Bancassurance is the distribution of insurance products through banks to leverage their large customer bases. It originated in Europe and has seen more development in Asia, particularly Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. In India, banks were permitted to enter insurance in 2002 and bancassurance is regulated by both the RBI and IRDA. Bancassurance provides benefits to all parties by offering customers convenient one-stop shopping and banks and insurers new revenue streams and market penetration. Major Indian bancassurance partnerships include SBI Life, LIC, ICICI Lombard, and Axis-MetLife.
2. INTRODUCTION
BANCASSURANCE IS THE CONVERGENCE OF
THE BANKING AND INSURANCE.
IT WAS DEVELOPED IN EUROPE.
IN ASIA SINGAPORE, TAIWAN AND HONG KONG
ARE AHEAD IN BANCASSURANCE , WITH INDIA
AND CHINA TAKING TENTATIVE STEPS
TOWARDS IT.
3. WHAT IS BANCASSURANCE
DISTRIBUTION OF INSURANCE PRODUCTS
THROUGH BANKS DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL.
IT IS BASICALLY SELLING INSURANCE
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES BY LEVRAGING
THE VAST CUSTOMER BASE OF A BANK AND
FULFILLS THE BANKING AND INSURANCE
NEEDS OF THE CUSTOMERS AT THE SAME
TIME.
4. BANCASSURANCE IN INDIA
IN THE YEAR 2002 THE BANKS OF INDIA WERE
PERMITTED TO DO INSURANCE BUSINESS
FOR THE FIRST TIME.
IT WAS REGULATED BY BOTH RBI AND IRDA AS
IT IS COMBINATION OF BANK AND INSURANCE.
5. NEED OF BANCASSURANCE IN
INDIA
TO IMPROVE THE CHANNELS THROUGH WHICH
INSURANCE POLICY ARE SOLD/MARKED SO AS TO
MAKE THEM REACH THE HANDS OF COMMON MAN
TO WIDEN THE AREA OF WORKING OF BANKING
SECTOR HAVING A NETWORK THAT IS SPREAD
WIDELY IN EVERY PART OF THE NATION.
TO IMPROVE SERVICES OF INSURANCE BY
CREATING A COMPITATIVE ATMOSHPHERE AMONG
PRIVATE INSURANCE COMPANIES IN MARKET
6. RBI GUIDELINE FOR
BANCASSURANCE
JOINT VENTURE WILL BE ALLOWED FOR
FINANCIALLY STRONG BANKS WISHING TO
UNDERTAKE INSURANCE BUSINESS WITH RISK
PARTICIPATION.
FOR BANKS WHICH ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THIS
JOINT VENTURE OPTION, AN INVESTMENT OPTION
OF UP TO 10% OF THE NET WORTH OF THE BANK
OR Rs. 50 CRORE, WHICH EVER IS LOWER, IS
AVALIABLE.
ANY COMMERCIAL BANK WILL BE ALLOWED TO
UNDERTAKE INSURE BUSINESS AS AGENT OF
INSURANCE COMPANIES. THIS WILL BE A FEE
BASIS WITH NO RISK PARTICIPATION.
7. IRDA GUIDELINE FOR
BANCASSURANCE
EACH BANK THAT SELLS INSURANCE MUST HAVE A
CHIEF INSURANCE EXECUTIVE TO HANDLE ALL
THE INSURANCE ACTIVITIES;
ALL THE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN SELLING SHOULD
UNDER-GO MANDATORY TRAINING AT AN
INSTITUTE ACCREDITED BY IRDA AND PASS THE
EXAMINATION CONDUTED BY THE AUTHORITY;
COMMERCIAL BANKS MAY BECOME THE
CORPORATE AGENTS FOR ONE INSURANCE
COMPANY.
BANKS CANNOT BECOME INSURER BROKER.
8. ADVANTAGE FOR THE
BANKS
REVENUE DIVERSIFICATION
SATISFACTION OF MORE FINANCIAL NEEDS
UNDER THE SAME ROOF
CUSTOMER RETENTION-INCREASE IN
CUSTOMER LOYALITY
MORE PROFITABLE RESOURCE UTILIZATION
ENRICHED WORK ENVIORMENT
ESTABLISH SALES ORIENTED CULTURE
9. ADVANTAGE FOR THE
INSURANCE COMPANIES
REVENUE AND CHANNEL DIVERSIFICATION
QUALITY CUSTOMER ACCESS
QUICKER GEOGRAPHICAL REACH CREATION
OF BRAND EQUITY
INCRESE IN VOLUME AND PROFIT
IMPROVED BRAND EQUITY
10. ADVANTAGE FOR THE
CUSTOMER
ENHANCED CONVENIENCE
ONE STOP SHOPPING FOR ALL FINANCIAL
SERVICES
INNOVATIVE AND BETTER PRODUCT RANGES
MORE CREDIBLE SOLUTION
11. BANCASSURANCE COMPANIES
SBI LIFE INSURANCE COMPANIES
LIC IS TIED UP WITH VIJAY BANK, ORIENTAL
BANK OF COMMERCE AND CORPORATION
BANK
ICICI LOMBARD
AXIS BANK METLIFE INDIA
12. CONCLUSION
FOR BANK IT JUST ACTS AS A MEANS OF PRODUCT
DIVERSIFICATION AND ADDITIONAL FEE INCOME;
FOR INSURANCE IT ACTS AS A TOOL FOR
INCREASING THEIR MARKET PENETRATION AND
PREMIUM TURNOVER
FOR CUSTOMER IT ACT AS A BONAZA IN TERMS OF
REDUCED PRICE, HIGH QUALITY PRODUCTS AND
DELIVERY TO DOORSTEPS
SO
EVERYBODY IS WINNER HERE