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Shift in product mix will continue in FY26: SBI Life Insurance MD & CEO
An ideal product mix depends on what are the strengths of the company and how they cater the needs of the customers, says Jhingran
Mumbai
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Amit Jhingran, managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO), SBI Life Insurance, spoke about the reducing dependence on unit-linked insurance plans (Ulips) and growth strategy for the current financial year, in an interview with Aathira Varier in Mumbai. Edited excerpts:
Why was premium income growth muted in FY25?
The company grew around 13 per cent on an individual annual premium equivalent (APE) basis. Total APE was somewhat muted because of lower contribution from the group fund. We consciously did not go looking for it as we found the rates being offered in the industry to be margin negative for

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The Hindu
02-06-2025
- The Hindu
How do you de-risk from outliving your savings?
In today's world a nagging question for many Indians is, Will I have enough money to last through retirement? It's a valid worry. Life expectancy, already about 72.5 years, is expected to cross 85 by the end of this century. At the same time, healthcare costs are rising. And inflation? That's silently eroding the value of our money year after year. A recent survey showed nearly 4 out of 10 working Indians fear they might outlive their savings. So, what can you do? Long retirement years If you retire at 60 and live till 85-90, retirement can easily last 25-30 years. That's almost equal to your working life. Let's say you plan to spend ₹50,000 a month in retirement or ₹6 lakh a year. Over 30 years it's ₹1.8 crore without accounting for inflation. Now add inflation at, say, 6%. That ₹50,000 monthly budget could become ₹1.6 lakh in 20 years. And that's why you need more than a 'big enough' retirement corpus. You need a strategy that helps your income keep up with rising costs. Let's look at some key risks which can erode your wealth. Think ₹1 crore is enough? At 6% inflation, the real value of that corpus halves in 12 years. To counter the effects of inflation, you should keep a portion of savings invested in inflation-beating assets that invest in equity market. Unit-Linked Pension Plans are specifically designed to help you build a retirement corpus which helps generate guaranteed income after retirement. These plans work best if you start investing early. A ULIP Pension Plan has two phases: Accumulation phase and payout phase. During working years, you accumulate a big corpus by investing regularly and earning market-linked returns on the investments. And when you retire, you can withdraw a certain portion (up to 60%) of corpus tax-free and also get regular guaranteed income from balance amount. A great feature is you can invest in a mix of equity and debt funds and switch between them. So you can stay equity-heavy in accumulation phase for faster growth and when nearing retirement you can remain debt-heavy to preserve capital. Medical inflation Healthcare costs in India are rising by 12–14% annually. This problem has a simple solution: health insurance. A comprehensive health insurance policy with lifetime renewability can ensure you won't have to dip into savings for any medical emergency. You must also explore topping up your insurance plan. Longevity risk If you've planned finances to last till 80 but live till 90, you could run out of money. The guaranteed regular income from Pension ULIPs on maturity ensures you get income for life irrespective of age. Withdrawals Pulling out big chunks for lifestyle expenses or emergencies early in retirement can put strain on future needs. Unit Linked Pension Plans ensure at least 40% of corpus is set aside to give you guaranteed return for life, thus securing your retirement. Thus, Pension ULIPs help you to counter these risks by providing the flexibility of partial withdrawals allowed for specific life events while the discipline of ensuring 40% of corpus is always set aside to give you guaranteed returns for life ensures you never run out of money. The rest can be withdrawn tax-free under Section 10 (10A) and Clause 23AAB of Income Tax Act, 1961 You can also consider National Pension Scheme (NPS), a government-backed plan which allows up to 75% of contributions to be invested in market-linked instruments with balance in safer debt options. Once you hit 60, at least 40% of the corpus goes into an annuity, giving a steady, guaranteed income for life. A checklist Figure out how much monthly income you need to live a comfortable life post retirement. Then use the 4% rule to arrive at the corpus size. For example, if you need ₹50,000 every month, then you need a corpus of ₹1.5 crore. But if you are expecting to retire after a decade or two, you need to adjust this number for inflation. Rupee cost averaging Markets go up and down. But over time, consistent investing pays off. By consistently investing in unit linked pension plans you ensure you earn higher number of units when markets fall and lower number of units when markets rise. This helps grow your corpus irrespective of market conditions. That's rupee cost averaging. So start early, stay consistent and let compounding do its magic. Investing early Starting to invest early helps save more and investments get time to grow. With right planning, retirement can be one of the most rewarding chapters of your life. (The writer is head, Investments,


Hans India
28-05-2025
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ULIP for Youth: Why It's Gaining Popularity Among First-Time Investors
If you are stepping into the world of investing for the first time, you probably have a lot on your plate right now – saving goals, budgets, and a list of jargon that you don't understand. But here is some good news: you are not alone, and you are certainly not out of smart investment options. Among these smart options, one financial plan that has quietly gained popularity among new investors like you is the unit-linked insurance plan or the ULIP. You can think of ULIP as a two-in-one deal – insurance coverage and market-linked returns under one scheme. The plan is flexible, tax-efficient, and completely customisable. And with access to handy online tools like the ULIP calculator, you do not need to be a finance guru to figure it out. This article will be a guide to understanding why more and more new investors are leaning into unit-linked insurance plans – and why it might be the ideal plan for you as well. Why Young Investors are Falling for ULIPs? Let's be honest, starting to invest can feel like you are expected to suddenly understand things that sound suspiciously like spells. ULIP, or unit-linked insurance plan, may have sounded like just another acronym thrown around by finance gurus, but once you get what it does, you'll see why so many young investors like you are jumping in early. So, what's the big deal? Why are ULIPs catching the eye of a generation that prefers everything instant, digital, and customisable? 