Term Insurance

TATA AIA vs. SBI Life Insurance: Which Term Insurance Is Better?

Subhashish Banerjee

Written by Subhashish Banerjee

Insurance Writer

Gaurav Bhat

Reviewed by Gaurav Bhat

IRDAI-Certified Expert at Ditto

SP0738578124

Certified
TATA AIA vs. SBI Life Insurance: Which Term Insurance Is Better?

Overview

TATA AIA Life Insurance and SBI Life Insurance are both established insurers with strong term insurance portfolios. However, the better choice depends on more than just the plans and premiums.

  • Claims Settlement Ratio: TATA AIA reported a 99.48% CSR in FY 2025–26, while SBI Life reported a 98.83% CSR in FY 2025–26.
  • Solvency Ratio: Both insurers maintain solvency levels comfortably above the regulatory requirement of 1.5x. TATA AIA reported a solvency ratio of 1.84x compared with SBI Life of 1.94x over FY 2024-26. 
  • Popular Term Plans: TATA AIA term insurance offers plans such as Sampoorna Raksha Promise and Maha Raksha Supreme, while SBI Life offers options such as eShield Insta and Smart Shield Premier.
  • Customer Reach and Service: SBI Life benefits from the extensive distribution reach associated with the SBI ecosystem. TATA AIA has a more focused insurance distribution and digital-service model.

Choosing between TATA AIA and SBI Life can be difficult, especially when both are established insurers with strong market presence. But the decision shouldn't rest on a single metric like claim settlement ratio. Premiums, product features, payout options, riders, flexibility, and overall insurer performance also deserve attention.

In this guide, we compare TATA AIA vs. SBI Life Insurance across these key factors to help you understand their differences and decide which insurer may better suit your long-term protection needs.

TATA AIA Life Insurance vs. SBI Life Insurance: Insurer comparison

FactorTATA AIASBI Life
Established2001 2000
IRDAI Registration Number110111
PartnershipTATA Sons and AIA GroupState Bank of India (SBI) is the principal promoter
Offices6091,241
Agent 1,90,7962,93,443

Flagship Plans of  TATA AIA vs. SBI Life Insurance: Sampoorna Raksha Promise vs. eShield Next

    • TATA AIA Sampoorna Raksha Promise is a well-designed term insurance plan that combines comprehensive protection with meaningful flexibility. The TATA AIA term plan offers a built-in terminal illness benefit that can accelerate 50% of the sum assured on a qualifying diagnosis, while future premiums are waived. Sampoorna Raksha Promise pays up to ₹1 crore when you get diagnosed with one of the 40 covered illnesses.
    • SBI Life eShield Next offers flexible coverage through Level Cover, Increasing Cover, and Future Proofing options. However, the SBI term insurance plan is not prominently featured in SBI Life's current term insurance portfolio. Therefore, confirm its current availability, features, and terms directly with the insurer before deciding to buy. The terminal illness benefit pays up to ₹2 crore if you get diagnosed with a terminal illness before age 80.

Insight

Sampoorna Raksha Promise stands out for its broader feature set and greater flexibility. However, SBI Life eShield Next has two notable advantages. Its Life Stage Benefit allows cover increases without fresh medical underwriting, while its Increasing Cover option provides a clearly defined, predictable increase in coverage over the policy term, subject to the applicable policy conditions.

TATA AIA vs. SBI Life Payout Options, Whole Life Cover, and Life Stage Increases Compared

FeatureTATA AIA Maha Raksha Supreme SelectSBI Life Smart Shield Plus
Death payoutLump sum, staggered income, or combination. Policyholder primarily chooses the structure at purchase.Lump sum, installments, or combination. Nominee can choose the payout structure at claim.
Installment periodMonthly, quarterly, half-yearly, or annual payouts for up to 30 years.Monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, or annual payouts for 5, 10, 15, or 20 years.
Whole-life coverAvailable up to age 100, with entry from 18 years, subject to eligibility. Available up to age 100, with whole-life entry generally from 45 years. 
Life Stage increasesMarriage, childbirth, and home-loan increases are available, subject to limits and underwriting.Marriage and childbirth increases are available. Whether additional underwriting is required depends on the product terms, eligibility criteria, and insurer rules.
Key DifferenceGreater payout flexibility and potentially higher life-stage increases, but underwriting may apply.Simpler life-stage enhancement process with no further medical underwriting, but lower enhancement limits.

