Page 16 - Aathira Varier

FSIB recommends R Doraiswamy as LIC MD & CEO; Cabinet to give final nod

FSIB has proposed LIC MD R Doraiswamy for the top role of MD & CEO, with the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet set to take the final call amid a wider leadership reshuffle

Non-life insurers' premium rises 6.3% in May, led by health players

Non-life insurance premiums rose to ₹22,126.72 crore in May 2025, with robust contributions from standalone health and specialised insurers despite regulatory format changes

New business premium of life insurers in May grows around 13%, shows data

Individual business grew 3.35 per cent Y-o-Y to Rs 10,611 crore, while group business expanded by 18.4 per cent Y-o-Y to Rs 19,851.8 crore

Overexposure to group business a challenge for LIC, say analysts

LIC's solvency ratio rose to 211 per cent in FY25 from 187 per cent in FY23

Three months after Panda's exit, Irdai chairperson post remains vacant

Absence of a regulator stalls key insurance reforms including Bima Trinity, composite licence, and risk-based capital framework

RBI's revised QA norms to boost compliance, broaden microfinance reach

Industry body says lowering QA threshold for NBFC-MFIs to 60% will improve compliance, enable diversification, and support long-term sector sustainability

We should just go for unified licences; must open up distribution: Singhel

Human memory is very short. The demand for health insurance is still fine, we still have a double digit growth, Tapan Singhel said

PNB, BoB, UCO cut lending rates after RBI slashes repo rate by 50 bps

After the RBI's surprise 50 bps repo rate cut, major state-run banks including PNB, Bank of Baroda and UCO Bank have reduced lending rates to boost transmission

Sat Pal Bhanoo takes interim charge as LIC MD & CEO for three months

Following Siddhartha Mohanty's term completion, Sat Pal Bhanoo has been given interim charge as LIC MD & CEO for three months or until a new incumbent is appointed

RBI repo rate cut by 50 bps: Corporate borrowing likely to remain tepid

CRR cut to partially offset margin pressure from rate cuts from H2 FY26

MFI stress to be steady in next few quarters: RBI Deputy Governor

RBI relaxes qualifying criteria for NBFCs to be treated as MFIs

Surety bonds' market faces multiple growth challenges despite govt push

The issuance of such bonds remains muted due to several challenges, such as collaboration between banks and insurance firms, data sharing, and regulatory parity, among others

BimaPay targets Rs 5,000 cr corporate insurance premium financing by FY30

The company will cover all sectors including IT, logistics, healthcare, manufacturing and more, offering products such as group medical, fire and group personal accident insurance

Shortage of ₹100, ₹200 notes may delay RBI's ATM target, say banks

Cash logistics firms and banks cite note supply and operational costs as key concerns in meeting RBI's target for ATMs dispensing ₹100 or ₹200 notes by September 2025

RBI's LRS review to align with wider economic, geopolitical conditions

The central bank is reassessing annual limits, permitted uses, currency options and compliance alignment in its Liberalised Remittance Scheme amid evolving economic realities

Banks' gold loan growth more than doubles in April on price surge

Gold loan growth rises 119.6% YoY to Rs 2.23 trillion in April 2025; RBI data shows slowdown in retail and NBFC credit growth despite robust rise in gold-backed lending

RBI plans guidelines to curb mis-selling of financial products in FY26

As complaints rise, RBI will frame rules in FY26 to curb mis-selling of financial products by banks and NBFCs, with possible impact on insurers' banca channels

Fake ₹500 notes at six-year high in FY25, ₹2000 counterfeits fall: RBI

The number of counterfeit notes below ₹200 denomination also rose by 13.9 per cent YoY to 32,600 pieces

Insured deposits rise 7% to ₹96.7 trillion as of Sept 2024: RBI report

RBI annual report shows insured deposits rose to ₹96.7 trillion with 97.7% of accounts covered; DIF grew 15.2% while ₹476 crore in claims was settled in FY25

General insurers launch ₹120-cr campaign to raise insurance awareness

With penetration slipping to 3.7% in FY24, general insurers roll out "Acha Kiya Insurance Liya" campaign modelled on mutual fund success to drive awareness