BANCASSURANCE

Executive Summary
Bancassurance is a French term referring to the selling of insurance through a banks
established distribution channels. In other words we can say Bancassurance is the
provision of Insurance products by a bank. Bancassurance was originated in France in
1980s & then it was widely spread across Europe. This Concept was introduced in India in
1999.
Bancassurance is gaining popularity day-by-day. This report provides a birds eye view of the
current situation of Bancassurance. It also discusses about the importance of bancassurance in
todays economy. The Banking and Insurance industries have changed
rapidlyint h e c h a n g i n g a n d c h a l l e n g i n g e c o n o m i c e n v i r o n m e n t t h r o u g h o u t t h e w
orld.In this competitive and liberalized environment everyone is trying to do better than others
and consequently survival of the fittest has come into effect.
I would like to present my project BANCASSURANCE (an emerging concept in India).The
project flashes some light on Bancassurance and how it is perceived by people in India. It deals
with the conceptual part of Bancassurance. The main focus of this project is on benefits and
importance of Bancassurance.The regulations governing Bancassurance areal so dealt with in
this project.SWOT analysis is also done so as to identify the various opportunities and threats
for Bancassurance in India.

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Chapter 1.Introduction
BANCASSURANCE as term itself tells us what does it means. Its a combination of the
term Bank and Insurance. It means that insurance have started selling there product
through banks. Its a new concept to Indian market but it is very widely used in western
and developed countries. It is profitable both to Banks and Insurance companies and has
a very bright future to be the most develop and efficient means of distribution of
Insurance product in very near future.
Insurance company can sell both life and non-life policies through banks. The share of
premium collected by banks is increasing in a decent manner from the time it was
introduce to the Indian market. In India Bancassurance is guide by Insurance Regulatory
and Development Authority Act (IRDA), 1999 and Reserve Bank of India. All banks and
insurance company have to meet particular requirement to get into Bancassurance
business.
It is predicted by experts that in future 90% of share of premium will come from
Bancassurance business only. Currently there are more and more banking and Insurance
Company and venturing into Bancassurance business for better business prospect in
future.
The banking business is also generating more profit by more premium collected by them
and they also receive commission like normal insurance agent which increase there
profits and better reputation for the banks as there service base also increase and are
able to provide more service to customers and even more customer are attracted toward
bank.
It is even profitable for Insurance Company as they receive more and more sales and
higher customer base for the company. And they have to directly deal with an
organization which reduce there pressure to deal with each customer face to face.

In all Bancassurance has proved to be boom in whole Banking and Insurance arena.
Bancassurance is defined as Selling Insurance products through banks. The word is a
combination of two words Banc and assurance signifying that both banking and
insurance products and service are provided by one common corporate entity or by
banking company with collaboration with any particular Insurance company. In concrete
terms bancassurance, which is also known as Allfinanz - describes a package of financial
services that can fulfill both banking and insurance needs at the same time.

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Financial Services

Banking

Insurance

Bancassurance
Bancassurance
The usage of the word picked up as banking and insurance companies merged together
and banks sought to provide insurance, in the market which has been liberalized recently.
But it is a controversial issue as many experts feels that this ides gives banking sector
too great a control over financial market in that country. Therefore it has also been
restricted in many countries too.
But, still which countries have permitted Bancassurance in their market has seen a
tremendous boom in that sector. The share of premium collected by them has increased
in constant and decent manner. This success coincided with a favorable taxation for life
insurance products, as well as with the consumers' growing needs, in terms of middle
and long term savings, which is due to an inadequacy of the pension schemes in India.
The links between bank and insurance takes place through various ways (distribution
agreements, joint ventures, creation of a company new company) which gives rise to a
complete upheaval concerning marketing strategies and the setting up of insurance
products' distribution. More and better insurance starts coming in market.
This stream of market has just been opened very recently for the Indian market and there
is lot of development left to be done by the government and regulatory authority. But this
has proven to be a boom for the Insurance and Banking companies together and both the
different sector of the industry has shown better result and improvement in their own field
due coming of the whole new concept of BANCASSURANCE.

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Bancassurance in its simplest form is the distribution of insurance products through a
banks distribution channels. It is the provision of insurance and banking products and
service through a common distribution channel or through a common base.

Banks, with their geographical spreading penetration in terms of customers reach of all
segments, have emerged as viable source for the distribution of insurance products. It
takes various forms in various countries depending upon the demography and economic
and legislative climate of that country. This concept gained importance in the growing
global insurance industry and its search for new channels of distribution.
However, the evolution of bancassurance as a concept and its practical implementation in
various parts of the world, have thrown up a number of opportunities and challenges.
The concept of bancassurance was evolved in Europe. Europe leads the world in
Bancassurance market penetration of banks assurance in new life business in Europe
which ranges between 30% in United Kingdom to nearly 70% in France. However, hardly
20% of all United States banks were selling insurance against 70% to 90% in many
Western European countries. In Spain, Belgium, Germany and France more than 50% of
all new life premiums is generated by banks assurance. In Asia, Singapore, Taiwan and
Hong Kong have surged ahead in Bancassurance then that with India and China taking
tentative step forward towards it. In Middle East, only Saudi Arabia has made some
feeble attempts that even failed to really take off or make any change in the system.
The motives behind bancassurance also vary. For Banks, it is n means of product
diversification and source of additional fee income. Insurance companies see
bancassurance as a tool for increasing their market penetration and premium turnover.
The customer sees bancassurance as a bonanza in terms of reduced price, high quality
products and delivery at the doorsteps.
With the liberalization of the insurance sector and competition tougher than ever before,
companies are increasingly trying to come out with better innovations to stay that one-step
ahead.
Progress has definitely been made as can be seen by the number of advanced products
flooding the market today - products with attractive premiums, unitized products, unit-linked
products and innovative riders. But a hitherto untapped field is the one involving the distribution
of these insurance products.
Currently, insurance agents are still the main vehicles through which insurance products are
sold. But in a huge country like India, one can never be too sure about the levels of penetration

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of a product. It therefore makes sense to look at well-balanced, alternative channels of
distribution.
Nationalized insurers are already well established and have an extensive reach and presence.
New players may find it expensive and time consuming to bring up a distribution network to such
standards. Yet, if they want to make the most of India's large population base and reach out to a
worthwhile number of customers, making use of other distribution avenues becomes a must.
Alternate channels will help to bring down the costs of distribution and thus benefit the
customers

What is Bancassurance?
Bancassurance is the distribution of insurance products through a bank's distribution channels.
It is a service that can fulfill both banking and insurance needs at the same time.
Bancassurance as a concept first began in India when the insurance industry opened up to
private participation in December 1999. There are basically four models of bancassurance:

Distribution alliance between the insurance company and the bank.

Joint venture between the two companies.
Mergers between a bank and insurer.
Bank builds or buys own insurance products.

Most of the bancassurance operations fall in the first model.

How does it help?

Every insurance company has a wants to grow quickly to reduce painful start-up expense
overruns. Banks with their huge networks and large customer bases give insurers an
opportunity to do this efficiently.
It gives the companies an opportunity to tap the rural sectors. Selling insurance through
traditional methods in these sectors falls very expensive. A tie up with a bank with an
appropriate customer base can give an insurer a cheap access to these areas.
Banassurance enables to have a huge pool of skilled professionals.
The margins of the banks in their core lending business are declining sharply.
Opportunities like banassurance augment their income.
Banassurance enables to develop a sales culture within the bank. It helps to change the
traditional mindset of banking companies.

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Though a relatively new concept, banassurance has been a phenomenal success in most of the
cases. Currently banks are not just lending organizations but are emerging as more diverse
financial institutions. The distribution of insurance products through banks has been beneficial to
both insurance and banking companies as well as the customers

Why should Banks enter Insurance?

There are several reasons why banks should seriously consider Bancassurance, the most
important of which is increased return on assets (ROA). One of the best ways to increase ROA,
assuming a constant asset base, is through fee income. Banks that build fee income can cover
more of their operating expenses, and one way to build fee income is through the sale of
insurance products. Banks that effectively cross-sell financial products can leverage their
distribution and processing capabilities for profitable operating expense ratios.
By leveraging their strengths and finding ways to overcome their weaknesses, banks could
change the face of insurance distribution. Sale of personal line insurance products through
banks meets an important set of consumer needs. Most large retail banks engender a great deal
of trust in broad segments of consumers, which they can leverage in selling them personal line
insurance products. In addition, a banks branch network allows the face to face contact that is
so important in the sale of personal insurance.
Another advantage banks have over traditional insurance distributors is the lower cost per sales
lead made possible by their sizable, loyal customer base. Banks also enjoy significant brand
awareness within their geographic regions, again providing for a lower per-lead cost when
advertising through print, radio and/or television. Banks that make the most of these advantages
are able to penetrate their customer base and markets for above-average market share.
Other bank strengths are their marketing and processing capabilities. Banks have extensive
experience in marketing to both existing customers (for retention and cross selling) and noncustomers (for acquisition and awareness). They also have access to multiple communications
channels, such as statement inserts, direct mail, ATMs, telemarketing, etc. Banks' proficiency in
using technology has resulted in improvements in transaction processing and customer service.
By successfully mining their customer databases, leveraging their reputation and 'distribution
systems (branch, phone, and mail) to make appointments, and utilizing 'sales techniques and
products tailored to the middle market, European banks have more than doubled the conversion
rates of insurance leads into sales and have increased sales productivity to a ratio which is
more than enough to make Bancassurance a highly profitable proposition.

