New Delhi, 12th November 2026: Prudent Insurance Brokers, one of India’s leading insurance broking firms, has released the fourth edition of its Annual Benefits Scorecard for 2026-27. The report looks at how employee benefits are changing across 14 industry sectors, covering more than 4,300 organisations. Unlike most industry reports, the Scorecard is not based on a survey. Its findings come from BenchmarkPro, Prudent’s benchmarking tool, which holds the benefits data of these 4,300+ organisations and is updated almost daily as each one’s policy comes up for renewal. The picture it gives is therefore of what organizations are actually offering, not what they say they offer.
This year’s edition points to three clear shifts: more employers are moving towards personalised benefits, preventive healthcare and overall well-being are getting greater attention, and organizations are having to weigh what employees expect against rising healthcare costs and what they can sustain over the long term.
Key findings include:
- OPD cover is increasing: The market median OPD cover has risen from ₹15,000 to ₹20,000. Yet, a single dental procedure or advanced diagnostic test can use up 25–50% of a median ₹20,000 annual limit.
- Preventive care is gaining attention: 67% of organisations in the well-being survey offer annual health check-ups, while 19% offer lifestyle or condition management programmes.
- Mental health support needs greater depth: 55% offer Employee Assistance Programmes, but only 18% offer focused mental health programmes and 9% provide on-site psychologist support.
- Caregiving remains a gap: 28% offer no specific caregiving benefits, while 22% provide childcare support such as daycare, subsidies or vouchers.
- Access to services remains fragmented: Only 17% use integrated well-being platforms, while 41% engage multiple specialist well-being providers.
Mr. Surinder Bhagat, President, Prudent Insurance Brokers, said, “The strength of a benefits programme lies in how well it meets what employees need, not in how many benefits it offers. Over the years, benefits have become broader and more sophisticated, but that makes it even more important for organisations to ask whether their offerings are relevant, whether employees are using them, and whether the investment is delivering the intended outcomes.
The 4th Edition of the Annual Benefits Scorecard 2026-27 gives organisations the benchmarks, utilisation insights and emerging trends to question their existing choices and invest with greater intent. The real value of benchmarking lies in showing organisations where their own programme stands and what gaps need attention.
At Prudent, we help employers build benefits that stay relevant to a changing workforce and deliver meaningful value to their people.”
Major Trends in employee benefits are as follows:
SECTION 1 – Industry Benefits Benchmarking
| Automotive | Median medical cover remains at ₹3 lakh, but the sector is steadily widening its definition of family: coverage for same-sex and live-in partners has risen from 12% to 17%. About 53% of organizations cover parents, and 90% fund that cover in full. OPD remains limited to about 10% of organizations, though its median limit has climbed from ₹15,000 to ₹20,000 and the number of organizations offering choice-based benefits has grown by about 32%. |
| Banking and Financial Services | With ₹5 lakh median cover, BFSI is redefining what a modern benefits package looks like. The number of organizations offering flexible benefits has risen by about 55%, and OPD provision has grown by about 37% in a year to around 18% of organizations, with a median limit of ₹20,000. About 62% of organizations cover parents, and 77% fund that cover in full. |
| E-Commerce | E-Commerce employers are strengthening medical cover, maternity benefits and financial protection while steadily broadening inclusion. Median cover stands at ₹5 lakh. An industry-leading 93% provide maternity benefits, with median limits of ₹50,000 for normal delivery and ₹70,000 for C-sections. About 44% of organizations cover parents and 29% cover same-sex or live-in partners. OPD is offered by about 11%, while flexible benefits have grown by about 28% – with personalized benefits and preventive healthcare the next frontier. |
| EdTech | Benefits largely follow a conventional template, built on ₹4 lakh median cover. About 40% of organizations cover parents, 92% of them in full, and 85% provide maternity cover. OPD is offered by about 12%, with the median limit rising from ₹15,000 to ₹20,000. With only about 24% offering flexible benefits, the sector has clear headroom in flexible insurance, critical illness cover, enhanced parental support and personalised benefits. |
| Engineering Power and Renewable Energy | Employers are strengthening medical and financial protection, particularly for higher-risk roles. Mental health, preventive care and flexible benefits remain important priorities. ₹5 lakh is the median medical cover. About 52% of organizations cover parents, and 95% pay the full cost of their insurance. The median C-section cover rose from ₹70,000 to ₹75,000. About 25% offer flexible benefits. |
| FMCG and Consumer Durables | Organizations are expanding medical coverage, maternity benefits and wellness programmes. Inclusive benefits and stronger protection for frontline workers require further attention. ₹5 lakh is the median medical cover. Parent coverage rose from 49% to 52% , while coverage for same-sex or live-in partners increased from 25% to 29%. About 97% pay the full cost of parents’ insurance, and 79% maintain a corporate buffer for high-value claims. About 30% offer flexible benefits. |
| Healthcare | The sector is improving medical insurance, parental cover, mental health support and access to advanced treatments. Median cover is ₹5 lakh; about 59% of organizations cover parents, and 62% fund that cover in full. Around 76% provide corporate buffer. OPD is offered by about 13% – and at the higher coverage level measured, its limit has doubled from ₹10,000 to ₹20,000. Flexible benefits are also on the rise, with scope for greater personalisation. |
