General insurance companies are likely to see a surge in demand for health insurance in the coming months due to falling air quality in the country. The health insurance segment has registered a strong growth after the pandemic due to higher awareness. In the first half of financial year 2023-24, the segment grew by 24.4 per cent to Rs 54,713.52 crore from Rs 43,981.54 crore in H1FY23, driving growth of the non-life insurance industry.
'This means that there will be more than 1,000 tech talent in India over the next 12-18 months.'
High-value insurance policies experienced muted growth in the first six months of the current financial year after the Centre decided to tax such products in this year's Budget. Simultaneously, there has been a marked improvement in the growth of policies with premiums of 'less than Rs 5 lakh', mainly originating from smaller cities. During this year's Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed that insurance policies (excluding unit linked insurance plans or ULIPs) with an aggregate premium exceeding Rs 5 lakh, and the maturity amount, would not be exempt from tax.
rediffGURU Jinal Mehta answers readers' financial planning and health insurance queries
Ask rediffGURU and PF expert Milind Vadjikar your insurance, stocks, mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
More than one million cybersecurity incidents were flagged within 10 days.
'While investing in a silver ETF, one should be aware that it has historically exhibited higher price volatility than gold.'
Call centres, once the engine room of India's BPO exports, are evolving too. Depending on the complexity, 30 to 50 per cent of voice and chat volumes are now handled by conversational AI.
Reliance General Insurance Company (RGIC), a subsidiary of Reliance Capital, finds itself in a bind as the Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) has issued multiple Show Cause Notices (SCNs) amounting to Rs 922.6 crore. This development comes at a time when Reliance Capital is currently undergoing a debt resolution under the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) process in which the Hinduja group has emerged the winner. The Hinduja acquisition is currently awaiting the Supreme Court's approval after the Torrent group, the winner of the first round, challenged the second auction conducted by the lenders of Reliance Capital.
'We are expected to grow at above 28 per cent this year, higher than the industry.'
Firmly committed to prioritise national interest over all other considerations: JioStar
A must read for a generation that grew up on his novels.
Mid-tier information-technology (IT) companies last financial year reported better growth numbers than their larger counterparts, highlighting their ability to navigate the uncertain macroeconomic environment. Most of these companies - such as Persistent Systems, Coforge, KPIT, and Mphasis - focus on niche businesses and industries that allow them to go deeper in terms of client mining and expanding wallet share from existing customers.
Selected applicants will receive a monthly stipend of Rs 4,500 from the government and an additional Rs 500 from participating companies as a part of the Prime Minister Internship Scheme (PMIS) 2025.
'When you have the best market at your doorstep, international diversification is a distraction.'
Some individuals opt for the new regime without a comparative analysis of the tax liability under the two regimes.
Ritika Gupta, a study abroad expert and founder of Aaera Consultants, explains how Germany's new visa rules will affect international students and working professionals.
Ask rediffGURU and PF and MF expert Janak Patel your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
Brokerages expect a further slowdown in Indian firms' revenue and earnings growth in Q4FY25, following low single-digit growth in the preceding three quarters, as factors like weak consumer demand and credit growth linger on.
The Piramal group and Zurich Insurance have decided to jointly bid for Reliance General Insurance, a subsidiary of Reliance Capital. The groups had earlier submitted separate bids for the general insurance business of bankrupt Reliance Capital. Both Piramal and Zurich will hold 50 per cent each in the proposed special purpose vehicle (SPV).
'With a very stable technology with limited functionalities, a large network has spanned out.'
Roopam Asthana, CEO and whole-time director, Liberty General Insurance Ltd, answers your queries about HEALTH insurance and AUTO insurance.
By choosing your study destination carefully, leveraging government schemes, comparing loan options, and adopting frugal living practices, Indian students can acquire global credentials without mortgaging their futures.
'The terrorists included underage boys around 15 years old. There were at least four of them. They were taking selfies during the attack and had cameras mounted on their heads'
Buy from an established agent rather than a novice who may not be around when you need his assistance.
Ask rediffGURU and PF and MF expert Janak Patel your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
There are certain plans that you can opt for that also cover dental treatments, says rediffGURU Sanjib Jha.
Ask rediffGURU and PF expert Nitin Narkhede your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
If your flight is cancelled or delayed or you miss one, a travel insurance policy can cover the costs at such times and help you book a new one.
Wouldn't it be better to reach 45 with a backup engine of passive income that helps you glide through these years instead of grinding, asks Ramalingam Kalirajan
Issues related to the proposed free trade agreement (FTA) and bilateral investment treaty between India and the UK are expected to figure during the three-day visit of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to London from April 8-10, official sources said. The minister will attend a host of meetings, including the India-United Kingdom Economic and Financial Dialogue, in London.
India's private equity industry is evolving, with local funds securing substantial capital and achieving consistent returns. During a panel discussion at TiEcon Mumbai 2025, industry leaders emphasised growing opportunities in scaling buyouts and expanding domestic investor participation.
'Health and motor insurance will continue to be our two most important segments'
For the first time, the Data Security Council of India assembled a joint task force to source threat intelligence at the origin and ensure coordinated action across the cybersecurity spectrum.
Besides wrong selection of ITR form, many professionals claim deductions they are ineligible for.
Insurance companies may soon face goods and services tax (GST) audits as tax authorities plan a "deep dive" into their business practices to check for the possibility of a raft of tax-linked irregularities. Several insurance companies are being probed for wrongly availing of the input tax credit without the underlying supply of goods and services based on fake invoices generated by their channel partners and intermediaries. "We want to deep dive into the overall business and see if there are further taxation issues besides commissions, which are already being investigated," a senior official of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs said.
Sanjib Jha, CEO, Coverfox Insurance Broking, answers your health and auto insurance related queries.
Core retail segments like motor and health continue to report strong growth of 19-20 per cent with competitive intensity still visible in the motor OD (owner driven) segment. Commercial lines reported muted growth. Group health remains a key driver. Among the listed companies, ICICI Lombard continues to trail in the motor section while Star Health has lost its Y-o-Y retail market share although its better on a sequential basis.
A person who has cancer and doesn't have any health insurance will find it difficult to buy a regular hospitalisation cover. An indemnity-based cancer plan may cover them.
Kamal has a crisp pen when it comes to writing short and yet powerful film dialogues. But while speaking ex tempore -- and that has been his style -- he looks every bit a confused man, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
