Mumbai: After underperforming in financial year 2014-15, state-owned Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) has improved its performance in April by recording a 21 per cent growth in premium and 18 per cent higher sales of policies over the corresponding month a year ago.
According to data from Life Insurance Council, an official representative body of the life insurance industry, LIC collected Rs 3,582 crore in premium in April 2015 as against Rs 2,966 crore in April 2014, and sold 8,43,235 policies in April, 2015 as against 7,14,572 in April, 2014.
However, LIC has seen further erosion (at 68 per cent in first year premium mobilisation) of its market share in the month, the data showed.
LIC had lost 5 per cent of its market share to 70 per cent in 2014-15 from 75 per cent in 2013-14 and mopped up a total premium of Rs 78,308 crore in FY15 - a 14 per cent dip against Rs 90,645 crore in FY14, it added.
It had also taken a big hit in the number of policies sold in 2014-15 as it fell drastically by 42 per cent to 2,01,71,063 in FY15 from 3,45,11,781 in FY14.
The life insurance industry, comprising 24 insurers, has also shown signs of recovery in April, normally considered as a lean season, by earning 22 per cent higher premium and selling 12 per cent more new policies over the corresponding month a year ago, it said.
In April 2015, the life insurance industry has mobilized Rs 5,276 crore premium and sold 9,43,114 policies.
All the 23 private players, led by HDFC Life, have increased their premium by 26 per cent to Rs 1,686 crore in April 2015.
Overall, FY15 was not a productive year for the entire industry as total premium income plummeted by 6 per cent to Rs 1,13,140 crore in FY15 from Rs 1,20,162 crore in FY14.
HDFC Life topped the chart in the month by earning a premium of Rs 280 crore in April, 2015, a rise of 34 per cent over April, 2014.
Bajaj Allianz Life collected a premium of Rs 229 crore in April 2015, an 84 per cent rise over April, 2014.
SBI Life garnered Rs 178 crore in premium in April 2015 as against Rs 143 crore in April 2015 - an increase of 24 per cent.
ICICI Prudential Life, which has the largest market share in the private sector life insurance industry, mopped up a premium of Rs 230 crore in April 2015 over Rs 111 crore in April 2014 - a 107 per cent rise. As a result, it has lost the top ranking and placed at a distant fourth in the private sector life insurance industry, data from the council showed.
When contacted by PTI, a senior official of ICICI Prudential Life said, "Our focus will continue to be on regular retail premium income, launch of innovative products which are accessible to one and all and renewal of premiums which was a must for the business growth."
At Rs 122 crore in April 2015, Kotak Life has grown by 110 per cent, while Max Life at Rs 125 crore and Reliance Life at Rs 66.18 crore in the month have shrunk by 63 per cent and by 23 per cent, respectively in April 2015.
Recently, Kotak Bank, one of the promoters of Kotak Life, had acquired ING Vysya and analysts said the acquisition has also given a boost to its life insurance business.
Rest of the well-known players in the industry like Tata AIA Life (Rs 27 crore), Birla Sun Life (Rs 53.11 crore), Future Generali (Rs 6.74 crore) and Aviva (Rs 28.18 crore) recorded sub-Rs 100 crore premium in April 2015.
The list included bancassurance players like India First (Rs 50.34 crore), Star Union Daiichi (Rs 12.5) IDBI Federal (Rs 50 crore), PNB MetLife (Rs 55.34 crore) and Canara HSBC Oriental Life Insurance (Rs 39.32 crore).
"The year has started well, we fear that the growth that is coming through a massive ULIP push may not be long-term in nature."
"Market movements may change the industry performance if the current product mix continues," Reliance Life Insurance chief executive Anup Rau told PTI.
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