currently charges higher premium for its term plans than private competitors. For example, a 30-year-old non-smoker has to pay an annual premium of 7,300 for a 25-lakh policy under LIC’s term plan Amulya Jeevan, while she can buy online policies such as ICICI Prudential’s iProtect for 3,350 and Kotak Life’s e-term plan for 2,750.LIC plans to reduce this gap with the launch of its online term policy, where it can save on agent commission. Its move is expected to make private insurers reduce their rates further. The state-owned insurer is also betting big on Bancassurance, or selling policies through bank branches.
LIC’s ED Vipin Anand said the insurer has set a target to double its income from Bancassurance this financial year to 5% of its total new business income. The insurer is targeting new business income of 54,000 crore this year. At present, 20 banks, including United Bank,
UCO Bank, Central Bank, Corporation Bank, BoM and PNB, sell LIC policies.LIC has announced a bonus of 21,580 crore for its policyholders for 2010-11, which is 95% of its net surplus of 22,716 crore. The rest 5% has gone to the government.
It has announced a higher bonus rate under seven with-profit plans, namely Jeevan Anand, Jeevan Tarang, Jeevan Madhur, Child Future Plan, Jeevan Shree I, Jeevan Bharti I and Jeevan Pramukh. It also announced loyalty additions for the first time in other seven plans.