India is in need of reinsurance capacity for many large risks.
The Institute of Actuaries of India has formed a technical group and is working out modalities in consultation with the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority to set risk-based capital norms for the industry. Under the current Irda regulations, insurers are mandated to maintain a solvency margin of 150 per cent. Accordingly, insurance companies have to maintain 150 per cent of the amount underwritten by them in cash.
General insurers violated IRDA norms on discounts. IRDA reveals plans for 2008
The Life Insurance Corporation of India will comply with the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority's norm on solvency by providing Rs 1,871 crore (Rs 18.71 billion) additional capital by this fiscal.
IRDA suggested that health insurance should cover alternative treatments.
Companies think they are too big to bow before regulators.
Online policies are cheap because there is no agent's fee involved, other administrative costs of the insurance company are lower and, most importantly, these use the latest statistics for calculating premia.