memberships, and cyber insurance. |
| Pharmaceutical (94 Organisations, 1,84,500+ employees) | The analysis of pharmaceutical organisations (with 53% having fewer than 500 employees) shows that as companies expand into digital platforms, AI-driven solutions and global markets, they are enhancing benefits with preventive healthcare, wellness programmes and personalised insurance options, and increasingly integrating non-insurance perks like lifestyle management, financial-wellness tools and digital-health support to boost well-being, engagement and productivity. |
| Retail (63 Organisations, 1,11500+ employees) | The retail-sector analysis (with 46% of companies employing fewer than 500) shows that while employers are enhancing medical coverage, maternity and parental policies, and wellness programmes to appeal to a multi-generational workforce, there remains significant scope for more personalised and flexible benefits, from mental-health support to financial-wellness tools. |
| Travel, Tourism, and Hospitality (95 Organisations, 1,180,000 + employees) | The analysis of Travel, Tourism & Hospitality organisations (with 75% of firms having fewer than 500 employees) shows that while preventive care, personalised benefits, and higher base coverage are recognised, their adoption remains inconsistent, underscoring the need for modern, empathetic benefits to drive retention and satisfaction. |
SECTION 2 – Personalisation: The New Era
Organisations are moving from static, one-time enrolments to dynamic, choice-based benefit designs, often powered through wallet-based flexible programs. However, scaling brings challenges – participation inconsistencies, vendor fatigue, and limited bargaining power, especially for large and mid-sized employers. Companies resolving this through unified benefit ecosystems, continuous engagement, and data-driven insights are seeing stronger adoption. Tools like Lifestyle Management Accounts (LMAs) streamline insurance, wellness perks, preventive care, and mental health services into one integrated platform, helping employees access year-round benefits and boosting add-on adoption by 20 to 30%.
SECTION 3 – Out-Patient: Focus on Care
OPD benefits are becoming a major pillar of employer healthcare, shifting focus from hospitalisation to preventive, everyday care. Adoption has grown ~35% year-on-year, backed by a study of ~400 organisations, with ~95% preferring insurance-backed OPD models for smoother claims and compliance. Standalone OPD plans are also rising sharply, offering cashless consultations, diagnostics, medicines, and dental care. Median OPD cover has increased from INR 10,000 to INR 15,000 across several sectors, and voluntary top-ups are up ~30%, showing employees want personalised, modular care. Digital platforms streamline cashless claims, analytics, and pharmacy access, turning OPD into a strategic, preventive health tool rather than a reimbursement feature.
SECTION 4 – Trends Redefining Workplace Well-being
Workplace well-being is now strategic, not optional. Insights from 800+ organisations show strong investment in holistic care across five core pillars – physical, mental, social, financial, and DE&I. Preventive Health Checks lead adoption at 79%, followed by Health Awareness Workshops and on-site programs. Engagement is becoming data-driven: 53% use strategic communication, while 23% run unified digital platforms to drive participation. Wellness impact is measured through utilisation trends (70%), CSAT scores, health assessments, and wearable-driven analytics. As organisations expand support for parenting, LGBTQ+ inclusion, mental health, and lifestyle management, well-being is shifting from scattered perks to an integrated, measurable, long-term workforce strategy.