Note: Tata AIA Maha Raksha Supreme Select offers broader protection and more features overall. However, SBI Life Smart Shield Plus has two clear advantages: its cover can increase automatically, and Life Stage increases can be made without fresh medical underwriting, subject to policy terms.

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TATA AIA vs. SBI Life Insurance - Riders Comparison

01

Total Permanent Disability

Tata AIA offers Accidental Total & Permanent Disability (ATPD) under eligible options. SBI Life does not appear to offer a direct ATPD equivalent, but provides Accidental Partial Permanent Disability (APPD).

02

Critical Illness

Tata AIA offers CritiCare Plus and accelerated CritiCare, covering 40 specified illnesses and procedures. SBI Life does not currently appear to offer a standalone individual critical illness rider.

03

Waiver of Premium

Tata AIA offers premium-waiver benefits through eligible rider options, with WOP also built into select flagship term plans. SBI Life does not currently appear to offer a standalone waiver of premium rider.

04

Terminal Illness

Tata AIA offers terminal illness benefits through both inbuilt and rider options, subject to applicable conditions. SBI Life does not currently offer a terminal illness benefit in Smart Shield Plus or Smart Shield Premier.

05

Accidental Death

Both Tata AIA and SBI Life offer accidental death benefit options, providing an additional payout on accidental death, subject to the respective policy terms.

Note: At Ditto, we recommend critical illness and waiver of premium riders because they can provide additional financial support during major health events while helping ensure your term insurance coverage remains active.

TATA AIA vs. SBI Life Insurance Sample Premium Comparison by Age and Cover

AgeTATA AIA Maha Raksha Supreme SelectSBI Life Smart Shield Plus
25₹16,110₹17,440
30₹19,090₹21,438
35₹25,770₹27,748
40₹33,886₹36,848

Note: The term premium comparison above assumes a healthy, salaried, non-smoking male in Delhi (110010) seeking ₹2 crore cover until age 65. First-year discounts have been excluded. 

TATA AIA Life tends to offer lower premiums in this illustration. However, actual premiums may vary based on underwriting and individual circumstances. You can use the TATA AIA term insurance calculator and SBI Life premium calculator for rough estimates. 

TATA AIA vs. SBI Life Insurance: Performance metrics

Metric (Average FY 2024-26)TATA AIASBI LifeIndustry Average
Claim Settlement Ratio (CSR)99.36%98.76%99.00% (Mean)
Amount Settlement Ratio (ASR) (Average FY 2023-25)96.31%95.42%94.83% (Mean)
Annual Business Volume (In Crore)₹10,504.08₹38,788.83₹3,778.58 (Median)
Volume of Complaints (Per 10,000 Claims)3.006.6713.10 (Median)
Solvency Ratio1.84x1.94x2.00x (Median)
Annual Death Claims Paid (In Crore)₹1,247.51₹2,409.93₹237.24 (Median) 

Note: The data in the above table is derived from TATA AIA’s public disclosures, SBI Life’s public disclosures, and IRDAI annual reports. You can also explore these insurer-level metrics in greater detail through Ditto Data Lab. These are insurer-wide metrics and not specific to any particular product line.

TATA AIA vs. SBI Life Insurance: Claim Process and Customer Service

When choosing between TATA AIA Life Insurance and SBI Life Insurance, it is worth evaluating their claim process and customer service. Both insurers have established claim servicing systems, with complaint volumes that remain relatively low compared with the industry average. 

You can file a claim through the TATA AIA official website or the SBI Life official website, depending on your insurer. Both offer online claim-intimation facilities, along with guidance on required documents and the claim process.

Customer Service

MethodTATA AIASBI Life Insurance
Call Number 1-860-266-99661800 267 9090
Mailclaims@TATAaia.cominfo@sbilife.co.in
Whatsapp Number+91-7045669966+91 8750633334

Pros and Cons of TATA AIA Term Insurance

Pros of TATA AIA Term Insurance

    • Strong Claims Track Record: TATA AIA maintains a high claim settlement ratio above the industry mean, which indicates a strong record of settling eligible claims.
    • Strong Brand Credibility: Its association with the TATA Group and AIA Group provides strong brand recognition and financial credibility.
    • Feature-Rich Plans: TATA AIA term insurance plans such as Sampoorna Raksha Supreme offer flexible options, including critical illness protection, zero-cost exit, and return of premium.

Cons of TATA AIA Term Insurance

    • Depending on your profile and coverage, TATA AIA's premiums can be slightly higher than some competitors like Bajaj Life.
    • TATA AIA operates at a big scale but not as huge as SBI Life. The latter operates at a significantly larger scale, with business volume more than 3.5 times that of TATA AIA.