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Chapter 2.Banking on Bancassurance

Though much ado was made about bancassurance, an alternate channel to hawk risk products
through banks, the channel is yet to pick up pace as of today. Most of the insurance companies
have already tied up with banks to explore the potential of the channel that has been a success
story in Europe and legislations are also in place. For insurance companies and banks the
convergence brings about benefits for both but then whats stopping it from taking off in a big
way?
Bancassurance primarily banks on the relationship the customer has developed over a period of
time with the bank. And pushing risk products through banks is a cost-effective affair for an
insurance company compared to the agent route, while, for banks, considering the falling
interest rates, fee based income coming in at a minimum cost is more than welcome.
SBI Life Insurance Company a predominant player in bancassurance is positive about the
channel bringing about a transformation in the way insurance has been sold so far.RBI guideline
for banks entering into insurance sector provides three options for banks. They are:
Emphasizing heavily on bancassurance and plans to explore the potential of State Bank of
Indias 9000 plus branches spread across the country and also its 4000 plus associate banks one of the reasons why SBI Life Insurance is not laying much emphasis on increasing its agent
force from the present 3000.
The company plans to appoint Certified Insurance Facilitators (CIFs) in a phased manner at its
branches. For now around 320 CIFs, one from each of its bank branches have been identified
for the purpose in addition to setting up insurance counters at its banking outlets. The number is
expected to go up to 500. Out of our present business of around Rs 150-200 crore
bancassurance has brought in 50 percent while corporate agency and the agent channel have
contributed about 10 percent and 40 percent respectively, says Pradeep Pandey, Head, PR,
SBI Life Insurance Company. The company aims at acquiring 75 percent of the total business
through bancassurance and the balance through the other channels by 2007.
Various models are used by banks for bancassurance. One is the insurance salesman of the
respective company being posted in the bank, the other is where a select group of wealth
management people of the bank sell insurance and the third is where the bank employees are
incentivised to hawk insurance products.

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But the pertinent question is how far will bancassurance succeed when insurance is a product
that is sold not bought in our country. Insurance needs hard selling but banks have never been
aggressive about selling financial products. Says Pradeep Pandey I agree that in our country

insurance awareness is low but with falling interest rates, banks are on the look out for
additional revenue and bancassurance can provide them fee based income insurance is one
outlet where income can be gained. And the cost that banks have to incur is minimal. With all
the other infrastructure in place already, the cost is only about training a few individuals.
And will products sold through bancassurance be any different? The products sold will be the
same. In the first phase we plan to sell endowment and pension opines Mr Pandey, SBI Life
Insurance. On the contrary Shivaji Dam, CEO, OM Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance begs to
differ,Yes products will have to be different to be sold through bancassurance. They will have to
be term and savings products with not much of complications. In other words products that are
static and simple
OM Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance has tied up with Dena Bank and its own Kotak Bank for
bancassurance. The company is targeting around 10 percent of the business during its start up
phase. Adds Shivaji Dam, Our focus will not be the affluent class but the middle class But in
case of SBI Life there is no such emphasis on a segment of the population perhaps considering
the wide reach its bank branches have even in the remotest corners of the country. Also SBI Life
plans to offer its complete basket of products but OM Kotak will be selling select products.
Insurers are no doubt optimistic about the channel but it does come with a few limitations. While
sale of insurance comes at a lower cost through this channel in comparison to the agency route
and the insurance company gains much through the large bank network spread across the
country the potential can be impeded if bank officials do not actively generate leads.
Also it is yet to be seen how far buying shelf space in a bank helps push sale of insurance.
Besides the target audience is limited to those individuals who visit the bank during the working
hours. And with technology changing at a rapid pace ATMs and internet banking have been
reducing the individuals visits to the bank which could perhaps be a dampener for
bancassurance.
Insurance companies are positive about the bancassurance channel raking in volume business
at a low cost and banks have been salivating over the fee-based income that it will bring. But
unless products are simple, easy to understand and easy to market much of the benefits the
bancassurance channel holds, may remain only on paper.

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Will Bancassurance Click?

Bancassurance, the much talked about channel of insurance distribution through banks that
originated in France and which has been a success story in Europe is yet to take off here. A
number of insurers have already tied up with banks and some banks have already flagged off
bancassurance through soft launches of select risk products. While reams have been written
about the numerous benefits of bancassurance considering the wide scale availability of risk
products it will enable, rules and regulations regarding the same are yet to fall in place.

Fee based income:

For banks, bancassurance would mean a major gain. Since interest rates have been falling and
profit on off take of credit has been low all banks have been able to do is sustain themselves but
not profit much. Enter bancassurance and fee based income through hawking of risk products
would be guaranteed.

Unique strategies:
Before taking the plunge, banks as also insurers need to work hard on chalking out strategies to
sell risk products through this channel especially in an emerging market as ours. Through tieups some insurers plan to buy shelf space in banks and sell insurance to those who volunteer to
purchase them. But unless banks set up a trained task force that will focus on hard-selling risk
products, making much headway is difficult especially with a financial product that is not so
easily bought over the counter.

Identifying Target audience:

Besides, identifying the target audience is yet another important aspect. Banks have a large
depositor base of corporate as well as retail clients they can tap. Talking of retail clients the
lower end and middle-income group customers constitute a major chunk who have over a period
of time built a good rapport with the bank staff and thus hold big potential for bancassurance.

Reduced costs:
While products such as retirement planning will involve an elaborately worked out plan with the
help of a financial advisor, simple products such as an accident cover in other words pure risk
products will be sold through this channel enabling savings on solicitation costs of these

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products. So will insurers pass on a part of the gains on cost saving (saving on agent training
etc) to customers? At present insurers are non-committal on this one. Also there are no

immediate plans to redesign products to suit the bancassurance channel but banks are gung-ho
about cross-selling products.

Legal issues:
Conversely, the Insurance Regulatory Development Authority (IRDA) has adopted a cautious
approach before Bancassurance is flagged off. While on the one hand it is an economical
proposition to sell risk products through the numerous bank branches spread across the country
the fact that claim settlement disputes take an unusually long time in our country is one of the
causes for worry. In such a situation will banks be in a position to fight for the cause of their
clients is a major concern? Besides regulatory authorities for both - banks and insurance
companies are different. Moreover, banks may have to part with confidential information about
their clients. Now where should banks draw a line?

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Bancassurance What is in store for Customers?

The most immediate advantage for customers is that, in insurance business the question
of trust plays a greater role, especially due to the inbuilt requirement of a long term
relationship between the insurer and the insured. In India, for decades, customers were
used to the monopolistic attitude of public sector insurance companies, despite there
were many drawbacks in their dealing, they enjoyed customer confidence, this trend
continues even now mainly due to their Government ownership. The customers to move
over to private insurance companies that are collaborated with foreign companies which
are less known to the Indian public would take little more time. The void between the less
known newer private insurance companies and the prospective insured could be
comfortably filled by the banks because of their well established and long cherished
relationship. Under these circumstances, any new insurance products routed through the
bancassurance channel would be well received by the customers. Above all, in the
emerging scenario, customers prefer to have a consolidation and delivery of all financial
services at a single window in the form of financial super market, irrespective of whether
financial or banking transactions, because such availability of wide range of financial/
banking services and products relieves the customers from the painstaking efforts of
scouting for a separate dealer for each service/ product. Even internationally, the trend is
towards the one-stop-shop. Customers could also get a share in the cost savings in the
form of reduced premium rate because of economies of scope, besides getting better
financial counseling at single point. Even in the case of developed countries the financial
literacy and financial counseling has been increasingly stressed in recent years, these
become essential especially when decision involves long term investments. In India,
recently Reddy (2006) has been emphasizing on the importance and necessity for
financial counseling and financial literature. In that context too the bankers are better
placed in extending such counseling or financial adviser to the customer because of their
well-established long cherished relationship. The relationship between insurer and
insured and bank and its client are different, the former involves taking decisions for long
term parting of money, in such cases counseling is necessary, here too the
bancassurance can be of reassuring for the customer.

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Chapter 3.Bancassurance Models

I. Structural Classification
a) Referral Model
Banks intending not to take risk could adopt referral model wherein they merely part with
their client data base for business lead for commission. The actual transaction with the
prospective client in referral model is done by the staff of the insurance company either at
the premise of the bank or elsewhere. Referral model is nothing but a simple
arrangement, wherein the bank, while controlling access to the clients data base, parts
with only the business leads to the agents/ sales staff of insurance company for a referral
fee or commission for every business lead that was passed on. In fact a number of banks
in India have already resorted to this strategy to begin with. This model would be suitable
for almost all types of banks including the RRBs /cooperative banks and even
cooperative societies both in rural and urban. There is greater scope in the medium term
for this model. For, banks to begin with resorts to this model and then move on to the
other models.

b) Corporate Agency
The other form of non-risk participatory distribution channel is that of corporate agency,
wherein the bank staff is trained to appraise and sell the products to the customers. Here
the bank as an institution acts as corporate agent for the insurance products for a fee/
commission. This seems to be more viable and appropriate for most of the mid-sized
banks in India as also the rate of commission would be relatively higher than the referral
arrangement. This is prone to reputational risk of the marketing bank. There are also
practical difficulties in the form of professional knowledge about the insurance products.
Besides, resistance from staff to handle totally new service/product could not be ruled
out. This could, however, be overcome by intensive training to chosen staff packaged
with proper incentives in the banks coupled with selling of simple insurance products in
the initial stage. This model is best suited for majority of banks including some major
urban cooperative banks because neither there is sharing of risk nor does it require huge

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investment in the form of infrastructure and yet could be a good source of income. Bajaj
Allianz stated to have established a growth of 325 per cent during April-September 2004,
mainly due to bancassurance strategy and around 40% of its new premiums business
(Economic Times, October 8, 2004). Interestingly, even in a developed country like US,

banks stated to have preferred to focus on the distribution channel akin to corporate
agency rather than underwriting business. Several major US banks including Wells
Fargo, Wachovia and BB &T built a large distribution network by acquiring insurance
brokerage business. This model of bancassurance worked well in the US, because
consumers generally prefer to purchase policies through broker banks that offer a wide
range of products from competing insurers (Sigma, 2006).

c) Insurance as Fully Integrated Financial Service/ Joint ventures

Apart from the above two, the fully integrated financial service involves much more
comprehensive and intricate relationship between insurer and bank, where the bank
functions as fully universal in its operation and selling of insurance products is just one
more function within. Where banks will have a counter within sell/ market the insurance
products as an internal part of its rest of the activities. This includes banks having wholly
owned insurance subsidiaries with or without foreign participation. In Indian case, ICICI
bank and HDFC banks in private sector and State Bank of India in the public sector, have
already taken a lead in resorting to this type of bancassurance model and have acquired
sizeable share in the insurance market, also made a big stride within a short span of
time. The great advantage of
this strategy being that the bank could make use of its full potential to reap the benefit of
synergy and therefore the economies of scope. This may be suitable to relatively larger
banks with sound financials and has better infrastructure. Internationally, the fully
integrated bancassurance have demonstrated superior performance (Krishnamurthy,
2003). Even if the banking company forms as a subsidiary and insurance company being
a holding company, this could be classified under this category, so long as the bank is
selling the insurance products alongside the usual banking services. As per the extant
regulation of insurance sector the foreign insurance company could enter the Indian
insurance market only in the form of joint venture, therefore, this type of bancassurance
seems to have emerged out of necessity in India to an extent. There is great scope for
further growth both in life and non-life insurance segments as GOI is reported have been
actively considering to increase the FDIs participation to the upto 49 per cent.

