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Govt begins search for IRDAI members in advance


The government has started looking for suitable candidates to fill the two posts of Members — Finance and Investment and Actuary — for Hyderabad-based  Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority(IRDAI) nearly six months in advance.

It is for the first time the government has started looking for the top posts in IRDAI much in advance. The regulator usually gets a replacement several months after the retirement of an official. The current IRDAI Chairman Debasish Panda was appointed nearly nine months after his predecessor retired.

Rakesh Joshi, Member, Finance and Investment, IRDAI, who had joined on March 22, 2022, will be retiring on December 2, 2023 after reaching 62. Parmod Kumar Arora, member, Actuary, IRDAI, who had joined on Jan 4, 2021 will be completing his three-year tenure on Jan 4, 2024. Arora will be 58 at the time of completing his three-year stint at the IRDAI.

The government had selected State Bank of India (SBI) Managing Director Swaminathan Janakiraman as a Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India in June.

According to the existing regulations, a member can continue till the age of 62 while the Chairman can hold office till 65. The IRDAI, headed by chairman Debasish Panda, chairman, has currently five posts of members.

Before Panda took over in March 2022, senior officials of PSU insurers were a preferred lot for all posts of members except Actuary. Setting a new trend, Panda wanted dynamic professionals from the private sector only as members that led to the appointments of Joshi, whose last job was in SBI Caps and Thomas Devasia, (Member, Non-Life), who was working with an international insurance broking firm Marsh India.

However, BC Patanaik, a former Managing Director of Life Insurance Corporation, was suddenly inducted as Member (Life) in April after the post had lied vacant for almost a year. Now, it is to be seen whether public sector unit officials will be considered for the two posts, sources said.

The applicants should have a minimum of two years of residual service as on the date of vacancy — the applicant’s age should not exceed 60 years on the said date. The last date for receipt of applications for both the posts is August 10. A Whole-time Member gets consolidated pay and allowances of Rs 4 lakh per month.

For the Member (Actuary), an applicant should preferably be Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of India (IAI) or Institute and Faculty of Actuaries in the UK (IFA) or Institute of Actuaries of Australia or Society of Actuaries in US or Canadian Institute of Actuaries, Canada.

However, for both the positions, applicants should preferably have at least 25 years’ experience in the area of finance and investment, with a minimum of three years’ experience at a senior level, not below the rank of a chief general manager of the Reserve Bank of India or equivalent thereto in other financial institutions or regulatory bodies. Applicants from the government should preferably have worked at least at the level of Additional Secretary to the Government of India or its equivalent level. An applicant from the public sector official should have worked at a level which is at least one level below the board, whereas a private sector applicant should  have worked at the level of functional head at a level below the board. Similarly, an academician should preferably have worked at least as professor in the department or faculty concerned.





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IRDAI allows combi products under use-and-file system


In a significant move, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has allowed insurance companies to launch individual and group ULIPs (unit linked insurance plans) and combi plans — combination of life and health insurance plans — without seeking prior approval from the regulator.

Combi products will be offered under the use-and-file procedure without the prior nod of the insurance regulator.

According to IRDAI, in combi products, life insurer is a lead insurer and such Combi products should comply with the extant norms. “Based on the feedback from Industry and in order to facilitate the insurance industry to promote insurance penetration, it has been decided to further expand the scope of current use-and-file procedure,” the regulator said.

With the IRDAI now allowing combi product offerings, life and non-life companies can offer bundled products. Insurers can offer term insurance and health insurance covers through the same product, thereby easing the process for policyholders.

The regulator has also decided to do away with the Segregated Fund Identification Number (SFIN) clearance process for Ulips, the circular said.

Sumit Rai, MD & CEO Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance, said, “This is a continuation of a series of steps that the regulator has taken to strengthen the insurance penetration in the country. This modification will enable insurers to increase their go-to-market speed and in turn, help them stay in sync with the dynamic demands of today’s customers.”

With the introduction of the use and file process, the insurers can immediately introduce their products to the market on filing with the regulator, thus avoiding a long waiting duration to get approvals for their products.

ULIP is an insurance plan that offers the dual benefit of investment to fulfil the policyholder’s long-term goals, and a life cover` to financially protect the family in the case of an unfortunate event. The premium paid towards a ULIP is divided into two parts — one part of it is contributed to the life cover and the remaining is invested in the fund of the policyholder’s choice. They can choose to invest in equity, debt or a combination of both funds as per their risk appetite and goals.

As the insurance industry has matured and there is greater awareness about the insurance products. The regulatory change involving the use-and-file procedure would work towards empowering the insurance companies by improving the ease of doing business. All the health insurance products, almost all general insurance products under fire, motor, marine and engineering and life insurance products (except individual savings, pensions and annuity) can be filed under this procedure, according to a Grant Thornton report.





