Understanding Insured Declared Value

Get Car Insurance starting at only ₹2,094/year #
Processing

When you buy or renew a car insurance policy, it is suggested not to blindly purchase one that has a lower premium. If the insurance premium of a car insurance policy is significantly lower than other alternatives available, then the possibility of lower coverage offered in the former policy is high. You should remember that a significantly lower insurance premium is given on behalf of the lower Insured Declared Value or IDV of your car. So, you must completely understand the implications of IDV on your 4 wheeler insurance.

Read more

  • Renew policy in 2 minutes*

  • 20+ Insurers to choose

  • 51 Lakh+ Vehicles Insured

#TP price for less than 1000 CC cars. All savings are provided by insurers as per IRDAI approved insurance plan. Standard T&C apply.

Get Car Insurance starting at only ₹2,094/year #
Looking for Car Insurance?
    Other models
    Other variants
    Select your variant
    View all variants
      Full Name
      Email
      Mobile No.
      View Prices
      Please wait..
      By clicking on “View Prices”, you agree to our Privacy Policy & Terms of Use
      Get Updates on WhatsApp
      Select Make
      Select Model
      Fuel Type
      Select variant
      Registration year
      Registration month
      Save & update
      Please wait..

      We have found best plans for you!! Our advisor will get in touch with you soon.

      What is Insured Declared Value or IDV

      Insured Declared Value or IDV is the utmost value for which your vehicle is insured in situation of theft or complete loss in a specific year. It decreases as your car gets old with time. The IDV is a mutually agreed value between the insurance company and you (as the insured) and is set at the starting of your car insurance policy every year. The premium of your comprehensive insurance policy is calculated according to this value. For the same rate of premium, lower Insured Declared Value (IDV) implies lower premium, and higher Insured Declared Value (IDV) means a higher premium.

      What Does Happen When You Decrease Your IDV?

      Most insurance companies allow you to select an IDV within a specific pre-defined range. The reason for the same is clear – the IDV of your car does not only depend on the current depreciated value of your vehicle but also its market value. So, you can choose a comparatively lower IDV to reduce the payable premium. You can do the same by visiting your insurance provider's portal.

      How Would You Be Affected?

      Lowering the Insured Declared Value or IDV below the market value of your car means that you are going to insure your car for less than what it’s worth and this means that you will get lower IDV as compensation in case of total loss or theft of your car. By entailment, it signifies that you are taking some of the total losses (to the extent the Insured Declared Value is less than the real market value of the vehicle) and would also have to bear various losses in such events.

      For example, if the IDV of your car is Rs. four lakhs, then even the best car insurance provider would compensate claims worth Rs. four lakhs in an accident that results in complete loss or theft. However, if you have lowered the Insured Declared Value of your car to for example Rs. 3 lakhs at the time of purchasing your car insurance policy, the insurance provider would compensate only those claims that are worth Rs.3 lakhs. Therefore, it is always best to get the insurance of your car for the correct Insured Declared Value (IDV) to make sure that you get the right amount in case of a claim. Do not try to reduce the IDV of your car just because of the lower premium as this may lead to high risks.

      The Importance of IDV

      So, you can feel the importance of IDV at the time of making a claim. Since under this maximum liability is undertaken by the insurance provider, Insured Declared Value or IDV is paid in the below-mentioned claim example:

      Mr. Robin bought a car insurance policy for his brand new car from a car insurance provider that offered him the lowest premium. However, he did not pay any attention to the IDV of his insurance policy. After few months, his insured car suffered some serious damages due to an accident that resulted in total loss. Unfortunately, because of the low Insured Declared Value, the amount of claim could not fulfill Robin's expectations which lead to capital loss.

      How to Calculate IDV?

      Insured Declared Value or IDV is calculated by your insurance provider. The insurer calculates the IDV as per the market value of your car after deducting the depreciation as per your vehicle’s age. The formula that is used to calculate the IDV is:

      IDV = The listed price of your car as per its manufacturer – depreciation mentioned in the Indian Motor Tariff

      The listed price of your vehicle is known as its ex-showroom price, and it excludes the registration cost, its insurance, and all other loadings.

