The market for life insurance in India has evolved in the context of the specific socio-economic and political environment that existed over the years. Prior to nationalisation, although the insurance business had grown considerably, it remained an essentially urban phenomena. This limited spread of life insurance was also marked by many malpractices, deficiencies and frequent liquidation of insurance companies, shaking public confidence in purchasing insurance. The objectives of nationalisation were to spread insurance coverage, to provide a stable environment thus increasing the confidence of the people in insurance, and to harness the resources generated for nation building activities as determined by the government.
The purpose of this paper is to estimate the size of the individual life insurance market that exists in India. In this study, we have not provided an estimate of the potential for group life insurance. It is hoped that these estimates will help to plan the business strategy and set goals in the life insurance sector.