Policybazaar
Company History
Policybazaar History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 2008 in Gurugram, Haryana, India
When was Policybazaar founded?
Policybazaar was founded in 2008 in Gurugram, Haryana, India by Yashish Dahiya, Alok Bansal and Avaneesh Nirjar, making it 18 years old.
- Founded
- 2008
- Founding place
- Gurugram, Haryana, India
- Founders
- Yashish Dahiya, Alok Bansal and Avaneesh Nirjar
- Headquarters today
- Gurugram, Haryana, India
- Milestones documented
- 9 (2008–2026)
- Current CEO
- Yashish Dahiya
- Acquisitions
- 5
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2008 | Policybazaar founded in Gurugram by Yashish Dahiya, Alok Bansal and Avaneesh Nirjar; Info Edge invests early. |
| 2014 | Paisabazaar launched for credit scores, loans and credit cards. |
| 2018 | Acquired DocPrime |
| 2018 | SoftBank Investment |
| 2021 | PB Fintech lists on NSE and BSE after a ~$662 million (₹5,710 crore) IPO priced at ₹980 per share. |
| 2021 | Acquired Visit Health |
| 2024 | First full-year profit: ~$7.77 million (₹67 crore) PAT for FY2024. |
| 2026 | FY2026 PAT of ~$77.7 million (₹670 crore) on ~$788 million (₹6,794 crore) revenue (May); Tencent exits and founders sell 0.8% (May); Temasek entity sells about 2.37% (July). |
| 2026 | September: IRDAI draft on commission and expense caps triggers a roughly 39% two-day share fall. |
- Where was Policybazaar founded?
- Policybazaar was founded in Gurugram, Haryana, India in 2008. en.wikipedia.org
- Who founded Policybazaar?
- Policybazaar was founded by Yashish Dahiya, Alok Bansal and Avaneesh Nirjar.
- When did Policybazaar start?
- Policybazaar was founded in 2008.
- How old is Policybazaar?
- Policybazaar is 18 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
Yashish Dahiya, an IIT Delhi, IIM Ahmedabad and INSEAD graduate who had worked at Bain & Company and ebookers in Europe, started Policybazaar in 2008 with Alok Bansal and Avaneesh Nirjar. The idea was simple: Indians were buying insurance largely through agents with little ability to compare cost and cover, so a neutral comparison site could shift the market toward cheaper, clearer protection products like term insurance. Info Edge, owner of Naukri.com, was an early investor.
Founders
Yashish Dahiya
Yashish Dahiya co-founded Policybazaar in 2008 after noticing the extreme lack of transparency in the Indian insurance market, where agents routinely pushed highly unprofitable policies to consumers. Under his leadership as CEO, the company completely digitized the insurance comparison process in India, successfully guiding the parent company (PB Fintech) to a massive $770 million IPO in 2021. Yashish Dahiya was born in 1972.
Alok Bansal
Alok Bansal co-founded Policybazaar in 2008. He architected the financial backend and complex regulatory compliance structures required to operate an insurance aggregator in India. As CFO, he managed the massive early venture capital rounds that allowed the company to survive the grueling, cash-burning early days of customer acquisition. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Avaneesh Nirjar
Avaneesh Nirjar was one of the three original co-founders of Policybazaar. He helped build the initial prototype of the insurance comparison engine but left the company shortly after its founding to pursue other entrepreneurial ventures. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Key Milestones
Policybazaar founded in Gurugram by Yashish Dahiya, Alok Bansal and Avaneesh Nirjar; Info Edge invests early.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgPaisabazaar launched for credit scores, loans and credit cards.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgSoftBank Investment
SoftBank Vision Fund led a funding round of more than $200 million in Policybazaar in 2018, valuing it at more than $1 billion.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgPB Fintech lists on NSE and BSE after a ~$662 million (₹5,710 crore) IPO priced at ₹980 per share.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgFirst full-year profit: ~$7.77 million (₹67 crore) PAT for FY2024.
Source: stockanalysis.comFY2026 PAT of ~$77.7 million (₹670 crore) on ~$788 million (₹6,794 crore) revenue (May); Tencent exits and founders sell 0.8% (May); Temasek entity sells about 2.37% (July).
Source: zeebiz.comSeptember: IRDAI draft on commission and expense caps triggers a roughly 39% two-day share fall.
Source: fortuneindia.comMajor Acquisitions
Visit Health
2021Stake in a telehealth and corporate wellness platform.
DocPrime
2018Internally incubated healthcare platform.
Docprime Technologies
2022Online healthcare services provider.
FiAerfly
2022Diabetes care platform.
Accurex Marketing and Consulting
Motor vehicle claims assistance.
Keep researching Policybazaar
Policybazaar Company History FAQ
What are the major historical milestones of Policybazaar since 2008?
Key historical milestones include: June 2008 founding by Yashish Dahiya and Alok Bansal; 2011 transition to direct online insurance sales; 2014 launch of Paisabazaar; 2018 SoftBank Vision Fund investment ($200M+); 2021 launch of PB Partners; November 2021 IPO on NSE/BSE; and FY2024 achievement of full GAAP net profitability.
How did Policybazaar pioneer high-sum-insured term life insurance in India?
Before Policybazaar, Indian consumers bought low-cover traditional endowment and money-back policies that offered poor returns. Policybazaar educated the Indian public on pure Term Insurance, offering ₹1 Crore life cover for as low as ₹500/month, transforming family financial security.
How did the COVID-19 pandemic permanently alter Indian health insurance adoption?
During 2020-2021, the COVID-19 health crisis triggered a surge in health insurance awareness in India. Policybazaar experienced record sales in comprehensive family health cover, 1-Crore health plans, and instant digital policy issuance.
What was the landmark ~$662 million (₹5,710 crore) IPO of PB Fintech in November 2021?
PB Fintech listed on the NSE and BSE in November 2021, pricing its ₹5,710 crore ($760 million) IPO at ₹980 per share.
How did PB Partners expand Policybazaar offline?
PB Partners gives independent POSP agents digital tools to sell policies from many insurers, extending PB Fintech beyond online buyers into smaller towns.
How did Policybazaar launch physical claim support desks at major hospital networks?
To solve hospital claim friction, Policybazaar stationed dedicated on-ground claims assistance managers directly inside top hospital networks across India, helping policyholders with cashless authorizations and instant discharge approvals.
How did PB Fintech cross into sustained annual net profitability in FY2024?
PB Fintech posted PAT of about $7.77 million (₹67 crore) in FY2024, its first profitable year, after losses of ~$96.6 million (₹833 crore) in FY2022 and ~$56.5 million (₹487 crore) in FY2023.
What is Policybazaar's enduring historical contribution to Digital India?
Policybazaar helped popularise online comparison of term and health insurance in India and pushed insurers to compete openly on price and features.
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