New Delhi, Oct. 22 -- Online research now influences more than 40 per cent of health and life insurance sales in India, with consumers increasingly shortlisting insurers digitally before turning to agents for advice, according to a study by GoogleMcKinsey & Company as knowledge partner.

The study found that nearly 80 per cent of the insurance-buying journey unfolds online, highlighting the growing importance of digital platforms in shaping purchase decisions. It said insurers could gain from better connecting online research with offline advisory services as consumers increasingly expect agents to build on the information they have already gathered.

The report identified a growing group of buyers called Digitally Influenced, Closed with...