Pros and Cons of SBI Life Term Insurance

Pros of SBI Life Term Insurance

    • Strong Brand Credibility: SBI Life benefits from its association with the State Bank of India, giving it strong brand recognition and a sense of financial stability.
    • Extensive Offline Reach: Its wide branch network makes policy servicing, documentation, and claim assistance more accessible, especially for customers who prefer in-person support.
    • Competitive Premiums: Plans such as SBI Life Smart Shield can offer attractive premiums, particularly for higher coverage amounts, non-smokers, and women, subject to underwriting.

Cons of SBI Life Term Insurance

    • SBI Life operates with decent metrics, but TATA AIA has a marginal edge on CSR, ASR, and complaint levels. 
    • SBI Life's claim settlement ratio is slightly below that of some leading insurers like Axis Max Life, so it is worth comparing claim metrics across insurers.

TATA AIA vs. SBI Life Insurance: Which one to choose?

TATA AIA is a strong choice if you prefer a digital-first insurer with comprehensive products, flexible features, and competitive premiums. Its plans offer greater customization for customers looking beyond basic protection.

SBI Life brings legacy, scale, and extensive distribution, supported by its association with SBI and listed status. Its products are more straightforward, focusing on dependable baseline protection rather than extensive feature sets.

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Conclusion

Both insurers are credible choices, but your decision should depend on product suitability, premium, claims experience, and features. Compare TATA AIA and SBI Life alongside other best term insurance companies before choosing the policy that fits your needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is TATA AIA Sampoorna Raksha Promise a good term plan for a 30-year-old salaried buyer?

It can be worth considering if the coverage, premium, and features suit your needs. TATA AIA currently illustrates an annual premium of ₹10,150 for a 30-year-old salaried, non-smoking male seeking ₹1 crore cover for 30 years under regular pay and the Life Promise option. This illustration includes a 10% first-year digital-purchase discount and an 8.5% salaried discount and remains subject to underwriting.

How trustworthy is SBI Life's claim settlement record for term insurance?

SBI Life is a large, established life insurer with significant operating scale and a broad distribution network. However, claim settlement ratio alone should not determine your choice. Also consider the insurer's claim experience, solvency, complaint record, underwriting practices, and the specific policy's exclusions and conditions.

Does TATA AIA's life stage option let me increase my sum assured after marriage or childbirth without fresh underwriting?

No. Under plans like Tata AIA Maha Raksha Supreme Select, life stage increases depend on the insurer's underwriting policy and must be exercised within 180 days of the qualifying event. The plan allows a 50% increase after marriage, 25% after the first child, 25% after the second child, and 100% after home-loan disbursal, subject to the sanctioned loan amount and other policy conditions.

Does TATA AIA Sampoorna Raksha Promise pay out early if I am diagnosed with a terminal illness?

Yes. The plan includes an inbuilt payout accelerator benefit that pays 50% of the effective sum assured upon a qualifying terminal illness diagnosis. This accelerates the death benefit, so the amount already paid will reduce the remaining death benefit payable later, subject to policy terms. 

What discount rate does TATA AIA apply if my nominee converts staggered monthly payouts into a lump sum?

The nominee can convert the remaining staggered payouts into a lump sum, but the amount is not simply the total of future installments. Tata AIA discounts these future payments using the higher of 4% p.a. or the prevailing 10-year G-Sec yield plus 1%, so the commuted amount may be significantly lower than the nominal future payout.

Does SBI Life eShield Next increase my cover automatically at life milestones?

No. Under the level cover with future proofing benefit, increases at marriage, childbirth, adoption, or house purchase are not automatic. You must apply for the relevant increase, meet the conditions, and pay the revised premium. SBI Life also offers an increasing cover benefit that automatically increases cover by 10% every fifth policy year, subject to limits.

Do I still pay GST on a TATA AIA or SBI Life term insurance premium in 2026?

No. As of September 22, 2025, GST on term insurance for individual plans is 0%, so policyholders pay only the base premium. However, group term insurance policies continue to attract 18% GST, including employer- or association-sponsored group covers, subject to applicable tax rules.

TATA AIA vs. SBI Life which is better?

TATA AIA may suit buyers seeking feature-rich term plans and greater flexibility, while SBI Life may appeal to those who prioritize scale, branch presence, and an established insurer. However, the better choice ultimately depends on the specific plan, premium, policy terms, underwriting, and how well the coverage matches your needs.

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