Aathira Varier

Irdai chief Ajay Seth says distribution reforms aim to improve efficiency without disrupting existing business models; Public Insurance Registry beta is due by January 2028

Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd., led by Canadian billionaire Prem Watsa, is set to acquire nearly 61 per cent stake in IDBI Bank for $5.6 billion, marking the largest foreign investment in banks

Separately, Fairfax, through FAL Corporation, held a 65 per cent stake in Valueattics Re, India's first privately owned domestic reinsurer, as of March 2026

ICICI Lombard's Q2FY27 net profit rose to Rs 946.4 crore on premium and investment income growth, while underwriting losses widened and the combined ratio reached 107 per cent.

TransUnion CIBIL data shows average passenger-vehicle loan sizes rose 49 per cent between H1 2019 and H1 2026, while repayment tenures increased by five months to 62 months

The insurer's net premium income rose 16.56 per cent to Rs 13,804 crore in Q2FY27, while value of new business grew 20.3 per cent to Rs 712 crore, with margins improving

Gold loan securitisation and a recovery in vehicle loan transactions drove a 42 per cent rise in volumes, with ICRA projecting a record Rs 2.6-2.7 trillion for FY27

The microfinance lender secured funding from 10 financial institutions across Asia, the Middle East and Africa to diversify borrowing sources and optimise funding costs.

Insurers and distributors have warned that the changes could constrain near-term growth, hit distributor revenues and affect employment

Retail protection growth and a favourable product mix are expected to support life insurers' Q2FY27 profitability, while higher claims ratios could weigh on general insurers.

ICRA expects the impact of proposed commission caps and expense limits to become more visible in FY28, with health and life insurers and smaller players facing greater pressure

LIC and private life insurers drive strong new business premium growth, while general and health insurers lift non-life premiums despite a sharp decline in crop insurance collections

The GST Council's decision to allow input tax credit on employee group health and life insurance is expected to reduce coverage costs for employers, particularly MSMEs

Governor Sanjay Malhotra says the RBI will submit comments on Irdai's draft commission framework, which proposes product-level caps and lower management expense limits

NBFC retail credit grew 22 per cent year-on-year to ₹26.48 trillion in August, led by a 69.1 per cent surge in gold loans, while overall credit growth lagged banks

Insurance brokers have sought a deeper assessment of Irdai's proposed distribution reforms, warning of a 60-70 per cent revenue impact and around 1 million jobs at risk

Allowing employers to claim ITC on GST paid on group health and life insurance could lower effective costs, address a tax disparity and encourage wider employee coverage

In contrast, India's second-largest private-sector bank, ICICI Bank, mobilised $17.88 billion in FCNR(B) deposits and raised $3.55 billion through dollar-denominated bonds

Non-life insurers have discussed a 10 per cent co-payment on inpatient hospitalisation costs, but industry executives say the proposal is unlikely to get Irdai's nod

HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, SBI and Axis Bank have emerged as key training grounds for financial services leaders who later take up top industry roles