Short answer
Excel is enough for a small book if you open it every day and keep the dates tidy. A diary app earns its place when you want the day's list made for you, reminders ready to send, and documents on your phone. Either way, keep your data somewhere you can download it.
Side by side
| Excel | A diary app | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | You probably have it already | Free tier or a fee, depending on the app |
| Who is due today | You sort and filter it yourself | The app lists it each day |
| Grace and lapse dates | A formula you write and keep right | Worked out from mode and due date |
| Reminder to a client | Typed or pasted each time | Written for you, you press send |
| Policy copies and KYC | Separate folders | Attached to the client |
| Phone in the field | Hard on a small screen | Made for it |
| Flexibility | Any column you like | The fields the app has |
| Lost phone or laptop | Only if you keep a backup | Depends on the app: check before you trust it |
If you stay on Excel, keep these columns
- Everyone: client name, mobile, insurer, policy number, start date, expiry or next due date, premium.
- Life: plan, DOC, mode, PPT, term, FUP, sum assured, maturity date, nominee.
- Health: sum insured, members.
- Motor: vehicle number, make, model, IDV, NCB.
Three formulas that save mistakes
Assume DOC is in B2, months per instalment in C2 (12, 6, 3 or 1), and premiums paid so far in D2. The first premium, paid at the DOC, counts as one.
- Next due:
=EDATE(B2,C2*D2). Count from the DOC each time, not from the last due date. Otherwise a date of the 31st slips to the 28th after February and stays there. - Grace ends, with the next due in E2:
=E2+IF(C2=1,15,30). Life and health only. - NCB kept until, with the motor expiry in F2:
=F2+90.
Store dates as real dates, not text. Format the mobile column as text, so Excel keeps a +91 or a 0 at the start.
What is on the market
These are kinds of tool, with one or two examples of each from their listings. The list is in no order and is not a recommendation. We read them on 06-11-2026; check the listing for what they do today.
| Kind | What it does | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Insurer's own agent app | That insurer's records: renewals, lapses, commission | LIC Super Sales Saathi |
| Offline diary | Dues and reminders on the phone, no server | Policy Tracker & Reminder |
| Agent CRM | Clients, policies, renewals and sub-agents | MyPolicyData, BimaGrow |
| Quotation app | Premium calculators and quotes to share | Bima Uncle |
| POSP platform | Quotes from many insurers and policy issue inside the app | TurtlemintPro |
Reviews on these listings show agents keeping their book in Excel and asking apps to sync with it, but no survey was found of how many do, so treat that as anecdote.
Where Bima Diary fits
Bima Diary is a diary for your own book, across life, health, motor and general. It imports your Excel sheet, matches the columns it knows and asks about the rest, works on phone and laptop, and works with no signal.
It does not fetch vehicle details from Vahan, pull your list from the LIC portal, issue policies, give quotes from insurers, or give sub-agents their own login. If you need one of those, another kind of tool above will serve you better.
You are not locked in: a full backup file is on every plan, and Excel download comes with the Go plan and above. See pricing.
Common questions
Can I keep using Excel and still use an app?
Yes. You can import your sheet into Bima Diary and download your book back to Excel on the Go plan and above.
What is the Excel formula for the next premium due date?
Use =EDATE(DOC, months per instalment × premiums paid). Count from the DOC each time so the day of the month does not slip.
How do I get my book out of an app if I leave?
Check before you start. Look for an export to Excel and a backup you can keep. Bima Diary has both, with Excel download from the Go plan.
Sources
- LIC Super Sales Saathi on Google Play Play listing, read on 06-11-2026.
- Policy Tracker & Reminder on Google Play Play listing, read on 06-11-2026.
- MyPolicyData Vendor site, read on 06-11-2026.
- BimaGrow on Google Play Play listing, read on 06-11-2026.
- Bima Uncle on Google Play Play listing, read on 06-11-2026.
- TurtlemintPro on Google Play Play listing, read on 06-11-2026.
Last checked 08-11-2026. General information for agents, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules change: the insurer's documents and the regulator's current text decide.