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II. Product-based Classification

i) Stand-alone Insurance Products

In this case bancassurance involves marketing of the insurance products through either
referral arrangement or corporate agency without mixing the insurance products with any
of the banks own products/ services. Insurance is sold as one more item in the menu of
products offered to the banks customer, however, the products of banks and insurance
will have their respective brands too, e.g., Karur Vysya Bank Ltd selling of life insurance
products of Birla Sun Insurance or non-life insurance products of Bajaj Allianz General
Insurance company.

ii) Blend of Insurance with Bank Products

With the financial integration both within the country and globally, insurance is
increasingly being viewed not just as a stand-alone product but as an important item on
a menu of financial products that helps consumers to blend and create a portfolio of
financial assets, manage their financial risks and plan for their financial security and wellbeing (Olson 2004). This strategy aims at blending of insurance products as a value
addition while promoting its own products. Thus, banks could sell the insurance products
without any additional efforts. In most times, giving insurance cover at a nominal
premium/ fee or sometimes without explicit premium does act as an added attraction to
sell the banks own products, e.g., credit card, housing loans, education loans, etc. Many
banks in India, in recent years, has been aggressively marketing credit and debit card
business, whereas the cardholders get the insurance cover for a nominal fee or
(implicitly included in the annual fee) free from explicit charges/ premium. Similarly the
home loans / vehicle loans, etc., have also been packaged with the insurance cover as
an additional incentive.

III. Recent Trend of Bancassurance in India

Bancassurance proper is still evolving in Asia and this is still in infancy in India and it is
too early to assess the exact position. However, a quick survey revealed that a large

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number of banks cutting across public and private and including foreign banks have
made use of the bancassurance channel in one form or the other in India. Banks by and
large are resorting to either referral models or corporate agency to begin with. Banks
even offer space in their own premises to accommodate the insurance staff for selling the

insurance products or giving access to their clients database for the use of the insurance
companies. As number of banks in India have begun to act as corporate agents to one
or the other insurance company, it is a common sight that banks canvassing and
marketing the insurance products across the counters. The present IRDAs regulation,
however, restricts bankers to act as a corporate agent on behalf of only one life and nonlife insurance company.
In the case of ICICI-Prudential Life Insurance company, within two years of its operations,
it could reach more than 25 major cities in India and as much as 20 per cent of the life
insurance sales are through the bancassurance channel (Malpani 2004). In the case of
ICICI bank, SBI and HDFC bank insurance companies are subscribers of their respective
holding companies. ICICI bank sells its insurance products practically at all its major
branches, besides it has bancassurance partnership arrangements with 19 other banks
as also as many as 200 corporate tie-up arrangements. Thus, among the private
insurance companies, ICICI Prudential seems to exploit the bancassurance potential to
the maximum. ICICI stated that Bank of India has steadily grown the life insurance
segment of its business since its inception. ICICI prudential had also reported to have
entered into similar tie-ups with a number of RRBs, to reap the potential of rural and
semi-urban. In fact, it is a step in the right direction to tap the vast potential of rural and
semi-urban market. It will not be surprising if other insurance companies to follow this
direction.
Aviva Insurance had reported that it has tie-ups with as many as 22 banking companies,
which includes private, public sector and foreign banks to market its products. Similarly,
Birla Sun Life Insurer reported to have tie-up arrangements with 10 leading banks in the
country. A distinct feature of the recent trend in tie-up arrangements was that a number of
cooperative banks have roped in with bancassurance arrangement. This has added
advantage for insurer as well as the cooperative banks, such as the banks can increase
the non-fund based income without the risk participation and for the insurers the vast
rural and semi-urban market could be tapped without its own presence. Bancassurance
alone has contributed richly to as much as 45 per cent of the premium income in
individual life segment of Birla Sun Life Insurer (Javari, 2006).
Incidentally even the public sector major LIC reported to have tie-up with 34 banks in the
country, it is likely that this could be the largest number of banks selling single insurance
companys products. Ironically, LIC also has the distinction of being the oldest and the
largest presence of its own in the country. SBI Life Insurance for instance, is uniquely

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placed as a pioneer to usher bancassurance into India. The company has been
extensively utilizing the SBI Group as a platform for cross-selling insurance products
along with its numerous banking product packages such as housing loans, personal
loans and credit cards. SBI has distinct advantage of having access to over 100 million
accounts and which provides it a vibrant and largest customer base to build insurance
selling across every region and economic strata in the country. In 2004, the company
reported to have become the first company amongst private insurance players to cover
30 lakh lives.

Interestingly, in respect of new (life) business bancassurance business channel is even

greater than the size of direct business by the insurers at 2.17 per cent. Even in respect
of LIC around 1.25 per cent of the new business is through bancassurance. Considering
the large base, even this constitutes quite sizeable to begin with in the case of LIC. This
speaks for itself the rate at which the bancassurance becoming an important channel of
distribution of insurance products in India. It is significant to note that the public sector
giant LIC which has branches all over India, too moving towards making use of
bancassurance channel

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The Win-Win Condition for Banks & Insurance Companies

Banks

Insurance

Revenues and
diversification

Quality customer access.

Establish a low cost acquisition

channel.

More Profitable resources

utilization.

Creation of Brand Image.

Establish sales orientated

culture.

Quicker Geographical reach.

Enrich work environment.

Leverage service synergies

with Bank.

Customer retention

Satisfaction of more financial

need under same roof.

Revenue diversification

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channel

of

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Chapter 4.Bancassurance in India - A SWOT Analysis

Even though, banks and insurance companies in India are yet to exchange their wedding rings,
Bancassurance as a means of distribution of insurance products is already in force in some form
or the other. Banks are selling Personal Accident and Baggage Insurance directly to their Credit
Card members as a value addition to their products. Banks also participate in the distribution of
mortgage linked insurance products like fire, motor or cattle insurance to their customers. Banks
can straightaway leverage their existing capabilities in terms of database and face to face
contact to market insurance products to generate some income for themselves which hitherto
was not thought of.
Once Bancassurance is embraced in India with full force, a lot will be at stake. Huge capital
investment will be required to create infrastructure particularly in IT and telecommunications, a
call center will have to be created, top professionals of both industries will have to be hired, an R
& D cell will need to be created to generate new ideas and products. It is therefore essential to
have a SWOT analysis done in the context of Bancassurance experiment in India.

Strengths
In a country of 1 Billion people, sky is the limit for personal lines insurance products. There is a
vast untapped potential waiting to be mined particularly for life insurance products. There are
more than 900 Million lives waiting to be given a life cover (total number of individual life policies
sold in 1998-99 was just 91.73 Million). There are about 200 Million households waiting to be
approached for a householder's insurance policy. Millions of people travelling in and out of India
can be tapped for Overseas Mediclaim and Travel Insurance policies. After discounting the
population below poverty line the middle market segment is the second largest in the world after
China. The insurance companies worldwide are eyeing on this, why not we preempt this move
by doing it ourselves?
Our other strength lies in a huge pool of skilled professionals whether it is banks or insurance
companies who may be easily relocated for any Bancassurance venture. LIC and GIC both
have a good range of personal line products already lined up, therefore R & D efforts to create
new products will be minimal in the beginning. Additionally, GIC with 4200 operating offices and
LIC with 2048 branch offices are almost already omnipresent, which is so essential for the
development of any Bancassurance project.

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Weaknesses
The IT culture is unfortunately missing completely in all of the future collaborators i.e. banks,
GIC & LIC. A late awakening seems to have dawned upon but it is a case of too late and too
little. Elementary IT requirement like networking (LAN) is not in place even in the headquarters
of these institutions, when the need today is of Wide Area Network (WAN) and Vast Area
Network (VAN). Internet connection is not available even to the managers of operating offices.
The middle class population that we are eyeing at are today overburdened, first by inflationary
pressures on their pockets and then by the tax net. Where is the money left to think of
insurance? Fortunately, LIC schemes get IT exemptions but personal line products from GIC
(mediclaim already has this benefit) like householder, travel, etc. also need to be given tax
exemption to further the cause of insurance and to increase domestic revenue for the country.
Another drawback is the inflexibility of the products i.e. it can not be tailor made to the
requirements of the customer. For a Bancassurance venture to succeed it is extremely essential
to have in-built flexibility so as to make the product attractive to the customer.

