The Role of Relationship Managers and Call Centre Agents in Branch-Based Bancassurance in India

Bancassurance has emerged as an important insurance distribution channel in the Indian banking system, where insurance products are primarily offered through bank branches. Within this framework, relationship managers and call centre agents play a critical role in shaping customer awareness, trust, and insurance purchase decisions, yet their coordinated functioning within branch-based systems remains underexplored. This paper examines the role of relationship managers and call centre agents in branch-based bancassurance in India using a conceptual and secondary-data-based approach. The study is based on an analytical review of academic literature, regulatory publications, industry reports, and publicly available banking disclosures related to bancassurance practices. Based on this review, the paper develops two conceptual models to explain customer engagement and the insurance sales flow process in branch-based bancassurance. The analysis highlights how personalised advisory support at the branch level, combined with structured telephonic outreach and follow-up, jointly supports insurance distribution across different stages of the sales process.