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Not a merger with Sahara Life, just transfer of policyholders: SBI Life



SBI Life, a subsidiary of country’s biggest lender State Bank of India (SBI), has said it is not a merger between the two companies but only a transfer of the policyholder related assets and liabilities of Sahara Life Insurance.


On Friday regulator Irdai directed SBI Life Insurance to takeover the policy liabilities of around two lakh policies along with assets of stressed Sahara India Life Insurance Co Ltd (SILIC).


The decision was taken at the meeting of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) in view of deteriorating financial health of the SILIC.


Following the Irdai order, SBI Life assured two lakh policyholders of “high levels” of service and commitment as is accorded to our customers.


“We have started and we are expeditiously working on the process of integrating all these policyholders in our systems. While the full integration may take some time, we request these policyholders to reach out to us on our helpline number 1800 267 9090 or email us at saharalife@sbilife.co.in,” it said

SBI Life will shortly reach out to these policyholders and intimate them about various touch points and manner of servicing for a smooth transition, it said.


Sahara Life Insurance was also not allowed to underwrite new business. Thereafter, further directions were issued to the insurer to meet the regulatory requirements.


“Despite being provided ample opportunities and sufficient time to ensure compliances, SILIC has failed to comply with directions of the authority and take any affirmative steps to protect the interests of its policyholders,” the regulator had said.


Further, the policy data of SILIC reveals that the company’s portfolio is showing run-off trend. The financial position has been deteriorating with rising losses and higher percentage of claims to total premium.


“If the trend is allowed to continue, the situation will worsen and lead to erosion of capital and SILIC may not be able to discharge its liabilities towards policyholders, thereby endangering the interest of its policyholders,” Irdai had said.


It said the action against SILIC has been taken after due consideration of all the facts and circumstances.


The authority added in its meeting held on June 2, 2023 that the action was warranted to protect the interest of the policyholders of SILIC.


Further, Irdai said it will continue to monitor the situation and also issue necessary directions as required in the interest of the policyholders of SILIC.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)



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IRDAI set to launch single policy covering life, health & property


The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) is looking to launch a bundled product which will provide life, health, casualty and property cover in a single insurance policy at an affordable price, its Chairman Debasish Panda said.

IRDAI is working on the product along with the General Insurance Council  and Life Insurance Council, Panda said.

He said the ‘Bima Trinity’ will include Bima Sugam, the digital platform, Bima Vistaar, a comprehensive cover for the rural population on benefit based/parametric structure and Bima Vahak, a women-centric distribution channel to focus on reaching untapped/rural areas.

“Bima Sugam will be the protocol or the platform. Bima Vistar is a product where we are trying to design it in a manner which will be accessible to the common man. It will be a bundled product of life, health, causality and property,” Panda said at a CII event on May 25.

In October 2022, IRDAI had set up a committee to explore and recommend on how to bring about synergies in the working and operations of Bima Vahak, Bima Vistaar and the digital platform, Bima Sugam.

“We are trying to design it in a manner which will be a parametric trigger. So, you don’t need a surveyor or assessor to assess the loss. If there is a loss, the defined benefit immediately goes to the bank account of the policyholder,” he said





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Max Life partners IIA to offer insurance access to MSME workforce in UP



Max Life Insurance Company on Monday announced a partnership with the Indian Industries Association (IIA) to provide life insurance plans to the workforce of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) in Uttar Pradesh.


Under the recently announced Irdai’s State Insurance Plan, Max Life aims to enhance accessibility and drive insurance penetration across Uttar Pradesh, the insurer said in a release.


IIA has an extensive network across industrialized districts, it added.


“Through this partnership, we aim to reach the underserved population in Uttar Pradesh, the country’s most populous state, and financially secure the future of more than 11 lakh MSME workforce and their families,” said V Viswanand, Deputy Managing Director, Max Life Insurance.


Ashok Kumar Agarwal, President, Indian Industries Association said that for close to four decades, IIA has been working consistently towards creating an environment conducive to industrial growth, especially for MSMEs in India.


The activities will be undertaken with Sana Insurance Brokers as the enrolment partner to engage with the MSME workforce.


Max Life is the appointed lead insurer for Uttar Pradesh under Irdai’s State Insurance Plan.


Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) has undertaken an initiative to enhance the reach and accessibility of insurance products across all Indian states. As part of this initiative, the regulator has collaborated with state governments to identify a lead insurer for each district.


Max Life Insurance Company is a joint venture between Max Financial Services Limited and Axis Bank Limited. Max Financial Services is a part of Max Group.


IIA is an apex representative body of MSME.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)



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IRDAI unveils new draft on expenses


The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has announced a revised exposure draft on the expenses of management (EoM) for the non-life insurance companies and proposed the removal of caps on payment of commission to insurance agents and intermediaries.

