INDIAN INSURANCE INDUSTRY AT A GLANCE IN 2017 - 2018 General Overview
The insurance industry of India consists of 57 insurance companies of which 24 are in life insurance business and 33 are non-life insurers. Among the life insurers, Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) is the sole public sector company. Apart from that, among the non-life insurers there are six public sector insurers. In addition to these, there is sole national re-insurer, namely, General Insurance Corporation of India.
Out of 33 non-life insurance companies, five private sector insurers are registered . They are Star Health and Allied Insurance Company Ltd, Apollo Munich Health Insurance Company Ltd, Max Bupa Health Insurance Company Ltd, Religare Health Insurance Company Ltd and Cigna TTK Health Insurance Company Ltd. There are two more specialised insurers belonging to public sector, namely, Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India for Credit Insurance and Agriculture Insurance Company Ltd for crop insurance.
Government Initiative
Government's policy of insuring the uninsured has gradually pushed insurance penetration in the country and proliferation of insurance schemes are expected to catapult the key ratio beyond 4 per cent mark in an year's time.
Performance for 2017-2018
The number of lives covered under Health Insurance policies is approximately 30 per cent of India's total population. The number has seen an increase every subsequent year as 28.80 crore people had the policy in the last fiscal.
Premium income of the life insurance segment had increased 14.04 per cent in FY17 to Rs 4.18 trillion (US$ 64.92 billion). In August 2017, the Life Insurance industry reported a 24 per cent growth in overall annualised premium equivalent with the help of both private players and Life Insurance Corporation.
The total market size of the insurance sector in India is projected to touch US$ 350-400 billion by 2020.
