Insurance companies warned by Chidambaram: Don't mis-sell policies

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PTI: New Delhi, Feb 04 2013, 19:58 IST

Concerned over subdued growth in the insurance sector, Finance Minister P Chidambaram today asked the insurance companies to refrain from mis-selling and devise simple products for people to boost growth in the sector.

"In my view, the reason why insurance is stumbling in India is because of mis-selling of products and complex products.

"If you want to sell insurance to India, you must sell simple products and must make it absolutely clear to agents and other officers that they should not mis-sell," Chidambaram said.

He was inaugurating new brand of PNB Metlife following Punjab National Bank's acquisition of a 30 per cent stake in the company.

The Finance Minister said India is one of most under-insured countries in the world with the penetration of less than 4 per cent of the GDP.

"I think if you keep these two guidelines—simple products and no mis-selling--insurance will make great rise in the next few years," he said, adding, the insurance companies should come out with such products which people can understand.

Drawing comparison, the Finance Minister said "while the demand for banking services and spread of banking services is extremely fast paced, the demand for insurance products, growth of insurance companies is quite tepid."

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ASHOK TANDON | 06-Feb-2013Reply | Forward

Shri P Chidambaram is perfectly right in telling the insurance sector to have a check on misselling and also bring simple and transparent products. The insurance companies are market oriented and in order to compete with each other and get top line are forgetting the basic rule that insured cannot be cheated always. Did at any time insurance companies work out on the admnexpenses/commission being incurred on every premium being taken from customers. The claim ratio is not as adverse as claimed by insurance companies but it is the lavish expenditure they incur on their sales team/officers and commission being given that takes away almost 50% of the premium given by clients. They should have a check on this and insured should be allowed to have concessional premium in cases he does not want the services of mediator. Govt should seriously look into the expenses for every premium booked. The people will start buying the policies if the premium is affordable.