In an engaging conversation on Simple Hai! with Vivek Law, Anup Rau, MD & CEO of Generali Central Insurance Company Limited, shared his perspectives on health insurance, industry challenges, and why curiosity and consistency matter in leadership.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Why do we protect our cars more diligently than our own health? Why do we rely solely on employer-provided group insurance, when a single hospitalisation can wipe out our savings? These are questions Anup Rau, MD & CEO of Generali India Insurance, has grappled with over the past three decades. On Simple Hai! with Vivek Law<\/em>, Rau shared his views on why health insurance must be treated as a necessity, the lessons he has learnt from an unconventional career path, and why curiosity and authenticity remain central to his leadership philosophy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rau told host Vivek Law that he still struggles to understand why Indians readily purchase car insurance on time but hesitate when it comes to health cover. \u201cI have been saying for 30 years that the first thing you should buy is health insurance,\u201d he stressed. \u201cYou are the asset that generates every other asset. If you don\u2019t insure yourself, the most important asset remains unprotected.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rau pointed out that too many people postpone buying health cover or rely solely on their employer\u2019s group insurance policy. \u201cA cover of \u20b95 lakh is utterly inadequate,\u201d he said. \u201cI was once hospitalised for food poisoning, and the bill was \u20b94 lakh. Imagine if it was something more serious, and worse, if you were between jobs. The risk exposure is enormous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rau observed that while the pandemic triggered a surge in awareness about health insurance, the momentum did not last. \u201cEven now, growth in new business is flat. About 80% of health insurance is group cover. Only 20% is individual, which shows penetration is still very low,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He warned that delaying the purchase of health cover only makes it more expensive. \u201cWhen people finally go to buy, either it gets rejected because of a lifestyle disease or premiums rise. Globally, health inflation is around 14% \u2013 far higher than regular inflation. No investment can keep pace with that. Only insurance can.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking about Generali\u2019s joint venture with Central Bank of India, Rau described it as a natural fit. \u201cGenerali is nearly 200 years old, and Central Bank is a century-old institution founded by Mahatma Gandhi. It\u2019s a marriage made in heaven,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The partnership, Rau explained, allows Generali to offer affordable products in smaller towns. \u201cCentral Bank has 4,500 branches and serves five crore customers, many in rural India. Distribution costs are high in these regions, but this partnership helps us reach customers with products they can afford.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n While digital channels can play a role, Rau emphasised that \u201ctrust in small towns is built only when there is a branch building people can see in their neighbourhood. Physical presence still matters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reflecting on his three-decade-long career journey, Rau said he never planned to be in insurance \u2013 it just happened. \u201cI\u2019ve sold salt, tea, and now insurance. Salt taught me to sell myself, because salt is just salt. That lesson helped me in insurance too,\u201d he recalled with humour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For aspiring young professionals, Rau emphasised the importance of curiosity and resilience. \u201cThe most important quality is curiosity \u2013 not just in your domain but about everything. It\u2019s what sets you apart,\u201d he said. Quoting Shah Rukh Khan, Rau added: \u201cGetting to the top is easier than staying there. To remain, you must work even harder and keep reinventing yourself constantly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rau is also known for his witty and thoughtful posts on LinkedIn, which he says work because they are authentic. \u201cIf you speak in a suit with a template, it won\u2019t resonate. People want to hear real thoughts, not just P&L updates. That\u2019s why I post about life, lessons, and reflections \u2013 not just insurance,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For Rau, leadership is about connecting with employees directly. \u201cCompanies are not buildings; they are people.\u201d These posts are a way to reach them with authenticity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Health Insurance Is a Necessity, Not a Choice: Anup Rau on Protecting India\u2019s Most Important Asset In an engaging conversation on Simple Hai! with Vivek Law, Anup Rau, MD & CEO of Generali Central Insurance Company Limited, shared his perspectives on health insurance, industry challenges, and why curiosity and consistency matter in leadership. Why do […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":316,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-314","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-podcast"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesimplehaishow.com\/thesimplehaishow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/314","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesimplehaishow.com\/thesimplehaishow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesimplehaishow.com\/thesimplehaishow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesimplehaishow.com\/thesimplehaishow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesimplehaishow.com\/thesimplehaishow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=314"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thesimplehaishow.com\/thesimplehaishow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/314\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":317,"href":"https:\/\/thesimplehaishow.com\/thesimplehaishow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/314\/revisions\/317"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesimplehaishow.com\/thesimplehaishow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesimplehaishow.com\/thesimplehaishow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=314"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesimplehaishow.com\/thesimplehaishow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=314"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesimplehaishow.com\/thesimplehaishow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=314"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Indians Value Cars More Than Health<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Covid Changed Perceptions, But Only Briefly<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Building Reach in Rural India<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Leadership, Curiosity and Staying Power<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Communicating with Employees Authentically<\/h2>\n\n\n\n