"Heat insurance: Rs 3,000 for workers", 19 June 2025

Intense heat has triggered a first-of-its-kind insurance payouts, with Digit Insurance settling claims for migrant labourers in Noida after temperatures crossed 42 degrees Celsius. The payouts, based on weather thresholds rather than actual losses,aim to provide quick financial relief without lengthy claim assessments. Digit Insurance, in partnership with K M Dastur Reinsurance Brokers and Jan Sahas Foundation, is offering this heat-index based cover to workers across Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, Faridabad, and Lucknow. The policy pays up to Rs 3,000 when temperatures cross thresholds for five consecutive days, with an additional payout if the breach lasts 10 days. The threshold temperatures range from 42 to 43.7 degrees Celsius, varying by city. Many of the covered workers depend on daily wages and are exposed to heat-related risks such as heatstroke. In 2024, India recorded 67,637 suspected heatstroke cases and 374 deaths.

..In May 2023, ICICI Lombard, in collaboration with Swiss Re, introduced a similar policy for 50,000 women labourers associated with SEWA across 22 districts in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra.