Get Expert Guidance
What Our Plans Cover
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Third-party death and injury
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Third-party property damage up to...
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Accidental damage to your own car
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Fire
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Theft
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Flood
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Riot
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Damage while the car is in transit
Who Can Consider This Plan?
- Vehicle registered in India with a valid registration certificate
- Valid driving licence for the class of vehicle
- Vehicle fit for use — a failed fitness certificate affects commercial cover
- Accurate declaration of use: private, commercial, or hired out
- Previous insurance details, where no-claim bonus is being carried forward
What May Not Be Covered?
- Depreciation on replaced parts, unless zero depreciation is added
- Engine damage from water ingress or oil leakage, unless engine protection is added
- Consumables and non-standard fittings not declared
- Mechanical and electrical breakdown, and normal wear
- Driving without a valid licence or under the influence
Always check the policy wording before you commit.
Why Choose Wealth & Covers?
- Expert advice to choose the right plan
- Plans from leading insurance companies
- Hassle-free process and documentation
- End-to-end support, including claim assistance
- Dedicated relationship manager
Our Insurance Partners
- Star Health Insurance
- Care Health Insurance
- Niva Bupa Health Insurance
- HDFC ERGO
- ICICI Lombard
- Bajaj Allianz
We represent multiple providers to help you find the most suitable option at the best price.
- Expert Guidance Personalised advice from experienced insurance professionals.
- End-to-End Support From choosing the right plan to claim assistance, we are with you always.
- Claims Assistance Hassle-free claim support to ensure you get what you deserve.
- Transparent Process Clear information, easy documentation and a hassle-free experience.
Overview
A private car policy combines compulsory third-party liability with optional own-damage cover. The third-party portion is priced by the regulator and identical everywhere. Everything that distinguishes one quote from another sits in the own-damage half and in the add-ons attached to it.
That is where most of the money is decided. A base comprehensive policy settles claims after deducting depreciation on every replaced part, and on a modern car with plastic panels and electronic modules that deduction is substantial. Zero depreciation removes it. Return to invoice changes what a total loss pays. Engine protection covers the single most expensive failure that a standard policy specifically excludes.
Comparing car quotes on premium alone therefore compares the wrong number. Two policies at the same price can differ by more than a lakh on the same claim.
Who should consider it
Every car owner needs third-party cover by law. Comprehensive cover with zero depreciation is the sensible default for any car under five years old, and for any car whose repair bill would be a genuine problem.
For older cars the calculation shifts: depreciation matters less when the IDV is low, and the premium for add-ons stops being proportionate. Engine protection remains worth considering in any city that floods.
Benefits
- Unlimited third-party injury liability, as the statute requires
- Own damage covered for collision, fire, theft and natural calamity
- Zero depreciation removes the deduction that shrinks most claims
- Cashless repair across a network of garages, with the insurer paying directly
- No-claim bonus reaching 50% of the own-damage premium after five clear years
- Return to invoice pays the original invoice price on a total loss, not the depreciated value
What is covered, and what is not
Read the right-hand column first. It is the one that decides whether a claim is paid.
Typically covered
- Third-party death and injury — unlimited by statute
- Third-party property damage up to the statutory limit
- Accidental damage to your own car
- Fire, explosion, self-ignition and lightning
- Theft, including break-in damage
- Flood, storm, earthquake, landslide and other natural calamities
- Riot, strike, malicious damage and terrorism
- Damage while the car is in transit
Typically not covered
- Depreciation on replaced parts, unless zero depreciation is added
- Engine damage from water ingress or oil leakage, unless engine protection is added
- Consumables and non-standard fittings not declared
- Mechanical and electrical breakdown, and normal wear
- Driving without a valid licence or under the influence
- Use for hire or reward on a private-use policy — including commercial ride-hailing
- Damage outside the stated geographical area
- Loss of use, and any consequential loss
Inclusions and exclusions vary between providers and between plans from the same provider. The wording in your own policy document is what governs — we will walk you through it before you buy.
How it works with us
- 1 Send us the vehicle details Registration number, make and variant, year, and your current policy if you have one. Thirty seconds of typing.
- 2 We check what you are actually insured for IDV, add-ons, voluntary excess and no-claim bonus. Most renewals we see carry an IDV set years ago and never revisited.
- 3 Two or three quotes, compared on cover and not on price With the garage network in your city and each insurer's claim record put next to the premium.
- 4 Inspection where the law requires it A break in cover or a mid-term insurer change means an inspection. We arrange it, usually by video.
- 5 Policy issued, and we handle the claim when it comes You call us at the garage, not a helpline. We deal with the surveyor and the settlement.
Important considerations
The things a brochure tends to leave out. Read these before you decide.
- Zero depreciation is the add-on that changes the arithmetic most. On a car under five years old it usually costs less over a year than a single bumper and headlamp claim without it.
- Engine protection is not a luxury in a city that floods. Water ingress damage is expressly excluded from every standard policy and is among the most expensive repairs a car can need.
- A voluntary excess lowers the premium in exchange for a larger deduction on every claim. It suits a driver who genuinely does not claim for small damage, and nobody else.
- Using a private-use car for commercial ride-hailing without declaring it invalidates own-damage cover. Insurers check this at claim stage.
- Your no-claim bonus is lost by claiming for a small dent. Before claiming, weigh the repair against the bonus you would forfeit — often the repair is cheaper.
Documents required
- Registration certificate (RC) of the vehicle
- Previous policy copy, for no-claim bonus and continuity
- Driving licence of the owner or the usual driver
- Identity and address proof
- PAN card, where the premium crosses the reporting threshold
- Invoice or delivery note, for a new vehicle
- Vehicle inspection report, where there has been a break in cover
Frequently Asked Questions
What does zero depreciation actually change?
Without it, the insurer deducts depreciation on every replaced part — up to 50% on plastic and rubber, which is most of a modern bumper assembly. With it, those parts are settled at full value. On a car under five years old it usually pays for itself in a single claim.
Is engine damage covered by a comprehensive policy?
Not if it results from water ingress or from continuing to run the engine after a leak. Both are standard exclusions, and both are common in monsoon flooding. Engine protection is the add-on that covers them, and in a flood-prone city it is close to essential.
How is IDV decided and can I change it?
It starts from the manufacturer's listed price less a depreciation scale based on the vehicle's age. Insurers allow some movement around that figure. A lower IDV reduces the premium and reduces the theft or total-loss settlement by the same logic, so set it close to real market value.
Should I claim for a small dent?
Often not. A claim resets your no-claim bonus, which can be worth half the own-damage premium after five clear years, and you still pay the compulsory excess. For minor damage, compare the repair cost with the bonus you would give up before deciding.
Does my policy cover me if I use the car for ride-hailing?
Not under a private-use policy. Carrying passengers for hire or reward requires commercial cover. Insurers do check the vehicle's use at claim stage, and an undeclared commercial use is a clean basis for repudiation.
Want a shortlist instead of a catalogue?
Tell us the situation and an advisor comes back with two or three options that actually fit — and names what each one gives up.