Car insurance IDV calculator

What does the IDV I get here actually mean?

It's the value an insurer should normally put on your car for the policy year. If the car is stolen and not recovered, or damaged so badly that it's declared a total loss, this is broadly the amount you'd be paid, less the deductible. It also sets your own-damage premium, which is a percentage of it.

It is not the price you'd get from a used-car dealer, and it's not what you paid in the showroom. It's a formula value: the current ex-showroom price, less a fixed percentage for age.

What do I need to enter?

• Ex-showroom price of your exact variant. Use today's price from the maker's website if the model is still sold, or the ex-showroom figure on your invoice. Leave out registration, road tax, insurance and dealer charges.
• Accessories fitted after purchase that you want covered, like alloy wheels or a music system. Don't add things that came with the car, because they're already in the ex-showroom price.
• Date of first registration, from your RC.
• Policy start date: the day your new policy begins, which is usually your renewal date. It defaults to today.

Which depreciation does the calculator use?

The standard table insurers start from:

Age is counted exactly, day by day. A car registered on 15 January 2024 stays in the 5% band until 15 July 2024, then moves to 15% the next day. That matters if your renewal falls right on a boundary. One day can move your IDV by 10% of the car's price.

How do I read the result?

The big number is your estimated IDV, split into the car and any accessories. Below it you'll see the depreciation taken off, and a table showing how your car's IDV falls at each age band. That table is handy for planning: it shows what the car will be insured for at each future renewal, assuming the ex-showroom price stays the same.

Why is my insurer's IDV different from this?

Usually one of four reasons:

1. They used a different ex-showroom price. Insurers use the current price of the variant in your city. A small price change shifts the IDV.
2. They moved it within their allowed band. Insurers can set the IDV a little above or below the formula figure. Many quotes go lower to make the premium look cheaper.
3. Your renewal date sits on an age boundary, and they counted it differently.
4. Your car is over five years old, so the value is agreed rather than calculated.

If your quote is more than about 10% below our figure, ask the insurer to raise it. It costs only a little more premium, and it protects you if the car is stolen.

Should I accept a lower IDV to cut the premium?

I wouldn't. The saving is usually a few hundred rupees, because only the own-damage part of the premium falls. The third-party part doesn't change. But if the car is stolen or written off, the whole gap comes out of your pocket. A lower IDV can even turn a repairable accident into a write-off, because a car is usually declared a total loss when repairs exceed 75% of the IDV.

Does a higher IDV mean a bigger payout on every claim?

No. Only for theft and total loss. Ordinary claims, like a dented door or broken headlamp, are paid on the repair bill minus depreciation and deductibles, whatever your IDV. So choose the IDV for the worst case, not the everyday one.

My car is more than five years old. What should I enter?

The calculator asks for the depreciation you expect, because there's no standard figure after five years. To choose a sensible percentage:

1. Look up prices of similar cars (same model, year and fuel) on two or three used-car sites.
2. Divide a typical asking price by the original ex-showroom price.
3. Enter 100 minus that percentage as your depreciation.

For example, if a seven-year-old car that cost ₹8 lakh is selling for about ₹3.6 lakh, that's 45% of the price, so enter 55% depreciation. Use the result to negotiate with your insurer if their offer is much lower.

What if my car's model is no longer sold?

Use the ex-showroom price on your original invoice, or the last listed price for that variant. Insurers do something similar. If their figure looks unfair, show them used-car prices for the model.

Why is the IDV so much lower than what I paid on the road?

Your on-road price included registration, road tax, insurance and possibly extended warranty or accessories packs. None of those are part of IDV. Add even the first 5% of depreciation, and a new car's IDV can be 15% to 20% below its on-road price in the first year. A return to invoice add-on covers that gap for theft or total loss, which is why it's popular on new cars.

Does the IDV change if I switch insurers?

It can. Each insurer sets its own IDV within the allowed band, using its own price data. When you compare quotes from different companies, check the IDV line first. A cheaper quote with a much lower IDV isn't really cheaper.

How does IDV affect my premium in rupees?

The own-damage premium is roughly 3% to 3.7% of IDV before discounts, depending on your city, engine size and car age, and much lower after insurer discounts and NCB. So raising your IDV by ₹50,000 typically adds only a few hundred rupees a year in premium. Try it in the premium calculator by ticking "I already know the IDV" and changing the figure.

Should I include accessories in the IDV?

Only the ones you'd want paid for if the car were stolen or written off, and only if they're declared on the policy. Electrical accessories like a music system are charged at a separate, slightly higher rate on the own-damage premium. Non-electrical ones like alloy wheels are charged at the car's rate. If an accessory isn't worth much, it isn't worth declaring.

When is the best time to check my IDV?

When the renewal notice arrives, and before you accept any quote from a different insurer. It's also worth checking right after a big price rise on your model, because your IDV may now be higher than you'd expect for the car's age. If so, check that the higher IDV is being used for your payout and not only to raise your premium.

Is my data saved?

No. Everything is calculated in your browser, and nothing is sent to us. For the full explanation of IDV, including total loss and return to invoice, read what IDV is and how much yours should be.

Rates last checked: 8 November 2026. Content updated 8 November 2026.