Opportunities
Banks' database is enormous even though the goodwill may not be the same as in case of their
European counterparts. This database has to be dissected variously and various homogeneous
groups are to be churned out in order to position the Bancassurance products. With a good IT
infrastructure, this can really do wonders.
Other developing economies like Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore have already taken a leap
in this direction and they are not doing badly. There is already an atmosphere created in the
country for liberalisation and there appears to be a political consensus also on the subject.
Therefore, RBI or IRA should have no hesitation in allowing the marriage of the two to take
place. This can take the form of merger or acquisition or setting up a joint venture or creating a
subsidiary by either party or just the working collaboration between banks and insurance
companies.

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Threats
Success of a Bancassurance venture requires change in approach, thinking and work culture on
the part of everybody involved. Our work force at every level are so well entrenched in their
classical way of working that there is a definite threat of resistance to any change that
Bancassurance may set in. Any relocation to a new company or subsidiary or change from one
work to a different kind of work will be resented with vehemence.
Another possible threat may come from non-response from the target customers. This
happened in USA in 1980s after the enactment of Garn - St Germaine Act. A rush of joint
ventures took place between banks and insurance companies and all these failed due to the
non-response from the target customers. US banks have now again (since late 1990s) turned
their attention to insurance mainly life insurance.
The investors in the capital may turn their face off in case the rate of return on capital falls short
of the existing rate of return on capital. Since banks and insurance companies have major
portion of their income coming from the investments, the return from Bancassurance must at
least match those returns. Also if the unholy alliances are allowed to take place there will be
fierce competition in the market resulting in lower prices and the Bancassurance venture may
never break-even.

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Chapter 5.Benefits and Value Proposition in Bancassurance

Advantages to banks

Productivity of the employees increases.

By providing customers with both the services under one roof, they can improve overall
customer satisfaction resulting in higher customer retention levels.

Increase in return on assets by building fee income through the sale of insurance
products.

Can leverage on face-to-face contacts and awareness about the financial conditions of
customers to sell insurance products.

Banks can cross sell insurance products Eg: Term insurance products with loans.

Advantages to insurers

Insurers can exploit the banks' wide network of branches for distribution of products. The
penetration of banks' branches into the rural areas can be utilized to sell products in
those areas.
Customer database like customers' financial standing, spending habits, investment and
purchase capability can be used to customize products and sell accordingly.
Since banks have already established relationship with customers, conversion ratio of
leads to sales is likely to be high. Further service aspect can also be tackled easily.

Advantages to consumers

Comprehensive financial advisory services under one roof. i.e., insurance services along
with other financial services such as banking, mutual funds, personal loans etc.
Enhanced convenience on the part of the insured

Easy access for claims, as banks are a regular go.

Innovative and better product ranges

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BANCASSURANCE

The other benefits include

Better customer retention and stronger relationships.

Clear competitive advantage in the rural areas.
Possibility that the insurers account as well as the accounts from the claimants will
remain with the bank.
Insurance products can augment the value of the banking products and services.
Banks are in better position to offer complete integrated financial solutions.

Value Propositions
The services offered by the banks as well as the insurance companies, are related to assets
and risks. They have to be managed. These institutions manage risks and assets for the
customers, reducing and taking over the risks and transforming the assets. The cores of the
businesses are similar, though not same. The basic values offered by banks, Insurance
companies and other financial institutions are indicated below.
Banks offer to its customers liquidity (while at the same time making long term loans), safety,
trust (managing estates on behalf of beneficiaries), collection of interest or dividends payments
of commitments (rentals and insurance premiums for example) and annuities. Insurers primarily
protect clients from risks (political, financial, commercial, business, and human). In life
insurance, there is major component of management of an asset, which is created by the policy.
The benefits of the insurers expertise in asset management, passes on the clients by way of
premiums levels and bonuses. The liquidity concerns of insurers are different from liquidity
concerns of banks.
Securities firm primarily provide information and advice. They also act as brokers or agents for
the customers, but not take responsibility for risks and assets. Pension funds manage the
saving made directly or through employers and help the pensioners manage the risks of loss of
income in old age. Mutual funds are asset transformers, providing small savers easy access to
complex portfolios of capital market, without sacrificing the needs of liquidity.
Most customers, big and small, individual and companies are all interested in all these services.
That is the justification for concept of a single window for all financial services. Bancassurance
is a step in this evolution

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Chapter 6.Marketing and Distribution Channels in Bancassurance

One of the most significant changes in the financial services sector over the past few years has
been the growth and development of bancassurance. Banking institutions and insurance
companies have found bancassurance to be an attractive and profitable complement to their
existing activities. The successes demonstrated by various bancassurance operations
particularly in Europe have triggered an avalanche of mergers and acquisitions across
continents and efforts are on to replicate the early success of bancassurance in other parts of
the world as well.
Distribution is the key issue in bancassurance and is closely linked to the regulatory climate of
the country. Over the years, regulatory barriers between banking and insurance have diminished
and has created a climate increasingly friendly to bancassurance. The passage of GrammLeach Bliley Act of 1999 in US and IRDA Bill in India in 2000 have stimulated the growth of
bancassurance by allowing use of multiple distribution channels by banks and insurance
companies.
Bancassurance experience in Europe as well as in other select countries offers valuable
guidance for those interested in insurance distribution through the banking channel in
developing markets. Many banks and insurers are looking with great interest at building new
revenue through bancassurance - including large, traditional companies that wouldn't have
considered such an approach about a decade ago. Of particular interest, many believe, is the
potential for bancassurance in developing economies such as those of Latin America and
Southeast Asia.

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Distribution channels in Bancassurance

Traditionally, insurance products have been promoted and sold principally through agency
systems in most countries. With new developments in consumers behaviors, evolution of
technology and deregulation, new distribution channels have been developed successfully and
rapidly in recent years. Bancassurers make use of various distribution channels:
-Career Agents
-Special Advisers
-Salaried Agents
-Bank Employees / Platform Banking
-Corporate Agencies and Brokerage Firms
-Direct Response
-Internet
-e-Brokerage
-Outside Lead Generating Techniques

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The Main Characteristics of each of these channels are:

Career Agents
Career Agents are full-time commissioned sales personnel holding an agency contract. They
are generally considered to be independent contractors. Consequently an insurance company
can exercise control only over the activities of the agent which are specified in his contract.
Despite this limitation on control, career agents with suitable training, supervision and motivation
can be highly productive and cost effective. Moreover their level of customer service is usually
very high due to the renewal commissions, policy persistency bonuses, or other customer
service-related awards paid to them.
Many bancassurers, however avoid this channel, believing that agents might oversell out of their
interest in quantity and not quality. Such problems with career agents usually arise, not due to
the nature of this channel, but rather due to the use of improperly designed remuneration and/or
incentive packages.

Special Advisers
Special Advisers are highly trained employees usually belonging to the insurance partner, who
distribute insurance products to the bank's corporate clients. Banks refer complex insurance
requirements to these advisors. The Clients mostly include affluent population who require
personalised and high quality service. Usually Special advisors are paid on a salary basis and
they receive incentive compensation based on their sales.

Salaried Agents
Having Salaried Agents has the advantages of them being fully under the control and
supervision of bancassurers. These agents share the mission and objectives of the
bancassurers. Salaried Agents in bancassurance are similar to their counterparts in traditional
insurance companies and have the same characteristics as career agents. The only difference
in terms of their remuneration is that they are paid on a salary basis and career agents receive
incentive compensation based on their sales. Some bancassurers, concerned at the bad
publicity which they have received as a result of their career agents concentrating heavily on

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BANCASSURANCE
sales at the expense of customer service, have changed their sales forces to salaried agent
status.

Platform Bankers
Platform Bankers are bank employees who spot the leads in the banks and gently suggest the
customer to walk over and speak with appropriate representative within the bank. The platform
banker may be a teller or a personal loan assistant and the representative being referred to may
be a tarined bank employee or a representative from the partner insurance company.
Platform Bankers can usually sell simple products. However, the time which they can devote to
insurance sales is limited, e.g. due to limited opening hours and to the need to perform other
banking duties. A further restriction on the effectiveness of bank employees in generating
insurance business is that they have a limited target market, i.e. those customers who actually
visit the branch during the opening hours.
In many set-ups, the bank employees are assisted by the bank's financial advisers. In both
cases, the bank employee establishes the contact to the client and usually sells the simple
product whilst the more affluent clients are attended by the financial advisers of the bank which
are in a position to sell the more complex products. The financial advisers either sell in the
branch but some banks have also established mobile sales forces.
If bank employees only act as "passive" insurance sales staff (or do not actively generate
leads), then the bancassurer's potential can be severely impeded. However, if bank employees
are used as "active" centres of influence to refer warm leads to salaried agents, career agents
or special advisers, production volumes can be very high and profitable to bancassurers.

Set-up / Acquisition of agencies or brokerage firms

In the US, quite a number of banks cooperate with independent agencies or brokerage firms
whilst in Japan or South Korea banks have founded corporate agencies. The advantage of such
arrangements is the availability of specialists needed for complex insurance matters and -in the
case of brokerage firms - the opportunity for the bank clients to receive offers not only from one
insurance company but from a variety of companies. In addition, these sales channels are more
conceived to serve the affluent bank client.

Direct Response

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BANCASSURANCE
In this channel no salesperson visits the customer to induce a sale and no face-to-face contact
between consumer and seller occurs. The consumer purchases products directly from the
bancassurer by responding to the company's advertisement, mailing or telephone offers. This
channel can be used for simple packaged products which can be easily understood by the
consumer without explanation.

Internet
Internet banking is already securely established as an effective and profitable basis for
conducting banking operations. The reasonable expectation is that personal banking services
will increasingly be delivered by Internet banking. Bancassurers can also feel confident that
Internet banking will also prove an efficient vehicle for cross selling of insurance savings and
protection products. It seems likely that a growing proportion of the affluent population,
everyone's target market, will find banks with household name brands and proven skills in ebusiness a very acceptable source of non-banking products.
There is now the Internet, which looms large as an effective source of information for financial
product sales. Banks are well advised to make their new websites as interactive as possible,
providing more than mere standard bank data and current rates. Functions requiring user input
(check ordering, what-if calculations, credit and account applications) should be immediately
added with links to the insurer. Such an arrangement can also provide a vehicle for insurance
sales, service and leads.

