For term insurance, the plan matters less than the promise behind it - whether the insurer actually pays your family decades from now. These four stand out in 2026 for settling nearly every claim (all above 99%) with low complaint volumes, while offering the flexibility families use: premium breaks, life-stage cover boosts and structured payouts. They are compared below on the same measures, using each plan's current wording and IRDAI's public disclosures.
At a glance
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| Feature | Tata AIA Sampoorna Raksha Promise | ICICI Pru iProtect Smart Plus | Bajaj Life eTouch II | HDFC Life Click2Protect Supreme Plus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Underwritten by | Tata AIA Life | ICICI Prudential Life | Bajaj Life | HDFC Life |
| Insurer CSR (3-yr avg) | 99.21% | 99.30% | 99.32% | 99.66% |
| Complaints / 10,000 claims | 3.00 | 8.00 | 2.77 | 1.00 |
| Solvency ratio | 1.82x | 2.10x | 3.52x | 1.86x |
| Premium break / deferment | Flexi Pay (12-mo deferment) | Premium Break (up to 1 yr) | Premium Holiday (add-on) | Premium Break (1 yr) |
| Income payout option | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Exit / money-back option | Return-of-premium (Life Promise Plus) | Smart Exit | Early Exit Value | Smart Exit |
CSR, complaints and solvency are 3-year IRDAI averages: FY2024–26 for HDFC Life, ICICI Prudential and Bajaj Life, and FY2022–25 for Tata AIA (its latest published 3-year average). IRDAI's minimum solvency requirement is 1.5x. Figures reflect each plan's current wording - confirm the live brochure for your chosen variant.
What each plan offers
Sampoorna Raksha Promise - Underwritten by Tata AIA Life
Type / cover: Pure term · whole-life cover option to age 100 · four plan options
- Inbuilt Payor Accelerator Benefit - 50% of the base sum assured paid on terminal-illness diagnosis, with all future premiums waived.
- Instant Payout - ₹3 lakh released within about a working day of claim registration (after the waiting period).
- Flexi Pay - defer premiums for up to 12 months without the policy lapsing.
- Life Stage option to raise cover on key events; death benefit as lump sum and/or instalments.
- Return-of-premium option under Life Promise Plus; women, salaried and digital-purchase discounts.
Tata AIA Life - CSR 99.21%, 3.00 complaints per 10,000 claims (3-yr avg, FY22–25), solvency 1.82x, ASR 95.1%.
iProtect Smart Plus - Underwritten by ICICI Prudential Life
Type / cover: Pure term · flexible cover and payout options
- Life-Stage Protection - increase cover on marriage, childbirth or a home-loan event.
- Smart Exit - option to exit and receive premiums back after a defined period.
- Premium Break - pause premiums for up to a year after a set period of regular payment.
- Instant Partial Payout - ₹3 lakh at claim intimation on higher covers.
- Flexible payouts - lump sum or income for the nominee.
ICICI Prudential Life - CSR 99.30%, 8.00 complaints per 10,000 claims (3-yr avg, FY24–26), solvency 2.10x.
eTouch II - Underwritten by Bajaj Life
Type / cover: Pure term · value-focused, strong solvency
- Terminal-illness payout - early benefit on diagnosis, up to ₹2 crore.
- Waiver of Premium - on accidental disability or terminal illness.
- Income payout options for the nominee.
- Premium Holiday add-on - skip premiums temporarily without losing cover.
- Early Exit Value at older ages; health-management services (teleconsultations, checkups, discounts).
Bajaj Life - CSR 99.32%, 2.77 complaints per 10,000 claims (3-yr avg, FY24–26), solvency 3.52x (highest of the four).
Click2Protect Supreme Plus - Underwritten by HDFC Life
Type / cover: Pure term · feature-rich, strong claims record
- Waiver of Premium on critical illness and disability, so cover continues through an income disruption.
- Life-Stage Boosts - raise cover on marriage or childbirth without reapplying.
- Income payout options; optional Critical Illness rider covering 60 illnesses for up to 15 years.
- Premium Break for a year (repaid the following year, with the next premium).
- Smart Exit, instant partial payout on claim, and app-based wellness tools.
HDFC Life - CSR 99.66%, 1.00 complaint per 10,000 claims (lowest in industry), ASR 96.72%, solvency 1.86x (3-yr avg, FY24–26).
