Indian Insurance Sector Deregulation and the Global Financial Crisis

Since the deregulation of the Indian insurance sector in 1999, the market-share of the country's sole largest public-sector player Life Insurance Corporation of India has drastically gone down with the entry of private players. The abrupt rise in the presence of private players has eventually raised concerns about the performances of the life insurance players in safeguarding the interests of the policyholders. Further, the global financial crisis of 2007-08 had its contagion effects in the Indian insurance industry, the ripples of which were even felt in the performances of the Indian life insurers. The study thus makes an attempt to evaluate the operational efficiencies, productivity and financial health of the life insurance companies in India, covering the period from 2008-09 to 2014-15 against the backdrop of the global financial crisis and the insurance sector deregulation in India. The study has also hinted at the monopolistic-competition type of market structure prevailing in the country's life insurance sector. The study further gave indications about the commendable turnaround manifested by the life insurers from the spill-over effects of the financial crisis post 2010.