E-Brokerage
Banks can open or acquire an e-Brokerage arm and sell insurance products from multiple
insurers. The changed legislative climate across the world should help migration of
bancassurance in this direction. The advantage of this medium is scale of operation, strong
brands, easy distribution and excellent synergy with the internet capabilities.

Outside Lead Generating Techniques

One last method for developing bancassurance eyes involves "outside" lead generating
techniques, such as seminars, direct mail and statement inserts. Seminars in particular can be
very effective because in a non-threatening atmosphere the insurance counselor can make a
presentation to a small group of business people (such as the local chamber of commerce), field
questions on the topic, then collect business cards. Adding this technique to his/her lead
generation repertoire, an insurance counselor often cannot help but be successful.

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To make the overall sales effort pay anticipated benefits, insurers need to also help their bank
partners determine what the hot buttons will be for attracting the attention of the reader of both
direct and e-mail. Great opportunities await bancassurance partners today and, in most cases,
success or failure depends on precisely how the process is developed and managed inside
each financial institution. This includes the large regional bank and the small one-unit
community bank.

Bancassurance Ventures Must Have Clear Objectives

Insurers

Be aligned with good

Public image of bank
Forge relationship
Earlier in customers life
Lower acquisition costs

Banks

Penetrate client base

further with more products
Leverage positive image
Increase customer loyalty&
retention

Customers

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BANCASSURANCE
Buy lower-costs products
Buy more products from a
Single source
Get better, more efficient Service

Chapter 7.Key Driver of Bancassurance

Elsewhere in Asia has been the following. Banks are seeking ways to raise additional earnings
without commitment of additional capital in a low interest rate environment; increased
competition; reducing margin. Insurance Companies are seeking new customers using new
distribution activities to reach such segment. As noted above, the biggest driver in India is
different at present: banks are seeking an alternative method of redeploying their surplus
workers. Of course, this is a one time only phenomenon.
Therefore, over time, we will see other factors that have played important roles in other
countries will also play out in India. It might be instructive to examine what succeeded in
America for the expansion of bancassurance business. A survey by LIMRA identified the
following elements for success of bancassurance:
Strength of the Brand.
Sales Staff Management/Training.
The Branch Network/Geographical Coverage.
Bank and Insurance products form a complementary range.
Single view of the customer.
Focus on Customer Service/satisfaction.
Use of Customer Relation Management Tools and Techniques.
Integration of the bank and insurance organizations producing a single culture.
Providing advice/solutions, not selling products.

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Requirements for success in Bancassurance

Attractive Insurance Product Base
Cost-Efficient Distribution System
Linked and Leveraged Bank and Insurance Products
Concurrent Sale of Bank and Insurance Products
Appropriate Structure Based on Level of Integration Between Bank and Insurer

Achieving Success
To achieve success in bancassurance, Asian companies must overcome a host of challenges.
Some are cultural, while others reflect a lack of incentives to generate sales as well as the
natural conflicts between banking and insurance products. The most successful products from a
sales perspective are those that are linked to banking products (e.g., loans and credit insurance)
or that are very similar to banking deposits (certainly in the initial stages of the bancassurance
operation) and offer superior returns to deposits, albeit over a longer term than the usual time
deposits.
Some obstacles are country specific. For example, in South Korea, each bancassurer must
have at least three life partners and three non-life partners, and all of these partners must
receive less than 50% of the new business generated by the bank, in their respective sectors, in
any given quarter.
Not withstanding the many obstacles to success and challenges faced, bancassurance ventures
have enjoyed success in Asia. For example, Exhibit 3 shows the impressive emergence of
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BANCASSURANCE
bancassurance in Hong Kong. Prior to 1999, market share attributable to bancassurers was
minimal.
To achieve the level of success of bancassurance, banks will need to own insurance companies
or work very closely with insurance company partners to restructure the value chain and provide
products suitable for bank customers. As long as regulatory constraints exist, alliances will be a
critical part of the effort by US banks to establish their insurance business. Banks must develop
successful alliances in the near term and use those experiences to evaluate the opportunity to
buy or build insurance companies as regulations changes. There are five key approaches to
forming insurance partnerships that form a continuum from complete outsourcing to complete
ownership: list rental, working with a third party marketer, agency purchase, integrated alliance,
and ownership. Each of these approaches involves a different level of value chain ownership
and control.

The Indian Context

In India, no company is allowed to transact both insurance and banking business. They are
kept separate. In fact, even a company registered, as an insurance has to choose between life
and non-life insurance. It cannot do both. Therefore, the bank in India cannot have the
advantages, which are available in the European context.
There are joint ventures in India between banks and foreign insurers. State Bank of India,
HDFC, ICICI and Vysya bank are example. But apart from a greater willingness to help each
other, the joint venture will not give either party a greater advantage in the others business. The
joint venture is an entirely independent unit of operation with separate personal and funds and
subjects to different regulations.
The only way in which banks can be associated with the insurance business in India is by
becoming a corporate agent, for remuneration. The bank can do so far a particular life insurer
and/or particular non-life insurer. The bank cannot develop any of its intimate contacts with the
customers. Since 2000 many banks and insurers have agreed to arrangement for mutual
benefits. The LIC has tied with more than one bank. So also have other insurers.
For more than a hundred years, insurance business had been sold through insurance agent and
their supervisors. This system had been very satisfactory. The LIC inherited these system. The
efforts to make the agents more professional had not yielded very satisfactory results, despite
incentives and training programmes. Many of them continue to treat the agency business
casually, as just a source of additional income. The turnover had been high and the efforts of
replenishing the strength, costly. The banks have skilled staff, to which the procurement of
insurance can reassigned as a duty. This was an opportunity made available after the regulation
of IRDA

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Chapter 8.Bancassurance in Different Markets

Bancassurance commonly means selling insurance products under the same roof of a bank.
Though bancassurance had roots in France in the 1980s, and spread across different parts of
Continental Europe since, it has spread its wings in Asia in particular, in India.
In India, there are a number of reasons why bancassurance could play a natural role in the
insurance market. First, banks have a huge network across the country. Second, banks can
offer fee-based income for the employees for insurance sales. Third, banks are culturally more
acceptable than insurance companies. Dealing with (life) insurance, in many parts of India,
conjure up an image of a bad omen. Some bank products have natural complementary
insurance products. For example, if a bank gives out a home loan, it might insist on a life
insurance cover so that in case of death of the borrower, there is no problem in paying off the
home loan.

Bancassurance is: The provision of a complete range of banking, investment and insurance
product and services, to meet the individual needs of the customers of the bank and its
associates.

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BANCASSURANCE

Some Important Bancassurance Tie-ups

INSURANCE

BANKS

LIFE INSURANCE CORPORATION

(LIC)

Corporation Bank, Indian

Overseas Banks, Centurion
Bank, Satara District Bank,
Cooperative Bank, Janata Urban
Cooperative Bank, Yeotmal
Mahila Sahkari Bank, Oriental
Bank of Commerce.

BIRLA SUN LIFE INSURANCE

The Bank of Rajasthan, Andhra

Bank, Bank of Muscat,
Development Credit Bank,
Deutsche Bank and Catholic
Syrian Bank.

DABUR CGU LIFE INSURANCE

COMPANY PVT LTD

Canara Bank, Lakshmi Vilas

Bank, American Express Bank,
ABN Amro Bank.

HDFC STANDARD LIFE INSURANCE

CO.

Union Bank of India.

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BANCASSURANCE

ICICI PRUDENTIAL LIFE INSURANCE

CO.

Lord Krishna Bank, ICICI Bank,

Bank of India, Citibank,
Allahabad Bank, Federal Bank,
South Indian Bank, Punjab &
Maharashtra co-operative Bank.

NATIONAL INSURANCE CO.

City Union Bank.

MET LIFE INDIA INSURANCE CO.

Karnataka Banks, The

Dhanalaxmi Bank, Jammu and
Kashmir Bank.

SBI INSURANCE CO.

State Bank of India, Associate

Bank

BAJAJ ALLIANZ GENERAL

INSURANCE

Krur Vysya Bank, Associate

Bank

ROYAL SUNDARAM GENERAL

INSURANCE CO.

Standard Chartered Bank, ABN

Amro Bank, Citibank, Amex and
Repco Bank

UNITED INDIA INSURANCE CO.

South Indian Bank

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BANCASSURANCE

Bancassurance in Asian market:

Two Asian markets of great interest for their potential size are China and India. Although their
insurance markets are relatively young, bancassurance is now emerging in both countries.
India opened to private competition only two years ago, and so far 12 life insurers have entered
to compete with the Life Insurance Corporation of India. Three-quarters of these new entrants
have formed relationships with banks (a number with several banking partners). Some relations
are particularly strong, having been established as joint venture partners. At present, foreigners
cannot hold more than a 26% stake. Clearly, bank branches are an excellent way to extend
reach over the huge geographies of
India and China.
In China, the regulatory enforced maximum arrangement fee of 8% between banks and insurers
has led to the vast majority of sales to date being single premium (or short term) in nature.
Furthermore, it appears that relationships at the branch level currently carry more weight than
those at head office, leading to what some observers call branch assurance rather than
bancassurance.
As in many markets in Asia, bancassurance in China and India is in its early days. Nonetheless,
bancassurance will surely form an important component of the Asian insurance landscape.