1. The Best of Both Worlds If you are torn between buying life insurance to cover your dependents and trying to invest in a mutual fund to grow your wealth, ULIP might be the sweet spot for you. A section of your insurance premium goes toward life coverage, and the rest amount gets invested in market instruments – equity, debt, and other hybrid options. 2. Tax Benefits With ULIPs, the amount that you pay as a premium qualifies for tax deductions under Section 80C up to a limit of Rs. 1.5 lakhs, and the maturity benefit can also be tax-exempt based on some scenarios as per Section 10(10D). If your annual premium is above 2.5 lakhs, the gains on the premium amount will be charged as per capital gains. However, if your annual premium amount is less than the limit mentioned, the total maturity amount will be tax-exempt. 3. Total Control Over Risk Appetite You can choose the fund's investment aspect as per your risk appetite. Prefer slow and steady? Go with debt instruments. Can you afford a little risk? Consider more equity investments. Can't decide? Mix them both and go for a hybrid approach. You can even switch between funds if your financial goals or risk tolerance change over time. 4. Low Entry Barriers, High Growth Potential 'ULIPs are only for rich people' – this is a common misconception. Most entry-level unit-linked insurance plans are completely wallet-friendly. You can start with premiums as low as Rs. 1000 per month. Most plans come with a lock-in period, so these policies are long-term by design. Your small contribution can grow into something special in 7 to 10 years, given that you are consistent with the premium payment. 5. Transparency and Digital Convenience The new generation loves to track their progress in every field – be it fitness, food, or even sleep. ULIPs further complement this by offering digital convenience regarding financial progress tracking. You can monitor your fund performance, switch options, and calculate maturity amount projections with just a few clicks. Everything is transparent, and you have full control over everything. 6. Built-in Financial Discipline Another commotion misconception among new investors is that the lock-in period is a bad thing. In most cases, the lock-in period is set to 5 years. And trust us, your future self will thank you for not withdrawing early. It keeps you from panic-selling every time the market dips or when someone tells you to buy gold and invest in fixed-income instruments instead. Conclusion Getting started with investing can feel much like navigating a jungle of jargon. In such situations, ULIP might just be that shortcut that you require to get to your financial goals in a straight line. The plan helps you cover your base points – wealth creation, setting up a financial safety net, and tax savings – without drowning in them completely. All you need to do is to stay in control, switch your funds to separate plans whenever needed, and watch your money grow with the magic of compounding. Now, if you are a newbie, you can use tools like an online ULIP calculator to align your financial goals with your policy choices and make smart choices. So, don't wait for a 'perfect time' to start. The sooner you start, the more your money has time to grow. Trust us, your future self will thank you for this.
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20-05-2025
- Business Standard
Bharti AXA Life Insurance plans to break even by FY27: MD & CEO Parag Raja
Parag Raja, managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO), Bharti AXA Life Insurance, outlines the company's five-year roadmap — after stake acquisition (of 15 per cent) by 360 ONE Asset Management — in an interview with Aathira Varier in Mumbai. Edited excerpts: Following 360 ONE's stake acquisition, what changes is the company implementing strategically? We also had to solve for growth capital, which we did with 360 ONE coming onboard with around ₹450-500 crore. This sets up well for what we are internally calling Bharti AXA 2.0, which is the next five years (FY30). The first goal is to achieve 3x revenue. Our new business premium (NBP) is around ₹700 crore, which we want to take to ₹2,000 crore. Our aim is to take the gross premium of ₹3,000 crore to about ₹7,000 crore in five years. The second big goal is to ensure that our margins and embedded value grow. We are targeting a value of new business (VNB) margin at 25 per cent in the next five years. We also intend to have another investment coming in the next 2-3 years. The last piece is the profits that we will start to generate from here on. That also, we will plough back. We will need about ₹1,500-1,600 crore in the next five years. As you aspire to plough back profits, when do you plan to break-even? Our break-even is planned for FY27. We saw about ₹37 crore loss in FY25; it was ₹146 crore in FY24. We do not intend to be over indexed on either a particular distribution channel or product segment. About 30-40 per cent of our business will come from non-par; 15-20 per cent from unit-linked insurance plans (Ulips); and 15-20 per cent will be par products. Currently, the mix is a little skewed towards non-par. Since you don't want to be indexed on a particular channel, what are your plans for distribution? Our focus is to make sure that minimum 50 per cent of our sales come from proprietary channels. We want to expand distribution and we are going to enter into new partnerships as well. In FY20, more than 50 per cent of our sales came from corporate agents and brokers. Today, it has come down to 25 per cent. We have also increased our bancassurance partnerships to eight banks. With 360 ONE coming on board, it helps us in two ways — we have got growth capital and it also gives us access to a very different super high net worth (HNI) clientele. We have also signed up with Nuvama, Spark and Blue Chip — some of the key marquee partnerships in the last 4-5 months. This is all happening with a view of launching the Bharti AXA 2.0. In FY25, performance of the life insurance industry was muted both in premium and sale of policies… The retail segment of the industry posted 8-9 per cent growth in FY25. The industry growth was 20 per cent in H1FY25 and H2 was almost muted due to surrender-value regulations. The regulations, which are beneficial for the customer, are also good in the long term. But in the short term, the industry had to make some changes. The industry had to relook at distributor compensation and commercial deals with institutions and agents. This led to a readjustment. While the growth in policies has been flat, the ticket size has increased by 20 per cent for almost five years. There has been a change in the customer segment and distribution channel. Owing to this, ticket sizes are growing while policy growth in numbers has been flat.