Many Indians think that the contents of their home cannot be insured without insuring the home itself. There are others who think home insurance is just for the building. Both are wrong. Pooja was one such person, whose home in Bangalore got broken into while she was away. Her TV, laptop, camera, gold jewellery and other belongings were stolen, and she had no insurance cover. She never thought her high-end apartment could be robbed so easily. Even after reporting the theft, her belongings worth ₹6 lakh could not be recovered. They were likely sold off already. She could have prevented all this with insurance. But all she knew was that home insurance is for buildings. To prevent a future mental breakdown from such financial disasters, she immediately consulted an insurance advisor, who happily directed her towards the lesser-known home contents insurance policy. What is a Home Contents Insurance Policy? A Home contents insurance plan covers only the contents of an insured home. The insured damage-causing events can include fire, theft, natural calamities, and other unforeseen risks. Their contents to insure may include furniture, appliances, electronics, valuable items, but subject to individual policy terms, with certain item types having additional limits, conditions, or exclusions. Home Contents Insurance can be availed through two main policy types in India. The Bharat Griha Raksha (BGRP) is a standardized home insurance policy regulated by the IRDAI, and the base cover includes both home property and home contents. Policy buyers who are tenants can choose the “contents only” coverage. Many insurers provide this standardized policy, such as Bajaj General Insurance, New India, and ICICI Lombard. Specialized policies, like the New India Griha Suvidha Policy, may have varying policy wordings and coverage details, but they also offer “home contents only” coverage option. Misconception 1: “I only need to Insure the Expensive things” Pooja was worried about losing her most expensive and treasured belongings, like her laptop with all her work files, the camera that was a gift, her TV, and her jewellery that she regularly wore to cultural events. Their estimated total worth was ₹6 lakh. She assumed that was the amount she would need insurance for, as the rest of her belongings were easily replaceable.