Insurer claim performance
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| Insurer | CSR (3-yr avg) | Complaints / 10,000 claims | Solvency ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tata AIA Life | 99.21% | 3.00 | 1.82x |
| ICICI Prudential Life | 99.30% | 8.00 | 2.10x |
| Bajaj Life | 99.32% | 2.77 | 3.52x |
| HDFC Life | 99.66% | 1.00 | 1.86x |
Three-year averages from IRDAI public disclosures: HDFC Life, ICICI Prudential and Bajaj Life are FY2024–26; Tata AIA is FY2022–25, its latest published 3-year average. IRDAI's minimum solvency requirement is 1.5x. A high settlement ratio is best read alongside complaint volume and the amount-settlement ratio (ASR) - where available, HDFC Life 96.72% and Tata AIA 95.1%.
Frequently asked questions
Which are the best term insurance plans in India in 2026?
Four plans stand out in 2026 for pairing near-perfect claim records with useful flexibility: Tata AIA Sampoorna Raksha Promise, ICICI Prudential iProtect Smart Plus, Bajaj Life eTouch II and HDFC Life Click2Protect Supreme Plus. All four settle above 99% of claims and offer premium breaks and structured payouts; they differ on complaint volume, solvency and features like inbuilt terminal-illness cover and life-stage boosts - all compared above. The best one for you depends on your age, cover needed, budget and health profile.
Which of these has the best claim settlement record?
HDFC Life leads among the four with a three-year average claim settlement ratio of 99.66% and the industry's lowest complaint volume at 1.00 per 10,000 claims. All four are strong, though: Bajaj Life is at 99.32%, ICICI Prudential at 99.30% and Tata AIA at 99.21% - each comfortably above the 97% mark advisors treat as solid.
Which plan is backed by the strongest solvency ratio?
Bajaj Life eTouch II - Bajaj Life's solvency ratio is 3.52x, the highest of the four and well above IRDAI's 1.5x minimum, followed by ICICI Prudential at 2.10x, HDFC Life at 1.86x and Tata AIA at 1.82x. Solvency signals an insurer's ability to meet future claims, so higher is reassuring, but read it alongside claim-settlement and complaint data.
Which of these term plans offer a premium break?
All four let you pause premiums in some form: HDFC Life and ICICI Prudential offer a premium break for up to a year after a set period of regular payment, Tata AIA's Flexi Pay defers premiums for up to 12 months, and Bajaj Life offers a Premium Holiday add-on. Repayment rules and conditions differ, so check the wording before relying on it.
Which is the most affordable, and which costs more?
Bajaj Life eTouch II is generally positioned as the most cost-effective of the four, while HDFC Life Click2Protect Supreme Plus tends to price higher in exchange for its claim record and richer features. Exact premiums depend on your age, gender, smoking status, cover amount and term - get a quote for your profile before deciding on price alone.
Do any of these plans return my premiums if I survive the term?
Yes, in different forms. Tata AIA Sampoorna Raksha Promise offers a return-of-premium option under Life Promise Plus; ICICI Prudential and HDFC Life offer a Smart Exit that returns premiums after a defined period; and Bajaj Life offers an Early Exit Value at older ages. A pure term plan without these features is usually cheaper for the same cover.
Related pages
- Term Insurance - Sizing, disclosure and the nominee claim process.
- Life Insurance Basics - Protection vs savings, and how much cover you need.
- Term Riders - Which add-ons actually earn their keep.
- Life Claim Process - Exactly how a nominee files and settles a claim.
- Claims Support - A named expert who supports your family's claim.
Disclosure
Each plan is underwritten and issued by the insurer named. MITRA can advise on which fits your profile and, crucially for term cover, supports your nominee through the claim when it matters most. Figures follow each plan's current wording and IRDAI public disclosures - confirm the live brochure for your chosen variant before you buy.
Data sources & notes
- Insurer CSR, complaints & solvency: IRDAI public disclosures - 3-year averages (FY2024–26 for HDFC Life, ICICI Prudential and Bajaj Life; FY2022–25 for Tata AIA, its latest published 3-year average).
- Amount Settlement Ratio (ASR) where available: HDFC Life 96.72%, Tata AIA 95.1%.
- Plan features: each plan's current policy wording / insurer brochure, cross-checked against the reference page.
- Tata AIA Sampoorna Raksha Promise is not on the reference page; its specs were sourced from Tata AIA's brochure/plan pages and corroborating reviews.
- Premiums are deliberately omitted - they are profile-specific and should come from a live quote, not a reproduced third-party table.
_Compliance: framed as "best plans of 2026" with a stated selection basis; fair, factual and non-disparaging; each plan attributed to its underwriter; MITRA positioned as advisor and claims partner, not the insurer. No company-specific numbers are invented.