Asego’s New Chapter in Empowering the Trade
For over 25 years, Asego has stood alongside the Indian travel trade — as a partner grounded in innovation, trust, and a steadfast trade-first philosophy. While awareness around travel risks has grown significantly in recent years, a persistent gap continues to separate intent from action.
Industry research shows that although nearly nine in ten Indian travellers say they intend to purchase travel insurance for their next international trip, only about 70–75% actually bought cover for their most recent journey abroad — leaving one in four travellers flying uninsured. The disparity widens domestically, where less than 1% of travellers protect their holidays within the country.
These numbers highlight a truth the travel trade has long understood: availability isn’t the issue — communication at the point of sale is. Frontline counter professionals, who interact with customers daily and shape the final booking decision, are the ones who ultimately convert risk awareness into responsible action. Yet this crucial segment has historically had limited access to structured, specialised training focused solely on travel protection.
Although various service providers and trade partners have worked steadily toward raising travel insurance awareness, uptake often surged only after major disruptions — such as the recent wave of airline cancellations that forced thousands of travellers to reassess their preparedness. This was the very gap Asego set out to bridge.
Introducing SmartEdge: India’s Most Advanced Travel Protection Certification Programme
Recognising the need for a deeper, more consistent capability-building framework, Asego launched SmartEdge, India’s most advanced travel protection certification programme crafted exclusively for customer-facing professionals.
Led by seasoned, renowned industry trainers who understood the realities of the counter, SmartEdge went far beyond generic sales workshops. The programme equipped participants to listen actively and decode travellers’ needs, confidently match them with the right protection and assistance solutions, and communicate benefits clearly— whether they were speaking to a student travelling overseas, a family exploring Europe, a business professional, or a couple planning an offbeat domestic escape.
What began as a pilot rapidly scaled into a countrywide skill-building movement. SmartEdge was conducted in 32 cities, training and certifying 3,500 frontline professionals. Each session was highly interactive and scenario-driven, covering real-world challenges such as lost baggage, medical emergencies abroad, visa rejection, insurance requirements, airline delays, cancellations, trip disruptions, and more. Participants were not merely taught what to sell; they were empowered with how to have the right conversations — with confidence, empathy, and a deep understanding of the traveller’s journey.
Kerala, Punjab, Bhubaneshwar, Coimbatore and Gujarat emerged as standout performers, showcasing exceptional participation, engagement, and measurable improvement in post-training travel protection uptake. Other markets quickly followed suit, with leading agencies nominating their teams repeatedly — a sign that SmartEdge was fast becoming the gold standard for frontline excellence.
Shifting Mindsets, Strengthening Outcomes
Many admitted that earlier, insurance would be mentioned hurriedly at the end — almost as an afterthought. After SmartEdge, they seamlessly integrated travel protection into core trip-planning conversations, explained coverages in simple language, and handled concerns with clarity. Complex questions no longer intimidated them; instead, they saw each question as an opportunity to reassure customers and elevate the service experience.
Reflecting on the programme’s impact, Dev Karvat, Founder & CEO of Asego, shared, “Frontline professionals are the first to engage travellers and the last to influence their decisions. SmartEdge is Asego’s commitment to their growth — because when they thrive, the entire trade thrives.”
This belief was evident in the programme’s structure: smaller batches for deeper interaction, content continuously refined based on trade feedback, and real-time certification that reflected genuine skill — not just attendance.
25 Years of Trust, Innovation & Duty of Care
As Asego marked 25 years of service, SmartEdge formed part of a broader, heartfelt commitment to give back to the community that helped shape its journey. Asego’s Grow Trees initiative continued to symbolise the company’s values of sustainability — planting mangrove saplings to mark partners’ special occasions such as birthdays, celebrating relationships that grow stronger each year.
Complementing this was Travel Business Protect, Asego’s first-of-its-kind liability protection solution designed specifically for travel companies navigating today’s increasingly complex operational and legal environment — from compliance risks to customer claims.
The Road Ahead: A Future-Ready Travel Ecosystem
Much like Asego’s technological innovations and flagship protection offerings, SmartEdge represents the company’s long-term vision: a future-ready travel ecosystem where every partner — from large consolidators to independent agencies — has the skills, support, and security needed to succeed.
For Asego, the last 25 years have been defined by the trade it proudly serves.
With SmartEdge and Asego’s growing suite of solutions, the next chapter promises an even stronger trade — sharper in communication, smarter in service, and far better prepared for tomorrow’s traveller.