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BANCASSURANCE

Bancassurance Across The Globe

Bancassurance" is a term, which first appeared in France after 1980 to define the sale of
insurance products through banks distribution channels. But this term does not just refer
specifically to distribution. Other features, such as legal, fiscal, cultural and/or behavioral
aspects form an integral part of the concept of bancassurance. In fact, all these characteristics
combined can explain the marked differences in bancassurance across the globe. Although it is
clearly a predominant feature on some markets, representing over two thirds of the premium
income in Life Insurance, other markets do not appear to have chosen it as their model.
This type of distribution is predominant in markets such as France, Spain and Portugal, followed
by Italy and Belgium. Bancassurance represents over 65% of the premium income in Life
Insurance in Spain, 60% in France, 50% in Belgium and Italy. -In these countries, in only ten
years, bancassurance has become widely recognized as a successful model.
In France, in the 1970s, banks had to contend with a mature and highly competitive market in
banking.
By making use of existing legislation in insurance, bancassurance has provided them with a new
source of profit,
Which served to diversify their banking activity and optimize their choice of products, thereby
increasing customer loyalty. Consumers were provided with simple solutions from a one-stop
shop addressing all their financial concerns: short-term liquidity, estate and retirement planning,
property purchase, protection against any unforeseen events in everyday life. In 2000,
bancassurance accounted for 35% of Life Insurance premiums; 60% of savings premiums; 7%
for Property Insurance and 69% of new premium income in individual savings. This success has
made France the leading individual savings insurance market in Europe. In terms of premium
income, it ranks first in bancassurance.
Spain, like France, is among the most developed markets in bancassurance.

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BANCASSURANCE
Today, it represents over 65% of life insurance premium income compared with 43% in 1992.
However, this high growth rate is not specifically due to bancassurance, rather the whole of the
life insurance market, which has sustained a 30% increase per annum on average in the past
fifteen years. In the last decade, many international, often European, alliances have been made
between banks and insurance groups. This has concentrated the bancassurance market, which
was originally highly fragmented.
On the Spanish market, bancassurance developed more quickly because of the well-established
network of regional building societies, which today account for 50% of Life insurance premiums
in the bancassurance sector.

Bancassurance: Taking the lead

In the last financial year, India has experienced a substantial growth in the life insurance
business. The new business premium growth rate for the financial year 2004-05 over the
previous financial year is 36%. This growth is primarily due to the aggressiveness witnessed in
the private life insurance sector, which grew by 129%.
One of the drivers for this substantial growth is the contribution of the banking industry. The
private life insurers have been instrumental in building strong relationships with established
banks for bancassurance. The bancassurance model, in simple terms means distribution of
insurance products by banks to their customers. Apart from having the advantage of reaching
out to the potential customers at the remotest of places, it offers a complete basket of financial
advice to customers under one roof.
Bancassurance has been a successful model in the European countries contributing 35% of
premium income in the European life insurance market. It contributes over 65% of the life
insurance premium income in Spain, 60% in France, 50% in Belgium and Italy.
In the US, the banks were earlier not allowed to sell insurance due to the restrictions imposed
by Glass-Stegall Act of 1933, which acted as a Chinese wall between banking and insurance. As
a result of this life insurance was primarily sold through individual agents, who focussed on
wealthier individuals, leading to a majority of the American middle class households being
under-insured. With the repealing of this Act in 1999, the doors were opened for banks to
distribute insurance and cater to the large middle class segment
In the Asian markets, bancassurance has a limited share of the total sales primarily because of
the near monopoly of the life agents in Japan, which is the largest life market. But there is a shift

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in stance with markets like Japan, South Korea and the Philippines where bancassurance was
previously prohibited, taking a more accommodating stance towards this channel. It has been
estimated that bancassurance would contribute almost 16% of the life premium in the Asian
markets in the year 2006 primarily due to the growth expected in India and China.
In India the bancassurance model is still in its nascent stages, but the tremendous growth and
acceptability in the last three years reflects green pasture in future. The deregulation of the
insurance sector in India has resulted in a phase where innovative distribution channels are
being explored. In this phase, bancassurance has simply outshined other

The Problems in Bancassurance

Any bank getting into business of selling insurance cannot afford to have casual approach to it.
The staff, if deputed from within the existing bank staff, will have to be specially trained in the
intricacies of insurance and the art of salesmanship. These skills will be required at levels
different from the requirements in banking operations. They will have to be persons who have
an external orientation.
The amount of business acquired through the banks depends entirely on the personal skills of
specified persons and the corporate insurance executives. An effective and successful specified
person might perhaps find it more remunerative to branch off as an insurance agent on his own,
instead of being tied to the bank. The options available to the bank to prevent this may lie in
developing attractive compensations packages. The relevant issues will be the restrictions
imposed by insurance Act as well as relative pressures within the unions of banks of employees.
The commitment of senior management is crucial to the success of the persons deputed for the
insurance work. The priorities for the managers may depend on the criteria by which they will be
appraised at the end of the year. If the progress in insurance is not important criterion, the
support to the insurance activities may be reduced. They would see mainstream banking
activities as more important for their own future growth. The appraisal and reward systems of
the bank have to be appropriately aligned.

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Chapter 9.Guidelines for Entry of Banks into Insurance Business

1. Scheduled commercial bank would be permitted to undertake insurance business as agent of
insurance companies on fee basis, without any risk participation. The subsidiaries of banks will
also be allowed to undertake distribution of insurance product on agency basis.
2. Banks which satisfy the eligibility criteria given below will be permitted to set up a joint venture
company for undertaking insurance business with risk participation, subject to safeguards. The
maximum equity contribution such a bank can hold in the joint venture company will normally be
50 per cent of the paid-up capital of the insurance company. On a selective basis the Reserve
Bank of India may permit a higher equity contribution by a promoter bank initially, pending
divestment of equity within the prescribed period (see Note 1 below). The eligibility criteria for
joint venture participant are as under:(a) The net worth of the bank should not be less than Rs.500 crore;
(b) The CRAR of the bank should not be less than 10 per cent;
(c) The level of non-performing assets should be reasonable;
(d) The bank should have net profit for the last three consecutive years;
(e) The track record of the performance of the subsidiaries, if any, of the concerned bank should
be satisfactory.
3. In cases where a foreign partner contributes 26 per cent of the equity with the approval of
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority/Foreign Investment Promotion Board, more
than one public sector bank or private sector bank may be allowed to participate in the equity of
the insurance joint venture. As such participants will also assume insurance risk, only those
banks which satisfy the criteria given in paragraph 2 above, would be eligible.

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4. A subsidiary of a bank or of another bank will not normally be allowed to join the insurance
company on risk participation basis. Subsidiaries would include bank subsidiaries undertaking
merchant banking, securities, mutual fund, leasing finance, housing finance business, etc.
5. Banks which are not eligible as joint venture participant as above, can make investments up
to 10% of the net worth of the bank or Rs.50 crore, whichever is lower, in the insurance
company for providing infrastructure and services support. Such participation shall be treated as
an investment and should be without any contingent liability for the bank. The eligibility criteria
for these banks will be as under:
(i) The CRAR of the bank should not be less than 10%;
(ii)The level of NPAs should be reasonable;
(iii) The bank should have net profit for the last three consecutive years.

6. All banks entering into insurance business will be required to obtain prior approval of the
Reserve Bank. The Reserve Bank will give permission to banks on case to case basis keeping
in view all relevant factors including the position in regard to the level of non-performing assets
of the applicant bank so as to ensure that non-performing assets do not pose any future threat
to the bank in its present or the proposed line of activity, viz., insurance business. It should be
ensured that risks involved in insurance business do not get transferred to the bank and that the
banking business does not get contaminated by any risks which may arise from insurance
business. There should be arms length relationship between the bank and the insurance outfit.
Notes: 1. Holding of equity by a promoter bank in an insurance company or participation in any form in
insurance business will be subject to compliance with any rules and regulations laid down by the
IRDA/Central Government. This will include compliance with Section 6AA of the Insurance Act
as amended by the IRDA Act, 1999, for divestment of equity in excess of 26 per cent of the paid
up capital within a prescribed period of time.
2. Latest audited balance sheet will be considered for reckoning the eligibility criteria.
3. Banks which make investments under paragraph 5 of the above guidelines, and later qualify
for risk participation in insurance business (as per paragraph 2 of the guidelines) will be eligible
to apply to the Reserve Bank for permission to undertake insurance business on risk
participation basis.

The Legal Requirements

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RBI guideline for banks entering into insurance sector provides three options for banks. They
are:

Joint ventures 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 crores, whichever is lower, is available;
Finally, any commercial bank will be allowed to undertake insurance business as agent of
insurance companies. This will be on a fee basis with no-risk participation.

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) guidelines for the bancassurance
are:

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 conducted by the authority.

Commercial banks, including cooperative banks and regional rural banks, may become
corporate agents for one insurance company.

Banks cannot become insurance brokers.

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Chapter 10.Scope of Bancassurance

The Future of Bancassurance
Although bancassurance ventures in Latin America and Asia have followed different paths, they
share the same objectives and requirements for success.
All recognize the value of the banks customer base. Bancassurance will eventually take hold in
the US. The objectives announced when Bank One acquired Zurich Insurance Operation point
to bancassurance as a fundamental reason behind the acquisition. Experiences in both Latin
America and Asia may prove valuable to banks and insurers entering into bancassurance
ventures in the US and elsewhere.

