The IRDAI-backed central database unveiled recently will shortly bring individual agents as well as insurance marketing firms under its ambit.

The intent is to avoid data duplication because those who sell insurance products do not work with multiple insurers or intermediaries in the same business category.

The Insurance Information Bureau of India (IIB) hosts the central database.

Point of sale persons (POS), corporate agents, qualified insurance brokers and authorised verifiers of web aggregated are part of the database currently.

Irdai has asked insurers to upload the details of entities working for them.

"The last phase of the portal would cover individual agents, insurance marketing firms (IMFs) and the remaining categories, and is expected to be ready shortly," Irdai said.

As part of the de-duplication exercise, insurance agents are mandated to furnish their unique 12-digit Aadhaar for the data bank.

The online database has also a search facility related to sales persons.

"Appointment of such a (sales) person by the insurer or insurance intermediary shall be taken up only after ensuring the applicant does not already figure in the database," regulator Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) said.

The IIB has been set up to support the insurance industry to allow scientific decision making, including pricing and framing of business strategies