New Delhi [India], August 31: At a time when India is witnessing unprecedented digital adoption and financial inclusion, a new pan-India neuroscience-based study by Terragni Consulting has identified a growing confidence gap in the country’s financial services ecosystem. While millions of Indians can now access financial products digitally, many still struggle to understand processes, evaluate risks and engage with financial services confidently.

The latest edition of Terragni Consulting’s flagship Ease of Engagement Score (EAS) 2026 Study examines how customers actually experience financial services across the country. The study finds that while digitisation has successfully removed physical barriers to banking, insurance and investments, millions of consumers continue to experience confusion, uncertainty and emotional fatigue when making critical financial decisions.

Unlike traditional perception surveys, the EAS framework applies consumer neuroscience and behavioural science principles to evaluate how customers cognitively process and emotionally respond to financial journeys. The study evaluates engagement across key financial categories, including Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Mutual Funds and Personal Loans, concluding that India’s financial sector is increasingly facing not an access gap, but a confidence crisis.

Why This Study Matters for the Common Consumer For India’s emerging middle class and first-generation earners, financial services represent far more than simple transactions.

A loan often represents entrepreneurial ambition.

Insurance represents family security.

Investments represent the possibility of generational mobility.

Yet the EAS 2026 Study finds that many consumers delay or abandon important financial decisions because processes appear opaque, complex and overwhelming.

Despite an 89% health insurance claim settlement rate, insurance penetration in India has declined from 4.2% to 3.7%, leaving more than 430 million Indians uninsured, according to data from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India and the National Insurance Academy.

A survey by LocalCircles, cited in the report, indicates that nearly 69% of policyholders have experienced claim rejections or partial approvals, reinforcing fear and mistrust of insurance products even when settlement outcomes are ultimately positive.

Similarly, investors redeeming mutual funds frequently receive their money but remain unsure about timelines, deductions or processing stages. The study highlights that investors often require multiple interactions to complete basic redemption requests despite India’s mutual fund industry managing over ₹75 trillion in assets under management, according to data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India.

According to the report, this disconnect leaves many consumers transacting out of necessity rather than confidence — limiting their willingness to insure families, invest surplus income or take growth-oriented financial risks.

Why Businesses Should Pay Attention For financial institutions, the findings signal a structural business challenge.

The EAS framework evaluates engagement through three dimensions — Ease of Access, Ease of Ability and Ease of Aspiration. While digital infrastructure has largely addressed access barriers, customers continue to struggle with understanding processes and feeling secure enough to act.

This gap directly impacts customer trust, retention and lifetime value.

Loan-related complaints rose 43% year-on-year to 85,281 cases, according to data from the Reserve Bank of India’s Banking Ombudsman system, while overall banking complaints surged 68% to over 934,000 cases.

Borrowers frequently report uncertainty around approval timelines, eligibility logic and bundled products rather than dissatisfaction with processing speed itself.

The study contrasts this with markets such as Singapore, where banks, including DBS Bank and United Overseas Bank, provide transparent, real-time visibility into approval stages — highlighting that clarity, not speed, is emerging as the new competitive advantage in financial services.

Terragni Consulting estimates that organisations eliminating cognitive friction in financial journeys could unlock 25–35% higher customer lifetime value while reaching hundreds of millions of under-engaged users.

Why It Matters for India’s Financial Ecosystem The report frames financial friction as an economic challenge rather than merely a customer experience issue.

When consumers lack confidence: • Insurance adoption slows • Investment participation weakens • Credit utilisation declines • Entrepreneurial risk-taking reduces This ultimately constrains economic participation despite a strong financial infrastructure.

According to the study, India’s financial ecosystem risks reaching a stage where access exists but engagement stagnates, limiting the full potential of inclusive economic growth.

Dark Patterns: The Hidden Driver of Financial Friction One of the report’s key insights is the widespread presence of “dark patterns” — design and incentive structures that increase customer confusion.

These include hidden fees, jargon-heavy documentation, complex surrender penalties, forced bundling practices such as “No Policy, No Loan”, and multi-step processes that exhaust customers into compliance.

Industry responses cited in the report indicate that 57% of relationship managers acknowledged pressure to sell unsuitable products, while 51% feared job loss if sales targets were not met, suggesting that friction is often embedded within internal business incentives rather than digital interfaces alone.

The Road Ahead: From Transactions to Empowerment The EAS 2026 Study outlines an 18-month transformation roadmap urging financial institutions to shift from transaction efficiency toward customer empowerment.

Key recommendations include transparency dashboards, predictive communication systems, simplified language interfaces and AI-led financial guidance tools that help customers understand decisions in real time.

According to Terragni Consulting, the next generation of financial leaders will be defined not by pricing or processing speed but by their ability to ensure that customers feel informed, in control and confident when engaging with financial products.

The report warns that traditional financial institutions may have a 12–18-month window before clarity-led digital-native competitors begin reshaping customer expectations across the industry.

The study further suggests that the future of financial services in India will be shaped not just by technological innovation but by how effectively institutions simplify complexity and build trust. Organisations that reduce cognitive friction and prioritise transparency are likely to emerge as the next generation of market leaders in India’s evolving financial ecosystem.

About the EAS 2026 Study The Ease of Engagement Score (EAS) 2026 Study is a pan-India neuroscience-based study that evaluates financial engagement across physical, cognitive and perceived effort parameters using Terragni’s proprietary engagement framework. The research combines behavioural science, consumer neuroscience and real-world customer journey analysis to decode how individuals experience financial services across key sectors.

About Terragni Consulting Terragni Consulting is India’s pioneering Human Engagement Company, introducing consumer neuroscience-led advisory to organisations. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Pune, the firm integrates behavioural science, neuroscience and data analytics to decode real-world customer behaviour and design friction-free engagement ecosystems.

(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PNN and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR PWR