Insurance Encyclopedia

Surveyor and loss assessor

Claims and policyholder service · Updated 17 October 2026

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In short

A surveyor and loss assessor is an IRDAI-registered professional who inspects a general insurance loss, checks its cause against the policy and assesses the amount payable under Section 64UM.

Also called: SLA, insurance surveyor, loss assessor, motor surveyor, licensed surveyor

What is a surveyor and loss assessor?

A surveyor and loss assessor (SLA) is an independent professional who examines a loss under a general insurance policy: a damaged car, a factory fire, a cargo shortage, a failed machine or a crop loss. The surveyor establishes what happened, whether the cause is one the policy covers, whether the policy conditions were met, and how much the loss is worth after depreciation, salvage, under-insurance and deductibles. The report goes to the insurer, which decides the claim. SLAs work only in general insurance, not in life or health.

How surveyors and loss assessors are regulated in India

The Act. Section 64UM of the Insurance Act, 1938 says no person may act as an SLA unless they hold the qualifications set by IRDAI and are a member of the Indian Institute of Insurance Surveyors and Loss Assessors (IIISLA). Every SLA must follow the code of conduct in the regulations. An insurer cannot admit or settle a claim at or above the threshold IRDAI specifies without a report from an approved SLA, though it can settle at a figure different from the one assessed. IRDAI may also call for an independent report on any such claim and direct the insurer on settlement.

The 2025 amendment. The Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Act, 2025, in force from 5 February 2026, lists surveyors and loss assessors in the new statutory definition of "insurance intermediary", along with brokers, corporate agents, TPAs and insurance repositories. Intermediaries now need a certificate of registration from IRDAI under Section 42D.

From licence to registration. To match the 2025 Act, IRDAI amended the IRDAI (Insurance Surveyors and Loss Assessors) Regulations, 2015 on 30 July 2026. As of October 2026:

ItemPosition under the 2026 amendment
StatusLicence replaced by a certificate of registration that stays in force until surrendered, suspended or cancelled
Processing fee₹5,000 (individual) and ₹25,000 (corporate), plus taxes
Annual fee₹1,000 (individual) and ₹5,000 (corporate), plus taxes, paid between 1 and 31 January for the next financial year
Late paymentAllowed up to 31 March with a late fee of ₹750 plus taxes. Otherwise registration is suspended from 1 April
Existing licencesValid until expiry, then converted into registration on application
DepartmentsFire, marine cargo, marine hull, engineering, motor, miscellaneous, loss of profit and crop

When a survey is required. The 2024 master circulars say a loss of ₹50,000 or more under motor insurance, and ₹1 lakh or more under other general insurance, must be surveyed by a registered SLA.

Timelines for retail claims. The policyholder master circular of September 2024 and the general insurance master circular of June 2024 set these service standards:

  • Surveyor allocated within 24 hours of the claim being reported, through a technology platform run by the General Insurance Council with IIISLA that assigns surveys at random. The circular set 31 October 2024 as the deadline for that system.
  • Insurer tells the customer immediately who the surveyor is and what the surveyor's role is.
  • Survey report within 15 days of allocation. If the surveyor is late, ₹500 per day of delay is payable to the claimant.
  • Insurer decides within 7 days of the report, or of the 15-day deadline if earlier. Policies on reinstatement value basis are excluded from this timeline.

Independence. Insurers must have board-approved criteria to monitor SLAs on turnaround, accuracy and customer feedback, and an SLA's fee cannot depend on the amount of loss assessed.

What surveyors and loss assessors mean for distribution

  • The surveyor's report decides most of the claim value. Brokers and agents handling commercial accounts should prepare clients for the survey: stock registers, purchase bills, maintenance logs and photographs of the damage before clean-up.
  • Explain under-insurance before a loss. The SLA will apply the average clause if the sum insured is too low. A broker who reviews sums insured at renewal prevents the most painful survey outcomes.
  • Use the timelines. A broker can hold the insurer to the 24-hour allocation, 15-day report and 7-day decision. Delays should be escalated in writing.
  • Do not influence the surveyor. Random allocation exists to stop channels, garages or dealers from steering surveys. Distributors and MISPs should keep their role to documentation and follow-up.
  • Check registration. IRDAI publishes lists of individual and corporate surveyors. While existing licences are being converted into registrations, a quick check avoids a report from someone whose registration has lapsed for non-payment of the annual fee.

Sources

Principles of insurancePrinciple of indemnityThe principle of indemnity says insurance should restore the insured to the financial position they were in just before a loss, no better and no worse, so no one profits from a claim.Claims and policyholder serviceSalvageSalvage is the value left in damaged insured property after a loss, such as a wrecked car or fire-damaged stock, which is deducted from the claim or taken over by the insurer after payment.Claims and policyholder serviceClaim intimationClaim intimation is the first notice to an insurer that an insured event has happened, given by the policyholder, nominee or a channel, which starts the claim process and the settlement clock.Property, commercial and specialty insuranceAverage clause and under-insuranceThe average clause is a property insurance condition that reduces a claim in proportion to under-insurance when the sum insured is lower than the property's actual value at the time of loss.Motor insuranceOwn damage insuranceOwn damage insurance is the part of a motor policy that pays for loss of or damage to the insured's own vehicle from accident, theft, fire or calamity, up to its insured declared value.Property, commercial and specialty insuranceFire insuranceFire insurance is property cover that pays for physical loss or damage to buildings, machinery and stock caused by fire and named allied perils such as lightning, explosion, storm and flood.

Cite this entry

Glotus456 Research. "Surveyor and loss assessor." Insurance Encyclopedia (India), updated 17 October 2026. https://www.glotus456.com/research/encyclopedia/surveyor-loss-assessor

About this entry. Written by the Glotus456 Research team, a BFSI distribution consultancy in Gurugram working with insurers, NBFCs and FinTechs across India. It explains how things work and is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules change: check the current IRDAI regulation or circular, or the official scheme or tax source, before acting.