INSUR Asia Forum in Tashkent Highlights Digital Transformation in Insurance and Reinsurance

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Insurance and reinsurance leaders from Russia and CIS countries convened in Tashkent on November 20 for the INSUR Asia meeting, held as part of the FINNEXT Asia International Forum on Financial Innovation at the InterContinental Tashkent.

The event brought together executives from insurance and reinsurance companies, industry technology specialists, regulators, and major brokerage firms from Uzbekistan, Russia, and other CIS states. Discussions focused on the future of insurance and reinsurance in Asia, digital transformation, and evolving risk architectures.

Dmitry Udod, director of the AI Development Center at Ingosstrakh, outlined approaches to implementing artificial intelligence in insurance. He emphasized that projects often fail to deliver economic benefits, noting that traditional machine learning and automation can yield comparable results at significantly lower cost. Udod stressed that successful digital transformation requires updated corporate culture and IT infrastructure, as outdated systems limit innovation.

Alexander Kotenko, head of international business at RNPK, discussed the development of the Russian reinsurance market. He highlighted the company’s experience in domestic and foreign markets and new initiatives, including analytical services, engineering centers, and risk offices.

Oksana Tsvetkova, CEO of Komissar Online, presented an upgraded platform for pre-inspection assessments designed to automate processes and prevent fraud. The system employs multi-level safeguards, including metadata analysis, detection of photo manipulation, and AI-driven prompts to identify minor defects. Tsvetkova said the platform can be easily adapted to individual insurer requirements.

Sergey Zhurbin, CFO of Defans Insurance, shared research on customer behavior in e-commerce marketplaces. His analysis indicated that clients prioritize insuring specific products, with optimal policy pricing at $2–3. Zhurbin emphasized that insurance offers must be visible during payment; otherwise, conversion rates drop sharply. The company positions itself as a universal e-commerce platform offering rapid product launches and comprehensive partner analytics.

Denis Denisenko, CEO of Dariger Online, discussed the role of telemedicine in enhancing insurance products. The service supports initial consultations and second opinions. The company has implemented an AI assistant trained on a large dataset of consultations, capable of handling multilingual requests, reducing documentation preparation time while leaving clinical decisions to doctors.

Victoria Gaysarova, director of digital sales channels at RESO-Garantia, outlined the company’s AI strategy. She stressed that technology should strengthen agents’ work and improve customer service, combining human expertise, data, and digital tools.

Iroda Arifhodzhaeva, head of methodology and innovation at Uzbekinvest, presented the company’s digital strategy through 2026. She highlighted rapid market growth driven by reforms and the transition to electronic policies, noting that explaining AI-driven risk-based tariff adjustments to clients remains a key challenge.

Umid Khudoyberdiev, chairman of AMANA Sug’urta, shared research on Uzbekistan’s retail insurance market, identifying high costs, low trust, and concerns over hidden terms as barriers to purchase. He proposed using White Label models that present insurance under familiar consumer brands, citing significant growth potential.

Saidolim Nasretdinov, director of the Uzbekinvest Insurance School, discussed the transformative role of aggregators. He noted low insurance penetration in Uzbekistan despite high internet access and advocated for a unified digital platform to compare offerings and guide customers through all stages.

Baktygul Abdyjaliev, deputy chairman of Kyrgyzstan’s State Insurance Organization, presented the country’s experience, where coverage expanded significantly after mandatory insurance lines were transferred to the state organization. He also described the development of Islamic insurance (takaful), supported by a Sharia council.

The forum included partners Komissar Online, Defans Insurance, and Dariger Online.