Bengaluru: Beneath every statistic on India’s low insurance penetration lies a simple truth that people don’t buy what they don’t understand, and they don’t trust what feels distant. This trust gap has long been one of the biggest barriers to India’s financial inclusion journey. While urban India races ahead with digital-first platforms, millions in Tier 2, Tier 3, and smaller towns remain underinsured, hindered by financial illiteracy and a lack of trust and credible guidance.

PBPartners, the PoSP (Point of Sale Person) arm of PolicyBazaar, understood this gap and is rewriting this story by blending the precision of technology with the credibility of human agents on the ground.

Launched in 2021, PBPartners was founded on the principle that insurance should be both accessible and trustworthy. The platform empowers people across all sectors, including homemakers, shopkeepers, and small business owners, to become PoSPs, acting as local ambassadors for financial awareness. Today, about 75% of PBPartners’ business comes from Tier 2 and smaller cities. With a footprint spanning 19,500 pin codes, the network continues to expand into under-penetrated regions supported by local teams who onboard and train new agents.

According to Mr. Dhruv Sarin, Co-Founder, PBPartners, “Success in smaller towns comes from a careful balance of factors like vernacular communication, digital outreach, and trust built on the ground by local PoSPs.”

“Trust is the most important factor,” Sarin emphasizes. Even the best digital platform cannot replace the confidence customers have in a local agent who understands their needs. This human connection, an agent who knows the community, their concerns, and their goals, remains the driving force of PBPartners’ approach.

PBPartners operates with a dedicated team of over 2,200 employees across 600 cities, each playing a crucial role in nurturing and supporting its growing network of PoSPs. Beyond just onboarding, these teams act as mentors, conducting training sessions, resolving queries, and hand-holding new agents through their initial sales journey. The company’s training modules go beyond product education to include goal planning, need analysis, and customer engagement skills, ensuring that every PoSP evolves into a trusted financial advisor rather than just a seller. Regular programs, initiatives, and digital learning tools allow agents to stay updated on product innovations and regulatory changes. This consistent on-ground and digital support system has been instrumental in maintaining agent motivation, improving retention, and building a culture of continuous learning across the PBPartners ecosystem.

PBPartners’ in-person sessions are also complemented by self-paced, new learning modules across categories such as motor, health, life, and shop insurance, allowing agents to upskill continuously.

PBPartners’ focus on agent sustainability further strengthens this ecosystem. Initiatives such as renewal commission guarantees ensure long-term earnings for PoSPs, while transparent, on-demand payouts build trust and financial independence. By integrating advanced tech tools for lead management, analytics, and claim support, the platform enables every partner to run their business efficiently and transparently. Together, these efforts are helping thousands of agents turn insurance from a side income into a sustainable livelihood, a crucial step toward lasting financial empowerment.