      Additionally, if your vehicle has some additional accessories, the cost of these is not included in the listed price. IDV also includes the price of such accessories after deducting depreciation. For such instances, the IDV is calculated as per the following formula:

      IDV = (The listed price of your car as per its manufacturer – depreciation mentioned in the Indian Motor Tariff) + (Value of additional accessories – their depreciation)

      The depreciation rate applicable to calculate the IDV is mentioned below:

      Vehicle’s Age

      Applicable Depreciation

      Up to 0.5 years or six months

      5%

      Six months to one year

      15%

      One year to two years

      20%

      Two years to three years

      30%

      Three years to four years

      40%

      Four years to five years

      50%

      If your car is more than five years old, then its IDV is settled as per its current condition, its serviceable parts that are available in the market, and the mutual understanding between the policyholder and insurance provider.

      IDV and Premium of Car Insurance

      As mentioned earlier IDV signifies the value of your vehicle, it is proportional to your insurance policy’s premium. This means that if the Insured Declared Value of your vehicle is high, its premium will also be high and vice-versa.

      How to Choose the Correct Value of IDV for Your Car?

      As IDV determines your car insurance policy’s premium, many of us are tempted to opt for lower IDVs while buying an insurance policy. However, you must avoid this. Selecting the correct IDV is necessary because it not only affects the premium of your insurance policy but also affects your insurance claim amount.

      As mentioned earlier, if you choose an IDV that is lower than the market value of your car, you may end up getting a very low amount of claim, if your car is completely damaged or stolen. This claim would not be enough to pay for a replacement of the car and may cause financial strain. This is the reason it is essential to select an IDV that is closest to the market value of your car after subtracting the depreciation.

      Saying that selecting a very high IDV is also not a good choice if you opt for very high Insured Declared Value, you may end up paying high premiums without any reason.

      Therefore, you should always be careful while selecting the Insured Declared Value (IDV) of your car insurance policy. It has to be ideal, not much, and not less.

      The Final Words!

      So, the next time when you compare your car insurance policy to renew or buy a new policy for it, do not forget to consider IDV. With coverage features and premiums of the policy, you should also keep an eye on IDV. Having an ideal IDV is equally necessary as paying the accurate premium, and you must, therefore, select the most optimal Insured Declared Value for your car.

      Find similar car insurance quotes by body type

      Hatchback Sedan SUV MUV
      Search
      Disclaimer: Policybazaar does not endorse, rate or recommend any particular insurer or insurance product offered by an insurer.
       Why buy from policybazaar

      Car insurance articles

      Recent Articles
      Popular Articles
      All You Need to Know About Standalone OD Insurance

      29 Sep 2023

      The concept of Own Damage(OD) is not a new one. For those of us
      Read more
      Your Guide to Reducing the Chances of a Rejected Motor Insurance claim

      29 Sep 2023

      Filing a motor insurance claim can be a complex process, and
      Read more
      Top things to keep in mind when Renewing Car Insurance

      29 Sep 2023

      To continue receiving coverage benefits, it's necessary to renew
      Read more
      Importance and Benefits of Comprehensive Car Insurance Policy

      20 Sep 2023

      Having third-party car insurance is mandatory as per the motor
      Read more
      5 Common Myths About Buying Motor Insurance

      13 Sep 2023

      When buying car insurance, it is essential to have a thorough
      Read more
      Check Vehicle/Car Insurance Status Online on Parivahan Sewa, Vahan, IIB & RTO
      It doesn’t matter if you are an excellent driver or take your car out only once in a few months, your car must be
      Read more
      Getting Your Duplicate Car Insurance Policy is Easy-Here’s How!
      Losing your car insurance documents can be daunting. In such a state of affairs, the first thing that comes to your
      Read more
      How to Find Car Insurance Details by Registration Number?
      As a car owner, it is mandatory to have a car insurance policy under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Sometimes, you
      Read more
      How to Transfer Car Insurance Policy?
      An integral part of selling a car, for both the buyer and the seller, is ensuring a successful car insurance
      Read more
      Vehicle Scrappage Policy in India: All You Need to Know
      With an aim to phase out unfit and polluting vehicles, the Government of India has rolled out Vehicle Scrappage
      Read more

      top
      View Plans
      Close
      Download the Policybazaar app
      to manage all your insurance needs.
      INSTALL