It has also proposed a revised 30 per cent and 35 per cent caps on EoM for general insurers and standalone health insurers, respectively, after taking into consideration the insurance industry’s views.

In the earlier exposure draft, released on August 23, it had proposed to put a lower cap of 20 per cent on commission paid to the agents and intermediaries of both non-life and life insurance companies. It had proposed a 30 per cent cap on EoM for the general insurance companies in the exposure draft issued on August 1.

The regulator has streamlined the expenses of management (EoM) guidelines for insurance companies, now proposing a blanket cap on EoM to the extent of 30 per cent of gross written premium in India for general insurance companies and 35 per cent for standalone health insurance companies.

EoM includes operating expenses, commission to insurance agents and intermediaries and commission and expenses on reinsurance. EoM is currently in the range of 20 per cent to 37.5 per cent for non-life insurers. The additional allowable expenses within the overall expense cap now also include expenses incurred towards government schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yoyaja (15 per cent) as well as expenses incurred towards promoting insuretech and insurance awareness of up to 5 per cent to widen customer reach.





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Collect data of health professionals from repository: IRDAI to insurers


The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has advised insurance companies to capture the identity (ID) of medical practitioners from a repository for verification while issuing or renewing health policies. The new system is expected to enable seamless, cashless functioning of outpatient treatment (OPD) across the country.

According to IRDAI, insurers can validate their ID from the Healthcare Professional Registry (HPR), a comprehensive repository of registered and verified practitioners of healthcare professionals delivering modern as well as traditional healthcare services across India. “This will enable digitization and ease the process of buying and selling the Professional Indemnity policies and push for HPR registration among the healthcare professionals,” the regulator said.

This will also help in avoiding medical malpractices under professional indemnity cover.

General and health insurers offering health insurance policies can also consider leveraging on the Health Professional Registry for building up the network of doctors, physicians or other healthcare professionals for providing OPD or other healthcare services, IRDAI said.

As part of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, the National Health Authority (NHA) has incorporated a Healthcare Professional Registry (HPR). Under HPR, a healthcare professional ID (HPID) will be created via Aadhaar or other KYC, along with the medical qualifications of the medical professional which is verified by their respective State Medical Councils.

This HPID serves as a unique ID to the medical practitioners to enable connection with all stakeholders of the healthcare ecosystem. “The potential of the mandate is immense. I see three major benefits from this.  First, the availability of a country-wide vetted repository of healthcare practitioners for insurers and TPAs to leverage and build on their network strength.  Second, the enormous reach of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission,” said Dr Vijay Sankaran, SVP and Chief Medical Officer at MediAssist.

As Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission manages to reach every nook and corner of the country, insurers and TPAs would now be able to empanel verified doctors from far reaching places, he said. “This brings me to the third and foremost benefit. We will now be able to have our cashless OPD network seamlessly spread across both metropolitans and small towns. This is a welcome move and will result in better access to healthcare in the country,” Sankaran said. Health insurance is now the largest segment in the non-life insurance sector with gross premium collection touching Rs 51,361 crore during the seven-month period ended October 2022, a growth of 21 per cent when compared to the previous year.

The Healthcare Professionals Registry will not replace existing registration issued by respective councils. It will, however, bring together data of those professionals from all States participating in ABDM on a digital platform. It will provide additional digital services to the enrolled professionals and will be their primary identifier under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. If professionals wish to avail of these services, they may do so by enrolling in HPR. Further, the processes for registration vary greatly by state, hence a separate enrollment in the Healthcare Professionals Registry is required to capture a standard set of attributes, NHA said.





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Surrendering a policy: When should you do it — and should you at all?


As the pandemic hit lives, the economy, and livelihoods, 2021-22 witnessed a sharp spike in insurance policies being surrendered ahead of their maturity. Data show that more than 2.3 crore life insurance policies were surrendered during the year — more than three times the number of policies (69.78 lakh) surrendered in 2020-21.

It is ironical that at a time when one is in desperate need of his/ her money, while surrendering a traditional policy (endowment or money back), policyholders in the majority of cases end up with a surrender value that is even lower than the premiums paid.

In case of unit-linked plans, it may result in lower returns on the capital investment. It is, therefore, very important to understand the pitfalls of surrendering, and to evaluate all options before you decide to do so.

What should you look for before surrendering your policy?

The first thing that one needs to check is the surrender value. “Often, people don’t check the surrender value, and assume that the current value of the policy is what they will get if they surrender. It is only later that they realise that what they have received is much less than the current value. So one must check the surrender value before taking the decision,” said Surya Bhatia, founder, AM Unicorn Professional.

Advisers say that policyholders must also evaluate the reason for surrendering the policy, and the various options they can explore with insurance companies. Individuals must look at the reason for surrender — whether they need the money or they think they can’t make future premium payments — and accordingly make their decision.

