GST rate cut is a growth opportunity for insurers: Irdai chief Ajay Seth
The exemption of individual life and health insurance premiums from the Goods and Services Tax (GST) enables the insurance industry to make products affordable and attractive, said Ajay Seth, chairman of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) at the Business Standard BFSI Insight Summit 2025.

Bima Sugam will make insurance inclusive, affordable, transparent: Experts
Bima Sugam is an online insurance marketplace that aims to be a single-stop platform for customers to buy, service and settle claims for various policies. It has been called the “UPI moment for insurance”. In a panel discussion at the Business Standard BFSI Insight Summit 2025, Debashish Banerjee, partner at Deloitte India; Narendra Bharindwal, president of the Insurance Brokers Association of India (IBAI); Sharad Mathur, managing director and chief executive officer of Universal Sompo General Insurance; and Amit Roy, partner and leader for insurance and allied businesses at PwC India, called Bima Sugam a tool for transparency, affordability and inclusion. Edited excerpts:

What IRDAI rule changes mean for employer health insurance plans in India

Mumbai: The way health insurance is regulated in India has shifted after recent directions from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI). For many salaried people, the first and often only protection against hospital bills is the cover offered at work, so any change in rules affects employees who depend on company medical insurance.

Insurance industry seeks stability amid regulatory and tax turbulence
 

After GST rationalisation, innovation will boost life insurance: CEOs
The reduction in Goods & Services Tax (GST) on individual life and health insurance premiums has been called a “landmark step” for making insurance affordable and inclusive. In a panel discussion at Business Standard BFSI Insight Summit 2025, Anup Bagchi, managing director (MD) & chief executive officer (CEO) of ICICI Prudential Life Insurance; Mahesh Balasubramanian, MD & CEO of Kotak Life Insurance; Tarun Chugh, MD & CEO of Bajaj Life Insurance, and Ratnakar Patnaik, MD of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), discussed what else the industry needs to spread its reach.

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Tata AIA introduces Param Raksha Life Pro+ with advanced features for comprehensive protection
 

Axis Max Life launches BSE 500 Dividend Leaders 50 Index Pension Fund to drive long-term, dividend-led retirement corpus
 

Govt, industry need to act on new age risks: General Insurance CEOs
Insurance companies’ work is changing as natural disasters blamed on climate change spread, cybercrimes rise, and electric vehicles (EVs) become common, said industry leaders at the Business Standard BFSI Insight Summit 2025. In a panel discussion, Yashish Dahiya, chairman & group chief executive officer (CEO) of PB Fintech; Naveen Chandra Jha, managing director (MD) & CEO of SBI General Insurance; Anup Rau, MD & CEO of Generali Central Insurance, and Tapan Singhel, MD & CEO of Bajaj General Insurance, spoke about issues they face.

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Smaller MFs seek lower barriers for SIF entry
Smaller mutual fund houses have asked the capital markets regulator Securities & Exchange Board of India (Sebi) to consider changing the Specialized Investment Fund (SIF) entry route framework in order to help them enter this market.

Small-town investors power new wave in equity mutual fund inflows
SIP inflows into active equity schemes from areas beyond the top 30 cities (B30), which first crossed this milestone in September 2025, stood at ₹10,080 crore in October, industry data shows. For comparison, SIP inflows from these towns were only ₹2,832 crore in March 2021.

PSU bank ETFs and index funds: Rebalance instead of chasing momentum
The Nifty PSU Bank Index has surged 25.2 per cent over the past year. Several exchange-traded funds (ETFs) from fund houses, including Nippon India, Kotak, DSP, HDFC, ICICI Prudential, and Mirae Asset, track this index. SBI Mutual Fund offers an index fund based on the BSE PSU Bank Total Return Index (TRI).

Corporate bond issuances marginally higher at ₹4.7 lakh cr in H1FY26
Mumbai: Corporate bond issuances, on a cumulative basis (April-September), were marginally higher at ₹4.7 lakh crore in 2025-26, compared to ₹4.6 lakh crore in the corresponding period of the previous year, according to RBI data. Corporate bond issuances increased to ₹74,000 crore in September 2025, compared to ₹43,000 crore in August 2025.