MAM
Policybazaar unveils new term life ad campaign featuring Pankaj Tripathi
Mumbai: Online insurance marketplaces Policybazaar unveils its newest brand campaign featuring actor Pankaj Tripathi to raise awareness quotient regarding the significance of term life insurance. Presented with a healthy dose of humour, the ad film is aimed at individuals who procrastinate the crucial decision of buying term insurance for their dependents.
The low insurance penetration in India stems from the low collective public awareness regarding insurance, and Policybazaar’s new campaign deftly underlines this fact. Corresponding to the brand’s promise of insuring every family, the initiative targets the all-too-prevalent perception of stalling insurance purchases until it’s too late. The quirky ad emphasises that not buying term insurance is equivalent to a ‘ghor paap’ or unforgivable sin against one’s family.
Commenting on the launch, Policybazaar.com CEO Sarbvir Singh said, “The overall low insurance penetration rate in India is a reflection of mostly uninsured or underinsured people. We at Policybazaar have relentlessly been working towards the mission of closing the protection gap in the country and bringing it to global levels. Our new campaign is humorous and hard-hitting in equal measures to create the maximum impact on the general consumer mindset of procrastination. We want to effectively drive a strong consumer connection through this campaign and make them aware of the consequences of their indecision.”
Establishing an afterlife setting, the creative campaign kicks off with a seemingly affable college professor being directed to the gates of hell in a surprising turn of events. Downright baffled, he is told by the gatekeeper that he has committed a ‘ghor paap’ against his family by not purchasing a term life insurance in his lifetime. Played by the charismatic Pankaj Tripathi, the gatekeeper then lets the next guy into heaven since he had taken a policy!
Talking about the campaign launch, Policybazaar Group senior director brand & marketing Sai Narayan said, “Procrastination, especially when it comes to insurance, is pretty much a fundamental trait. The concept behind this campaign is to make consumers aware of the transience of life and the gravity of an unprecedented situation. The humour element is intended to educate as well as entertain them at the same time. Pankaj Tripathi is one of the most popular faces of the entertainment industry and his trademark style helps get our message across prudently among the masses.”
MagicCircle managing director Hemant Misra added, “Death is the only truth in our lives. Policybazaar is one brand that has taken this truth by the horns and coaxed a highly underpenetrated category into action. For this campaign, we went beyond the fear of death to a fear that lives on even after death. The fear of being remembered as the person who robbed their family of happiness. That is not simply a crime but ‘Paap’. Ghor Paap. That is the simple insight this campaign is based on.”
Since its inception, Policybazaar’s larger vision has been to make the insurance ecosystem more transparent and make insurance simpler for the end consumer. Our end-to-end digital assistance and diversified solutions have been vital in giving people a safer and easier way for buying, renewing, and claiming insurance for over a decade. The campaign is a part of the larger brand message of encouraging more and more people to invest in protection products for a better future for their loved ones, even in their absence.
Brands
Kwality Wall’s reports standalone losses following strategic HUL demerger
Ice cream major faces Rs 64 crore Ebitda loss amid commodity inflation and muted Q3 sales
MUMBAI: Kwality Wall’s (India) Limited (KWIL) has released its first set of financial results as a standalone entity, revealing a challenging start to its independent journey. Following its successful demerger from Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) on 1st December 2025 and its subsequent listing on 16th February 2026, the company is navigating a transition period marked by structural changes and high input costs.
For the quarter ended 31st December 2025, the company reported revenue of Rs 222 crores. Despite the revenue base, the bottom line was impacted by several factors, resulting in an Ebitda loss of Rs 64.2 crores. When calculated on a Pre-IND AS 116 basis, the Ebitda loss stood at Rs 83.8 crores.
Organic Sales Growth (OSG) declined by 6.5 per cent year-on-year during the quarter. Volume growth, however, saw a marginal increase of 1.2 per cent. The company reported a gross margin of 41.5 per cent. Additionally, exceptional expenses amounting to Rs 94 crores were recorded, primarily linked to non-recurring costs during the transition phase.
Performance across portfolios and channels was mixed. Within the impulse portfolio, brands such as Magnum and Cornetto recorded mid-single digit volume growth, indicating steady demand in on-the-go consumption. However, the in-home portfolio, which includes take-home packs, experienced muted consumption. The company is planning a relaunch of this category with improved offerings ahead of the 2026 season.
Quick commerce (Q-Com) continued to emerge as a strong growth driver, delivering robust double-digit growth during the quarter. Meanwhile, the company also expanded its physical distribution network by increasing the number of company-owned cabinets across markets.
Margin pressure during the quarter was driven by a combination of one-off factors and broader cost inflation. Gross margins were impacted by around 600 basis points due to trade investments made for stock liquidation. Additionally, cocoa price inflation contributed to another 400 basis points of pressure on margins.
Deputy managing director Chitrank Goel attributed the muted performance partly to prolonged monsoons and transitional challenges linked to the GST framework. Operating expenses also increased as the company invested in establishing its standalone supply chain, operational systems and corporate infrastructure following the demerger.
Looking ahead, the management remains focused on a volume-driven growth strategy. To restore profitability, the company has initiated a cost productivity programme aimed at reducing non-consumer-facing costs. It is also working on building regional manufacturing networks to optimise logistics expenses and improve operational efficiency.
The commodity outlook for the near term remains mixed. Dairy prices are expected to remain firm due to tight supply conditions and rising fodder costs. Sugar prices may also move higher following increases in the Minimum Selling Price (MSP). While cocoa prices have moderated recently, currency depreciation has offset some of the potential cost relief for the company.