If one is looking to surrender the policy because they believe they can’t pay future premiums, the policyholder must reconsider.

“After you finish with the minimum period of paying premiums, you have the option to either surrender or stop paying further premiums. Very often this is referred to as paid-up status, where you stop paying the premium and the benefits of your policy reduce proportionately in line with the reduced payment period, Vishal Dhawan, founder, Plan Ahead Wealth Advisors, said.

“So,” he said, “if someone needs to control future cash flows, the individual must explore the paid-up option. Many a time, paid-up options are not looked at by people, and they think that they can either continue or surrender.”

If one is in need of money, one can consider taking a loan against the policy, if the requirement is for a temporary period.

In cases where one is looking to surrender the policy to avoid risk of asset class (volatility in equity markets) in case of Ulips, one has the option to move the money from equity underlying fund to something that is debt-oriented.

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What are the impacts of surrendering a policy?

There are several pitfalls, including losing the insurance cover linked to the policy.

The biggest impact that premature surrendering has is on the return you get out of the policy, as surrender value is much less than what you can get on maturity.

There is no standard answer as to what a surrender value can be — it depends upon the kind of policy (traditional or unit linked), years of premium paid, and term of the policy.

Financial experts say that in case of money-back, endowment, and whole life plans, individuals suffer big losses on account of surrendering the policy and can lose around 50 per cent of the premium paid.

In case of Ulips, since they can’t be surrendered till the fifth year and can only be done at the end of the sixth year, experts say that there is not much loss. However, it does impact the return for the investors because of early termination of the policy.

Another impact is on the aspect of taxation. “People often miss the fact that while the policy is tax-free at maturity, if you surrender ahead of maturity, you miss out on that as it attracts tax at the marginal tax rate applicable to the individual policyholder,” Bhatia said.

Should you surrender your policy at all?

As the drawbacks of surrendering are many, financial advisers suggest that it should be one of the last options. It is advisable that when in need of money, investors should carefully look at their entire investment corpus — mutual funds, insurance policy, fixed deposits, bonds, etc. — and after understanding the implications of giving up each of them, they should figure out which one should go first, and which should be taken up last.

“When you explore all the options and take a measured approach, you will end up taking a better decision, Dhawan said. He added that “while one can still do it with investment policies, it is crucial that one doesn’t do it with term policies”.

Bhatia said that surrendering a policy should be the last resort. “Explore other options. Only in the case of Ulip plans, if the policy is not working according to the plan, you may look to surrender — but that too to reinvest in a better performing policy or other financial instrument,” he said.





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Panda: Irdai looking at review of norms to widen market, may allow micro insurers


The insurance regulator is planning to create a framework to enable new entities to enter the insurance market in India with special outreach to global investors for enhancing foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country.

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) is reviewing the Rs 100 crore capital, which is the minimum requirement for any new player to begin an insurance venture. “We are thinking of allowing micro insurance player with Rs 10 crore or Rs 15 crore capital which can work in focus areas like a district,” Irdai Chairman Debasish Panda said in his first interaction with media here on Thursday.

Irdai is planning to review a gamut of guidelines and bring down the number of guidelines from around 100 to 10 or 15 guidelines. “Regulations will be principle-based, rather than rule-based. The idea was that the industry has matured enough during its journey spanning more than two decades since its opening up and they know the rule of the game better now,” Panda said.

The Irdai Chairman made it clear that the regulator will be having light regulation and tech-based supervision. Panda, who took over as the Chairman of Irdai last month, after retiring as Secretary, Department of Financial Services (DFS), said the regulations should spur positive development in the industry. In a bid to bring about a cordial relationship between the IRDA and the industry, Panda, who met insurers on April 6 and 7, has assured insurers that there will be regular in-person meetings between CEOs and top IRDA officials in every two months in different parts of the country. The regulator is keen to facilitate the entry of captive insurers, standalone micro-insurers, niche players and regional entities into the insurance space.

It has also proposed to dispense with renewal of registration for insurance intermediaries. It’s also exploring the possibility of launching Bima Mitra on the lines of Bank Mitra to enlarge the scope of distribution with an aim to bringing insurance to every doorstep, he said. He added norms will be reviewed so that insurers can offer allied and value-based services in health insurance like membership in gymnasium.

Irdai has also proposed moving insurance supervision towards outcome based and technology driven that is aligned with international standards. There is also a proposal to rationalise investment norms applicable to insurers, Panda said. Emphasising that there should be new products for millennials, Panda hinted at coming up with new channels of distribution in future. When it comes to overall insurance penetration which includes both life and non-life insurance in India, the insurance penetration was 2.71 per cent in 2001 and has steadily increased to 4.2 per cent in 2020.





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