Everyone knows about ACKO General Insurance – it has become one of the leading insurance companies in India. The company has redefined the entire landscape of insurance in India, and in fact it stands out as the country’s first fully digital insurance company.
The man behind the curtains is Varun Dua, and his journey from humble beginnings to finding a billion-dollar unicorn company is as inspiring as one can imagine.
This article will delve into the depths of his life, education, business ventures, and net worth.
Varun Dua Biography
Varun Dua is the CEO of ACKO General Insurance and a seasoned entrepreneur. He has had a humble beginning but has made huge changes in terms of the insurance horizon. Varun’s venture ACKO has set the stage for digital insurance services thus making it very effortless and affordable for the general public. Varun was born on February 25, 1981 in Delhi, India.
| Attributes | Details |
| Full Name | Varun Dua |
| Age | 43 years old (as of 2025) |
| Birth Date | February 25, 1981 |
| Birth Place | Delhi, India |
| Zodiac sign | Pisces |
| Profession | Entrepreneur, Business Leader |
| Known For | Co-founder and CEO of Acko General Insurance |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Education | MICA (Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad) |
| Notable Work | Acko General Insurance, Coverfox (Co-founder) |
| Industry | InsurTech, FinTech |
| Years Active | 2013 – Present |
Varun Dua Age, Height and Physical Appearance
Varun Dua was born on 25th February 1981, Varun is currently 43 years old and will be turning 44 this February. His zodiac sign is Pisces. At 5 feet 8 inches height and a decent weight of about 72 kg, Varun cuts a good figure. He has black hair and black eyes with spectacles.
| Attribute | Details |
| Age | 43 years (born on February 25, 1981) |
| Height | Approximately 5 feet 8 inches (173 cm) |
| Weight | 72 kg |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Hair Color | Black |
Early Life
Born in Delhi, Varun was raised in a middle-class family but was rather happy with whatever his family could provide. As a child, he was brought up in Juhu Bandra, Mumbai, and his family’s values and principles were founded on hard work and persistence as these became their core values. His father, Chander Mohan Dua, and mother Rashmi Dua were supportive and provided him with a solid foundation based on support and love.
As a child, Varun’s father worked in a public sector company whilst his mother was a government school Principal and she worked under the Maharashtra State Board.
Varun Dua Family Background
Varun Dua raised in a middle-class family in Juhu Bandra, Mumbai. His father’s name is Chander Mohan Dua and his mother’s name is Rashmi Dua, he has one brother name Kartik Dua. In 2012 Varun Dua married to Sapna Rana.
| Relation | Name |
| Father | Chander Mohan Dua |
| Mother | Rashmi Dua |
| Brother | Kartik Dua |
| Wife | Sapna Rana |
Education Details
Varun’s primary schooling years were significant but the names are not available. However we do know that he had attended the University of Mumbai for his bachelor’s degree. Eventually he completed his Master’s degree at MICA, Ahmedabad and his excellent academic journey and upbringing laid out the foundation for his future.
| Level of Education | Institution Name |
| Bachelor’s Degree | University of Mumbai |
| Master’s Degree | MICA (Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad) |
Varun Dua Wife
Varun Dua’s wife name is Sapna Rana, she born on May 6, 1980, in Mumbai, she is a media and entertainment professional, Sapna and Varun Dua married in 2012. According to some reports Sapna began her career in 2002 as a radio jockey and producer at Radio Mirchi Mumbai, Sapna passed her schooling from Carmel Convent School and Christ Church School in Mumbai. Later, she pursued a degree in Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature from Hindu College, Delhi University.
Varun Dua’s Career
Early Career and Professional Life
Varun’s family had always wanted him to land and secure a job, given that both of them were into jobs themselves. Initially, his professional career began when he was a trainee at Leo Burnett. However, despite learning the trade from the prestigious company, this was not his true calling and he realized this during his transition to the financial services industry.
He went on to work at TATA AIG Life Insurance and Franklin Templeton Investments as a marketing manager, wherein he not only got the exposure to corporate life but also got an in-depth understanding and knowledge about the insurance markets. However, he took a break after leaving his second company.
During his time away from the job sector, Varun realized the loopholes of traditional insurance including the difficulties and inefficiencies faced by customers in terms of complex procedures, overwhelming paperwork, and extremely high premiums due to the existence of middlemen.
It was during this time that he met Devendar Rane, an IT Engineer from IIT, Mumbai. Both got to talking and came up with an idea to integrate IT with insurance since Varun had a passion for insurance products and Devendar was good at handling IT.
