When you buy a new car, the first thing you need to do is purchase a good insurance policy that meets your requirements. Driving without valid insurance, just like driving without license, is a punishable offence in India. You need to have a valid insurance policy at any given time. As such, it is important to renew your car insurance from time to time.

While you must concentrate on the no-claims bonus (in case of no-claims filed) and seek a discount on your premium, you can also make other changes to the insurance policy only once a year i.e. when you renew your insurance. Here are a few changes you can make during car policy renewal time.

You can change your plan: If you are not satisfied with your current insurance plan and the coverage you are getting under it, then you can change your insurance plan. Typically, there are two main types of insurance policies for cars – third party limited liability insurance policy and comprehensive insurance policy.

While you would be paying a smaller premium amount in case of the former policy, the premium amount increases based on the coverage you opt for in the latter. Car insurance policy renewal time is the only time when you can change your insurance plan.

You can add additional riders: If you already own a comprehensive insurance policy, you can also revise it to suit your requirements. Insurance providers keep introducing various add-on riders that can improve the amount of protection and coverage you can get. Typically, you have to pay a specific amount for each add-on rider that you purchase. Adding a bouquet of add-on riders like roadside assistance, engine protection, windscreen coverage etc., can be considered during car insurance renewal.

You can add or remove vehicles on the same policy: If you purchase a new vehicle you can also add it to your existing policy when you renew your insurance. Similarly, if you sell off a car, you can remove it from the list of vehicles insured, if all your vehicles are covered under one policy.

While adding and removing vehicles from the insurance policy can be done at any time, it is better to review the policy during renewal time and make the necessary changes, if any.

You can change the primary driver on the policy: Another change you can make at car insurance policy renewal time is that of the primary driver. For instance, if you are getting old, you may want your son or daughter to be named the primary driver on the policy. This change can only be made when you renew your car insurance policy annually.

You can ask for discounts: If you have been paying your insurance premiums regularly, for many years, you already get a benefit known as no-claims bonus. This is a reward you get for not filing any claims in a given year.

However, if you believe that have been a good and loyal customer, you can get in touch with your insurance provider and ask for additional discounts on your add-on riders or for adding more than one vehicle in your insurance policy. In most cases, insurance providers will oblige.

These days, it is also possible to do car insurance renewal online. You can simply visit your insurance provider’s website and follow the steps mentioned on the website to renew your policy.

You will receive a soft-copy of the renewed insurance policy as soon as the payment goes through. Your insurance provider will also send you a hard copy on the address registered on their file.