Bancassurance in India Some Issues

The difference in working style and culture of the banks and insurance sector needs greater
appreciation. Insurance is a business of solicitation unlike a typical banking service, it requires
great drive to sell/ market the insurance products. It should, however, be recognized that
bancassurance is not simply about selling insurance but about changing the mindset of a bank.
Moreover, in India since the majority of the banking sector is in public sector and which has
been widely disparaged for the lethargic attitude and poor quality of customer service, it needs
to refurbish the blemished image. Else, the bancassurance would be difficult to succeed in these
banks. Studies have revealed that the basic attitudinal incompatibility on the part of employees

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of banks and insurance companies and the perception of customers about the poor quality of
banks had led to failures of bancassurance even in some of the Latin American countries.
There are also glitches in the system of bancassurance strategy in the form of conflict of
interests, as some of the products offered by the banks, viz., term deposits and other products
which are mainly aimed at long term savings/ investments can be very similar to that of the
insurance products. Banks could as well feel apprehension about the possibility of substitution
effect between its own products and insurance products and more so, as a number of insurance
products in India come with an added attraction of tax incentives.
In case the Bancassurance is fully integrated with that of the banking institution, it is suitable
only for larger banks; however, it has other allied issues such as putting in place proper risk
management techniques relating to the insurance business, etc.
As there is a great deal of difference in the approaches of selling of insurance products and the
usual banking services- thorough understanding of the insurance products by the bank staff
coupled with extra devotion of time on each customer explaining in detail of each products
intricacies is a prerequisite. Moreover, insurance products have become increasingly complex
over a period of time, due to improvisation over the existing products as well as due to constant
innovation of new products, emanating from the excessive competition adding to even more

difficulties in comprehension of the products and marketing by the bank staff. These can result
in resistance to change and leading to problems relating to industrial relations.
Unlike, the banking service, there is no guarantee for insurance products that all efforts that a
bank staff spends in explaining to a customer would clinch the deal due to the very nature of the
insurance products. This frustration of the bank staff has the danger of spillover effect even on
their regular banking business.
Bankers in India are extremely nave in insurance products as there were no occasions in the
past for the bankers to deal in insurance products; therefore they require strong motivation of
both monetary and non-monetary incentives. This would be more so in the emerging scenario
due to complex innovations in the field of insurance / pension products at a rapid pace with the
entry of a number of foreign insurance companies with vast experience in the developed
countries framework.
In view of the above, reorientation of staff in the public sector banks in particular, to be less
bureaucratic and more customers friendlier would indeed be a challenging task, albeit it is a
prerequisite for the success of bancassurance.
With the financial reforms and technological revolution embracing the financial system, there
has been a great deal of flexibility in the mind set of people to accept change. The above
outlined problems need not, however, deter the banking sector to embark on bancassurance as
any form of resistance from the bank employees could be tackled by devising an appropriate
incentive system commensurate with intensive training to the frontline bank staff.

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Regulatory and Supervisory Issues
With the increased structural deregulation within the financial system and globalization the
banking system in India has been exposed to tough competition compelling them to move
towards not only new vistas of business activity under one roof by moving towards the universal
banking framework and eventually the emergence of financial conglomerate. Such
developments bring along some regulatory and supervisory concerns. Banks have all along
been functioning strictly on a traditional banking style with highly compartmentalized manner.
Now that the banking system enjoys more of structural freedom exposing themselves to nontraditional activities such as insurance, derivatives, investments banking, etc., there is possibility
of migration of risks from the rest of the activities to the banking system. Thus, the increased
market integration and globalization are demanding new realism on the part of the regulator and
supervisor for stricter prudential regulation and supervisor on inter-sector activities especially,
considering the pace with which the system is moving. This process is referred in the literature
as structural deregulation and supervisory re-regulation. While it is inevitable that Indian banks
entering into insurance sector, given the size of the transactions in general insurance
transactions, coupled with the type of built-in risks on the one side and that the banking system
being the focal point of the payment and settlement on the other, any migration from the former
to the latter will have a greater systemic implications. Therefore adequate and appropriate
checks and balances are required to be put in place in time by all regulatory authorities
concerned. Going by the international experience and specificity of the Indian system, the likely
problem areas are being enumerated here:

The problem of conflict of interest would also arise in a different form; as banks are privy to a
lot of information about the customer, especially in the context of know your customer (KYC)
system being in place, these information could be used by the insurers for their unfair
advantage.
With more integration between and among various constituents of financial sector, there is
greater possibility for contagion effect.
In India all insurance companies in private sector of recent origin and are in the process of
stabilizing, also highly aggressive due to tough competition. The over ambitiousness should not
smack their own limitation, especially in the case were insurance business is an internal organ
of the universal banking system. Especially in a situation such as large scale natural calamities,
viz., Tsunami, earthquake, floods, etc., would have a serious debilitating impact on the banking
system, via insurance business. Therefore, the regulation and supervision needs to address the
institution as a financial conglomerate rather than each institution individually.
The regulator of the insurance sector is of very recent origin unlike the banking sector
regulatory authority, viz., RBI. Although IRDA has done appreciable work within the short period,
the regulation itself is a learning experience; any major migration of risk from insurance to
banking would be more devastating if that was not handled appropriately at the right time.

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In the absence of a unified regulator or a single regulator, the possibility for regulatory
arbitrage could not be ruled out. Presently there is no statutory compulsion that the regulators
should part with each other the sensitive information relating to their respective regulatory areas
in order to read the signal, if any, which has systemic implications.
Differences in the risk characteristics in banking and insurance will persist, relating, in
particular, to the time pattern and degree of uncertainty in the cash flows and that has to be
recognized and appropriately handled.
The insurers internal risk management and control systems for managing their asset market
activities, and credit risk seems to be relatively less transparent unlike the banking system as
also the prudential regulatory and supervisory system towards insurance is relatively recent one
and less rigor as compared with the banking system, especially in the context of the banking
system moving towards the Basel II framework.
Conflicts of interest between different regulators also could not be ruled out.
Ensuring transparency and disclosure on activity-wise may be difficult task for the regulators,
albeit it is essential.
Possibility of abuse of consumers by bankers from being coerced to buy insurance products
against their will need to be guarded, which RBI has been already emphasizing in its circular.
Risk of double gearing also possible as pointed out by Gently and Molyneux (1998).
Possibility of banks using the long term insurance funds to meet their short term liquidity and
the problem of asset - liability management also could not be ruled out.
Recognizing the value of sound risk management practices and hence also valuations on an
aggregate portfolio basis - rather than individual instrument basis would become essential to
achieve alignment of underlying economic realities with financial statements, as the system is
moving towards higher integration of varieties of activities including insurance.

Success of Bancassurance
Banking and insurance have strong similarities that might have contributed to their
rapprochement, LIC and other insurance companies have developed a range of products, that
have direct conflict with traditional bank offering or products.
New companies in Life Insurance sector would be looking for cost effective channels for
distribution which provide long reach. Because of the existing extensive obviously emerged as
the preferred low cost distribution channel. This would also give the hold to, insurance
companies in the rural areas, thus providing an opportunity to tab the virgin market.
Banks have large client base and cross selling surely provides with an opportunity for optimum
utilization of their existing customer relationship thus effectively creating a win- win situation
company and the operational difficulties at ground level have to be managed and one of the

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suggested ways is to re- structure the bank compensation structure on the lines of insurance
companies.
Last but not the least, the issue of consumer protection will have to be suitably addressed by
Regulators and consumers themselves. Consumers though have consumer Protection Act to
inhibit banks and insurance companies to show monopolistic properties or use them as an arm
twisting techniques. Though all said and done, Regulators both IRDA and RBI should jointly
formulate a policy and process not to avoid the conflict of interest.

Measures to Improve Bancassurance in India

1) Factors that are critical for success include strategies consistent with Banks vision,
knowledge of target customer's defined sales process for introducing insurance services,
simplest yet complete product offerings, strong service delivery mechanism, quality
administration, synchronized planning, all business lines and subsidiaries, complete integration
of insurance with other business products and services, expensive and high-quality training of
sales personnel.
2) Another critical point to be tackled is customer service(CRM). Bank should implement
Customer Relationship Management(CRM) strategies to handle the customers tactfully.
3) Bank should act as financial adviser to the customers in the portfolio decisions and also
assist them in early claim settlement.
4) Bank and insurance company should work jointly towards a model global retail financial
institution offering a wide array of products which leads to creation of one-stop shop for
mortgages, pensions, and insurance products.

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The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India

Assocham reveals that in the coming years the corporate segment, as a whole will not be a big
growth area for insurance companies. This is because penetration is already good and
companies receive good services. In both volumes and profitability therefore, the scope for
expansion is modest. Survey suggested that insurers strategy should be to stimulate demand in
areas that are currently not served at all. Insurance companies mostly focus on manufacturing
sector, however, the services sector is taking a large and growing share of Indias GDP. This
offers immense opportunities for expansion opportunities.
Being an agrarian economy again there are immense opportunities for the insurance companies
to provide the liability and risks associated in this sector. The Paper found that the rural markets
are still virgin territories to a great extent and offer exciting opportunities for insurance
companies. To understand the prospects for insurance companies in rural India, it is very
important to understand the requirements of India's villagers, their daily lives, their peculiar
needs and their occupational structures. There are farmers, craftsmen, milkmen, weavers,
casual labourers, construction workers and shopkeepers and so on. More often than not, they
are into more than one profession.
The rural market offers tremendous growth opportunities for insurance companies and insurers
should develop viable and cost-effective distribution channels; build consumer awareness and
confidence. The Paper found that there are a total 124 million rural households. Nearly 20% of
all farmers in rural India own a Kissan Credit cards. The 25 million credit cards used till date

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offer a huge data base and opportunity for insurance companies. An extensive rural agent
network for sale of insurance products could be established. The agent can play a major role in
creating awareness, motivating purchase and rendering insurance services.
There should be nothing to stop insurance companies from trying to pursue their own unique
policies and target whatever needs that they want to target in rural India. Assocham suggests
that insurance needs to be packaged in such a form that it appears as an acceptable investment
to the rural people.

Chapter 11.Case Study

UCO inks bancassurance MoU with LIC
Barely a month before its scheduled Rs 200 crore (Rs 2 billion) initial public offering, UCO Bank
on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding with the Life Insurance Corporation of India
to market the latter's insurance schemes from its branches.
"Our endeavour is not only for selling products, but to go for a strategic alliance with LIC," UCO
Bank chairman and managing director V P Shetty said after signing the MoU in Kolkata.
The tie-up was aimed at providing value added services in the form of life insurance products to
over 2 crore (20 million) customers of UCO.
LIC chairman S B Mathur said things were really happening with the opening up of the
insurance sector, and achieving and retaining customers was high on the agenda.
With interest margins coming down and costs rising, increasing fee-based income had become
important for both the banks and insurance companies, he said.
Mathur said it was a win-win situation for both LIC and UCO Bank. It was more critical
considering that PSU had become a kind of dirty word related with inefficiency, absence of work

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culture, but what has happened in UCO and LIC during the last few years, had helped changed
that notion.
Shetty said, "Our interest income is dwindling and to compensate for this we had to resort to
other avenues like this to increase fee-based income."