Beginning an Entrepreneurial Journey
With two great minds, both Varun and Devendra Rane founded Glitterbug Technologies in 2010 and in the following year, they co-founded Coverfox, an insurance brokerage platform designed to make the insurance-buying process a lot more easily accessible for Indian consumers. However, they both recognized the inefficiencies and realized that pricing was turning out to be a problem so Coverfox was dropped.
In 2016, Varun launched ACKO General Insurance after realizing the loopholes and made his intention rather clear, wanting to provide a user-friendly and transparent experience for insurance consumers. With the efficacy of advanced technologies like data analytic and AI, ACKO was able to streamline processes such as claim management, and risk assessment thus making sure that the overall experience is efficient and customer oriented.
The Birth of ACKO General Insurance
As we know Varun had founded the company back in 2016, it is no surprise that his idea resonated well with the general public given that the company was India’s first-ever digital-only insurance platform. With ACKO, Varun aimed to eliminate the traditional hurdles that were the norm back then characterized by complex paperwork, lengthy processes, hidden costs and low claim management.
The company’s slogan, ‘Insurance made easy: Zero commission, zero paperwork’ was short and simple and it resonated with millions across the country.
The idea of the company was to cut down on hidden costs thanks to the mitigation of middlemen, and using technology to streamline operations thus making it more easily accessible and more economical for the wide range of customers.
Some of the brand’s features such as ‘Full Paisa Vasool’ campaigns have caught the attention of several thousand people, and thus since its inception in 2016, the company has since reached new heights of success.
Varun Dua’s success lies in his unique ability to understand the needs and wants of a common, and modern customer an thus by offering a transparent, easy-to-understand policy in laymen language, he has critically claimed the insurance market with panache.
Challenges Faced
Any business venture will face some significant challenges, and this is the case for ACKO as well. The insurance industry in India has for several years, been plagued with false claims, high premiums, and of course, the never-ending failures of settlements. This was met with distrust from the customers’ sides. Due to this, Varun struggled at first to gain traction from the market but his persistence partnered with excellence in understanding the customers slowly won over the market.
ACKO thus slowly gained the confidence of millions of Indians and it eventually went on to win several awards such as The Golden Peacock Innovative Product Award in 2019 and Most Innovative Insurer in Non-Life Segment at the FICCI Insurance Industry Awards in 2020.
Varun Dua in Shark Tank S3
In 2023, Varun Dua also got featured on Shark Tank India S3. He appeared as a judge thus proving that his presence had positively impacted the growth on ACKO’s website as well. Ever since he appeared on Shark Tank, a lot more people got interested in his story as well thus leading the company to gain more popularity.
Not only this, his presence as a judge also left the aspiring entrepreneurs inspired as he was a guide to many of the contestants. By investing in such budding entrepreneurs, Varun made his intention clear that he aimed to contribute towards India’s economic growth so that the industries could be empowered enough to run out of the mill.
Varun Dua Net Worth and Investments
According to reports, Varun Dua’s company has a net worth as per early 2025 stands at $1.1 billion. This makes ACKO enjoy the prestigious status of a unicorn.
While talking about Varun’s personal net worth – it is approximately INR 107 crores and he owes this staggering net worth to ACKO General Insurance mostly. However, with his fortune, he has made some strategic investments in startups like Dezerv, Kuvera and BNC thus showcasing his keen interest and entrepreneurial spirit.
Varun Dua’s Investments and Portfolio
One of his most recent investments includes Tohands in an Angel Round which took place on March 2024.
It might interest you to know that Dua’s tremendous net worth depends on the type of investments he has made in the future. Although we know that he has a passion for investing in startups as we mentioned above, he has also invested in Retail, Consumer and 10 other sectors.
His net worth helps him make some great investment choices and with his fortunes, Varun is all out to help other aspiring ventures that believes will become a path-breaking innovation for India in the future.
Here is a break up of some of his top investments
| COMPANY | SECTOR | AMOUNT | CO-INVESTORS |
| Tohands | Retail Sector | $72.4K | Radhika Gupta |
| Moxie Beauty | Retail Sector | $669K | Amplify Ventures and more |
| Vaaree | Retail Sector | $581K | Kunal Shah, Ghazal Alagh |
| Infinyte Club | FinTech | $3.52M | Elevation Capital |
| Dezerv | Finance | $7 M | – |
Varun Dua Social Media
Varun is available on these of the social media platforms;
| Platform | Account | Followers |
| @varundua25 | 6K | |
| X (twitter | @duavarun | 3K |
| @thevarundua | 9K |
FAQs
He is going to turn 45 years old in February.
He lives in Mumbai with his wife, Sapna Rana.
Varun’s net worth is INR 107 crores.
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