| Infrastructure, Real Estate, and Facility Management | Median cover remains at ₹3 lakh, but financial protection is robust: about 42% of organisations cover parents, 98% of them fund that cover in full, and 67% maintain a corporate buffer for large claims. About 10% offer OPD, with a median limit of ₹20,000. With only about 20% offering flexible benefits, flexible insurance and inclusive benefits represent the sector’s clearest opportunity.. |
| Information Technology and ITES | IT and ITES remains a front runner on OPD, maternity care, mental health support and inclusive family coverage. The median medical cover is ₹5 lakh. Around 64% of the organizations provide parental coverage, and 96% of these organizations fund that cover in full. About 70% maintain a corporate buffer, and about 19% offer OPD, with a median limit of ₹15,000. More organizations are also introducing optional benefits as personalisation becomes a strategic priority. |
| Manufacturing | Organizations are strengthening maternity benefits, medical cover and family protection, including support for parents and non-traditional families. Median cover is ₹3 lakh; about 42% of companies cover parents, 94% of them in full, and 64% provide corporate buffer. OPD is offered by about 10%, with a median limit of ₹10,000. Flexible benefits have grown modestly, and flexible insurance and preventive healthcare are gaining ground. |
| Media and Entertainment | Employers are expanding maternity coverage, parental support and wellness initiatives. Flexible top-up plans, voluntary parental insurance and lifestyle benefits offer room for growth. ₹5 lakh is the median medical cover. About 97% of organizations pay the full cost of parents’ insurance, while 91% offer maternity benefits. Median maternity cover is ₹50,000 for normal delivery and ₹60,000 for C-sections. About 12% offer OPD cover, with a median limit of ₹25,000. |
| Pharmaceutical | Organizations are increasingly adopting a holistic approach to employee healthcare, combining medical insurance with wellness initiatives, preventive care and digital health services. With a median medical cover of ₹3 lakh, 48% extend coverage to parents, while 69% offer corporate buffers. OPD limits have risen to ₹15,000, and 28% now offer optional benefits, reflecting a growing focus on flexibility and personalization |
| Retail | Employers are strengthening medical, maternity and parental benefits while increasingly focusing on mental health, financial wellness and personalization. With a median medical cover of ₹5 lakh, parental coverage has risen to 52%, while coverage for same-sex and live-in partners has reached 36%. Additionally, 82% provide corporate buffers, 21% offer OPD cover with median limit of ₹15,000, and 45% provide flexible benefits, highlighting the shift towards more inclusive and comprehensive healthcare solutions. |
| Travel, Tourism, and Hospitality | The median medical cover stands at ₹3 lakh, with 32% of organizations extending coverage to parents and 97% fully funding the premium. Additionally, 71% provide corporate buffers, while 10% offer OPD cover with a median limit of ₹10,000. Around 45% offer flexible benefits, reflecting a growing focus on employee-centric healthcare. |
Section 2: OPD Benefits – Growing Focus on Preventive Healthcare
OPD benefits are rapidly evolving from a routine insurance add-on to a key pillar of employee healthcare, covering everyday expenses such as doctor consultations, diagnostic tests and medicines. Employer adoption has more than doubled, rising from 15% in 2022 to 35% in 2025, while median OPD coverage has increased from ₹15,000 to ₹20,000. However, rising healthcare costs, particularly the 40–45% increase in consultation charges over the past three years, highlight the need for benefits to keep pace. The next phase will be driven by AI, data analytics and digital infrastructure, enabling predictive, personalised and always-on care through real-time health risks and behavioural insights, rather than relying solely on episodic treatment
Section 3: Personalisation – Moving Towards Employee-Centric Benefits
Organizations are moving beyond traditional one-size-fits-all benefits towards more flexible and personalised offerings that cater to employees’ evolving needs, life stages and financial priorities.
The report highlights that simply offering more choices is not enough, as employees may struggle to identify the benefits most relevant to them. Technology and AI present an opportunity to simplify benefit selection, provide tailored recommendations and create more meaningful, employee-centric experiences
Section 4: Well-being – Beyond Physical Health
Employee well-being is emerging as a key organizational priority, with employers increasingly adopting a holistic approach that goes beyond physical health to include mental, financial and social well-being.
The report reveals that 87% of organizations (survey of 500+ organizations) are expanding health benefits beyond basic medical insurance, marking a 24% year-on-year increase. While 67% offer annual health check-ups and 52% conduct health awareness sessions, organizations are also investing in preventive care, mental health support and digital wellness solutions to promote healthier and more engaged workforces.
About Prudent Insurance Brokers
Headquartered in Mumbai, Prudent is a Composite Insurance Broker regulated by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI). Serving clients 4500 + clients for more than 2 decades across 120 + countries with 1500 + team members, Prudent Insurance Brokers has mastered the art of understanding, interpreting, and pre-empting the different kinds of risks that our clients face. We have equipped ourselves with extensive resources that enable us to reinvent the Indian insurance landscape, providing clients with path-breaking and future-facing risk management programs.