SBI-New India Bancassurance Tie Up

State Bank of India, the country's largest Bank and New India Assurance Co. Ltd, India's largest
non- life insurance company have tied up for distributing general insurance policies of New India
through SBI's branch network.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed yesterday between SBI and New India for the
Bancassurance tie up. As per the memorandum of Understanding, SBI will become the
corporate Agent of New India after completing the formalities prescribed by IRDA.
SBI, has of late, been laying emphasis on cross selling various products to its customers. It has
already become Corporate Agent of SBI Life Insurance Co. Ltd for life insurance business. SBI
Life's products are now being sold by around 1000 SBI branches. Mutual Fund products of SBI
Mutual Fund are also now being sold through select branches of SBI. Similarly, SBI Credit
Cards are also sold through SBI's branch network. While all these products are from SBI's own
stable, the tie up with New India will be a first for SBI in vending a third party's product.
New India as the largest non-life insurer in the country is the first general insurance company to
cross Rs.4000 crs premium mark last year having booked overall premium of Rs.4812.79 crs.
The Company has been reaffirmed 'A' Excellent rating for the 4th consecutive year by A.M. Best
(Europe). For New India a tie up with SBI, the country's largest bank with a 9000 strong branch
network is a major boost. Bancassurance as a distribution channel is assuming increasing
important for both life and non- life insurers.

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The tie up between the two largest players in their respective fields will enable SBI to leverage
its unmatched branch network and customer base to cross sell a range general insurance
products and thus open up a new revenue stream. For New India, the tie up with SBI will enable
it to tap into SBI's huge network and customer base.
The above Agreement was signed by the Director and General Manager, (Indian Business
Dept.) of New India and General Manager (Marketing) of SBI.

SBI Life Insurance is one of the leaders among the fast growing private life
insurance players in India.
Current milestones

1st in "lives covered" amongst private players - 2.8 Million at last count
1st in the Group Insurance segment
4th in terms of premium income, with Rs 600 Crores in 2004-05
Ranked as one of the Most Trusted Brands amongst Life Insurance Companies by Brand
Equity, The Economic Times

Starting out in 2001 with an enviable pedigree, SBI Life Insurance is a joint venture between
State Bank of India - India's largest bank, and Cardif - the insurance arm of BNP Paribas.
Cardif is the largest 'Bancassurance' company globally, and BNP Paribas is one of top ten
global banks.
With our combined strengths and successes, we symbolize the virtues of 'security' and
'sustainability' in a business, where relationships with customers can span up to 25 years.
Our financial solidity, ethical practices and domain expertise truly mean - WITH US YOU
ARE SURE.
Our distribution channels enable us to reach all customer segments:

Bancassurance - through SBI Group's 14000 branches

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Agency channel - through a growing network of insurance advisors

Corporate Agents and Brokers - in major cities
Corporate & Institutional sales
Credit Life - tie ups with companies offering life insurance along with their home loan and
vehicle loan schemes
NRI Sales - reaching out to Non-Resident Indians through SBI's NRI/ NRE accounts

With so many strengths, we are uniquely placed to achieve our mission:

"To emerge as a leading company offering a comprehensive range of life insurance and pension
products at competitive prices, ensuring high standards of customer satisfaction, and world
class operating efficiency and become a model firm in the liberalized life insurance industry in
India."

According to the SBI Life insurance estimates,about 15 per cent of the gross premium of new
insurance players in financial year 2003 came through bancassurance. companies. According to
SBI Life insurance estimates,about 15 pr cent of the gross premium of new players in FY 2003
came through bancassurance and is estimated to grow further.
While we have examined the motivations that banks have for taking insurance products on
board, the incentives for insurance companies to run to banks for marketing and distribution
support particulary in India need to be examined. Before that it is useful to review the traditional
channels of insurance distribution. Internationally and in India, the bulk of distribution is done
through the direct sales force (DSF) of insurance provides followed by insurance brokers. Direct
marketing and more recent innovation such as internet marketing constitute only a minor
fraction of the total distribution effort.

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Products Offered by SBI

Individual Products:
A)Unit Linked products:
1)SBI Life - Horizon II :
SBI Life-Horizon II is a unique, non participating UnitLinked Insurance Plan in Indian Insurance
Industry, where you need to bea financial market expert. This plan offers the flexibility of Unit
LinkedPlan along with Automatic Asset Allocation which provides relativelyhigher returns on your
money where as increasing death benefits provide higher security to your family

2)SBI Life - Unit Plus II :

This is a non participating individual unit linked product. It provides unmatched flexibility to
match the changingrequirements. It provides choice of 5 investments funds in a single policy

3)SBI life- unit plus child plan:

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SBI LIFE understand you better and hence have developedSBI Life - Unit Plus Child Plan to suit
you and your needs best. ThisPlan is meant for parents in the age group of 18-57 having a child
between the age group of 0-15 years.

B. Pension Products;
SBI Life - Horizon II Pension:
A unique Unit Linked Pension Plan that will enable thecustomers to build a kitty good enough to
enable them to spend a peaceful and financially sound, retired life.
SBI Life - Horizon IIPension is a safe and hassle free way to get high returns. It comeswith the
unique feature of Automatic Asset Allocation by means of which you truly, dont need to be an
expert to grow your money.

1) SBI Life - Unit Plus II Pension:

SBI Life understands the basic needs for pension plan andgive the customers financial strength
to maintain the life style evenafter the retirement.
This is a unit linked pension plan wherein the policyholder chooses an investment period from 5
to 52 years for avesting age between 50 to 70 years. They can choose to pay either single
premium or pay regular premium for the entire policy term.Their contributions are invested into 4
fund options as per their choice.

2) SBI Life - Lifelong Pensions:

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It is a pension plan wherein the policyholder gets theflexibility to meet the post retirement
financial needs. It also providestax benefits. The policyholder also has the option of withdrawing
alump sum amount up to particular limit.

3) SBI Life - Immediate Annuity:

SBI Life - Immediate Annuity Plan is introduced for Pension Policyholders. This product
provides annuity paymentsimmediately from payment of purchase price. It has been
speciallydesigned to cater to the annuity needs of existing policyholders (SBILife - Lifelong
Pensions, SBI Life - Horizon II Pension, SBI Life -Unit Plus II Pension) at the vesting age.

C) Pure Protection Products

1)SBI Life Swadhan:
This is a Traditional Term Assurance Policy with guaranteedrefund of basic premium .Life cover
is provided at no cost. Tax benefitis also provided. There is also a rebate on high sum assured.
There isalso flexible benefit premium paying mode.

2)SBI Life Shield:

It offers the customers with the life insurance cover at thelowest cost for a selected term. Tax
benefit is also provided. There isalso rebate on modes of premium payment.

3)SBI Life Shield as a Keyman Insurance Policy:

A Keyman insurance policy is taken to protect the organizationagainst the reduction in profit
resulting from the death of theKeyman. As per IRDA circular only Pure Term Assurance
Productsmay be used as a Keyman Insurance. The SBI Life Insurance provides SBI Life
Shield as a Keyman Insurance Policy.

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D)Protection cum Savings Products

1)SBI Life Sudarshan:
SBI Life - Sudarshan is an Endowment Policy designed to provide savings and protection to the
policyholder and their family.They can save regularly for the future. Thus at the end of the plan,
hewill receive a substantial amount of savings along with theaccumulated bonuses declared. At
the same time, his family will be protected for death risk for the full Sum Assured.

2)SBI Life - Scholar II:

Twin benefit of saving for the child's education and securing a bright future despite the
uncertainties of life.Option to receive theinstallments in lump sum at the due date of first
installment of Survival benefit.

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E)Money back scheme products

1)SBI Life - Money Back :
It is a Traditional Saving Plan with added advantage of lifecover and guaranteed cash inflow at
regular intervals. The plan has anumber of money back options specially suited to the
customersneeds. The cover is available at competitive premium rates.

2)SBI Life - Sanjeevan Supreme:

It is a Traditional Saving Plan which offers a life cover for the term of the customers choice at
the same time does not burdenhim with liability to pay premiums for the entire term and also
provides cash flows at regular intervals.

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Conclusion
Bancassurance plays a major role in worldwide insurance and dominates several major
European markets such as France and Italy. Its market share is expected to increase with the
deregulation taking place in several Asian countries and in the UK.
Bancassurance encompasses a variety of business models. We believe these business models
fall broadly in three categories:

Integrated models (where the bancassurance activity is closely tied to the banking
business).
Advice-based models (where there is less integration and the distribution is based on
using professional insurance advisers to sell to the clients of the bank).
Open architecture models.

The business model tends to impact all aspects of the bancassurance activity including the
company structure,sales and marketing, product design, and sales remuneration.
In most countries, bancassurance has tended to see a gradual evolution in the products offered
from protection business closely related to the banks lending activity to general savings
business and finally to a wider range of protection products.

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In many countries, the choice of a business model is influenced by regulatory constraints (e.g.,
the minimum qualification required to sell insurance products, the type of products that banks
are allowed to sell, or the nature of the relationship between banks and insurance companies).
Bancassurance is an efficient distribution channel with higher productivity and lower costs than
traditional distribution channels. These cost advantages are particularly significant in the more
integrated models

Reference

Webliography
Investopedia.com
Wikipedia.com
Allbankingsolutions.com
Sbilife.co.in

Bibliography
Innovations in Banking and Insurance -Romeo. S. Mascarenhas
Indian Banking -R. Parameswaran

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