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India's reforms push hikes foreign equity cap in insurance
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SME Times News Bureau | 25 Jul, 2014
In a major push to reforms,
India Thursday decided to hike the foreign equity cap in insurance to 49
percent, in a move that can potentially push the penetration of this
social security net from under 5 percent at present.
The
management control, however, will remain with Indian promoters once the
relevant bill for the foreign equity hike is approved by parliament,
officials said.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)
chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave its nod to hike the foreign
direct investment limit from the present 26 percent.
A senior
government official who did not want to be named, said the overseas
investments in the insurance sector would be allowed through the Foreign
Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) route.
In the national budget
presented earlier this month, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said
the government will consider a hike in the overseas investment limit in
the insurance business.
The move Thursday was widely welcomed
even as insurance stocks of existing Indian entities rose in
anticipation that more money will flow in.
The Confederation of
Indian Industry (CII) said the higher foreign equity limit will help
attract much needed long-term capital that can have a multiplier effect
on the economy, especially in meeting the huge gap in infrastructure
financing, estimated at $1 trillion over the next five years.
Capital
infusion in the insurance sector, through greater foreign equity, would
ensure innovations in product design and distribution, better risk
management, introducing superior technology and greater investments, the
chamber said.
CII said the end result will be sizeable
improvement in the insurance penetration and density for the Indian
economy which is considerably lower when compared with other emerging
economies.
Amitabh Chaudhry, chairman, FICCI’s Insurance and
Pensions Committee and managing director of HDFC Life Insurance, said
the FDI cap increase will drive capital infusion in the insurance sector
and revive growth.
“Given that the industry has witnessed muted
growth in recent times, this move will further enable the industry to
serve millions of under-insured Indians, improve life and health
insurance coverage and provide long term savings vehicles,” Chaudhry
said.
Shashwat Sharma, a partner at KPMG in India, said the move
will evoke the interest of global players, both those present in India
and those planning an imminent entry. “Once there is proper clarity on
the interpretation of control by Indian promoter, the additional foreign
capital expected across life, health and general insurance companies is
between Rs.20,000 crore to Rs 25,000 crore.”
“Once approved by
the Parliament this move should bring in the much required long-term
capital for the sector,” said Rajesh Sud, chief executive officer and
managing director of Max Life Insurance.
“It will also bring in
domain capital which is of critical importance in this phase of growth
of life insurance industry,” Sud said.
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