The insurance industry in India has come a long way since the time when businesses were tightly regulated and concentrated in the hands of a few public sector insurers. Following the passage of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act in 1999, India abandoned public sector exclusivity in the insurance industry in favor of market-driven competition. This shift has brought about major changes to the industry. The inauguration of a new era of insurance development has seen the entry of international insurers, the proliferation of innovative products and distribution channels, and the raising of supervisory standards.

In 2003, the Indian insurance market ranked 19th globally and was the fifth largest in Asia. Although it accounts for only 2.5% of premiums in Asia, it has the potential to become one of the biggest insurance markets in the region. A combination of factors underpins further strong growth in the market, including sound economic fundamentals, rising household wealth and a further improvement in the regulatory framework.

By mid-2004, the number of insurers in India had been augmented by the entry of new private sector players to a total of 28, up from five before liberalization. A range of new products had been launched to cater to different segments of the market, while traditional agents were supplemented by other channels including the Internet and bank branches. These developments were instrumental in propelling business growth, in real terms, of 19% in life premiums and 11.1% in non-life premiums between 1999 and 2003.

There are good reasons to expect that the growth momentum can be sustained. In particular, there is huge untapped potential in various segments of the market. While the nation is heavily exposed to natural catastrophes, insurance to mitigate the negative financial consequences of these adverse events is underdeveloped. The same is true for both pension and health insurance, where insurers can play a critical role in bridging demand and supply gaps. Major changes in both national economic policies and insurance regulations will highlight the prospects of these segments going forward.

The objective of this report is to explore the market structure, opportunities and challenges lying in Indian insurance industry and compare it with the Global insurance industry.

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