

100% FDI in insurance to boost capacity, protect policyholders: Irdai chief Ajay Seth
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The insurance sector requires deregulation in some areas and stronger regulation in others. However, deregulation does not mean laissez-faire,” said Ajay Seth, chairman of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai).In an interaction with Mint, he outlined the regulator’s approach to balancing sector liberalization with consumer protection, amid proposed reforms such as the Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha Act.He discussed foreign participation, regulatory safeguards, challenges in health insurance, global risks, and new initiatives such as the Public Insurance Registry and the Bima Sugam platform.
Edited excerpts:The opening of the sector to 100% FDI, along with an amendment to the insurance rules, will certainly help in positioning our economy as an attractive destination for foreign insurance capital, complementing domestic capital. The regulations provide a level playing field to all insurance companies, irrespective of ownership.There are adequate safeguards to protect policyholders' interests through solvency margins.
The net premium by all companies is invested in the domestic market, with a sizable part in risk-free securities. The sector is also moving to a higher level of transparency by adopting Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS) aligned with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).
By next year, we should be moving to the risk-based capital framework (RBCF). Both these measures should further augment the capacity to attract capital and safeguard policyholders’ interests.The reinsurers also have to maintain adequate capital as their business grows, while the entry-level requirement has been moderated.
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