Making non-life insurance claims is going to become more expensive in the new financial year.
Setting up business in China has never been easy, with the constraints such as language, vast differences in cultural experiences and a form of government radically different from most of the western and Latin American countries where Indian businesses have firmly established themselves.
The first private equity deal in the Indian health insurance sector is set to be sealed soon.
Life Insurance Corporation of India, the country's largest institutional investor, is planning to pump in at least Rs 75,000 crore in equities during the next financial year.
The company is already in talks with Indian oil refiners to buy paraxylene which is developed from naphtha, a refining byproduct. The company plans to use paraxylene as a raw material to make purified terephthalic acid (PTA), a petrochemical product used in polyester and plastic.
The proposed portable health insurance policy, earlier to be sold only to those between 18 years and 40 years, is to now cover individuals from three months to 65 years. The product, which has been in the works for over a year, has been cleared by the General Insurance Council, the industry lobby, which will approach the regulator to approve the product.
The rules are being reviewed for the first time after the sector was opened to private competition at the start of the decade.
The churn in investment banks, though less muted than in the heydays of 2007, is gathering speed. "The pent-up desire to move is very high at the moment," says R Suresh, managing director at head hunting firm Stanton Chase.
The country's largest insurer had been keen to run a bank for a long time to manage the large premium collection and claim settlement work.
Cross-border deals are back after a brief lull in 2009. And, investment bankers say 2010 is going to be the year of outbound deals.
The Tatas will have to either buy out the 26 per cent stake in its life insurance joint venture or rope in another partner if Prudential UK buys out the Asian life insurance business of American International Group (AIG).
A study of 435 companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange, which provide their capital-employed data on a quarterly basis, shows capex grew by a meagre 3.4 per cent in the nine months ending December 2009, compared to the level in March 2009.
Tata Steel plans to expand capacity to 10 million tonnes at Jamshedpur by August 2011 from 6.8 million tonnes.
But, will help Indian funds get more deals
The high level coordination committee on financial markets, which consists of financial sector regulators, is likely to opt for a phased reduction in the commission paid to insurance agents.
The existing rules under the insurance laws prescribe a 10-year minimum period before insurance companies can list their shares.
In order to push more long-term products, insurers are trying to push long-term unit-liked plans by giving incentives to agents who sell Ulips with higher tenure.
Vedika Bhandarkar, managing director & head of investment banking, recounts how even in a supposedly bad year, the bank raised about Rs 1,00,000 crore (Rs 1,000 billion).
The annual report also mentions Tata Sons is obligated to buy the stake at the higher end of fair value or 50 per cent of the subscription purchase price.
Tata AIG General Insurance, which is the market leader in personal accident covers, eyes 200 per cent growth in income from this segment. It has tied up with a number of education consultants for its Prudent Guard policy for students. Insurers sell two types of personal accident cover to schools -- one for students and another for parents. Some insurers also sell hybrid product covering both.
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