Ganpati Pandals Shift Insurance Focus From Gold To People

This year, GSB Ganpati carries an insurance cover of nearly ₹475 crore, with a massive ₹375 crore dedicated to volunteer safety, dwarfing the ₹67 crore for ornaments and ₹30 crore for liability. Just two years ago, the cover was ₹360 crore. Lalbaugcha Raja, by contrast, was insured for ₹27 crore in 2023, rising to ₹33 crore in 2024, with accident and liability cover at its core. Together, the numbers highlight a shift: from securing gold and pandals to safeguarding the people who make Mumbai’s biggest festival possible.