History
The entire general insurance business in India was nationalised by the Government of India (GOI) through the General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Act (GIBNA) of 1972. 55 Indian insurance companies and 52 other general insurance operations of other companies were nationalized through the act.
The General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC) was formed in pursuance of Section 9(1) of GIBNA. It was incorporated on 22 November 1972 under the Companies Act, 1956 as a private company limited by shares. GIC was formed to control and operate the business of general insurance in India.
The GOI transferred all the assets and operations of the nationalized general insurance companies to GIC and other public-sector insurance companies. After a process of mergers and consolidation, GIC was re-organized with four fully owned subsidiary companies: National Insurance Company Limited, New India Assurance Company Limited, Oriental Insurance Company Limited and United India Insurance Company Limited.
GIC and its subsidiaries had a monopoly on the general insurance business in India until the landmark Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act (IRDA Act) of 1999 came into effect on 19 April 2000. This act also amended the GIBNA Act and Insurance Act of 1938. The act along with the amendments ended the monopoly of GIC and its subsidiaries and liberalized the insurance business in India.
In November 2000, GIC was renotified as India's Reinsurer, but its supervisory role over its subsidiaries was ended. This was followed by the General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Amendment Act of 2002. Coming into effect from 21 March 2003, this amendment ended GIC's role as a holding company of its subsidiaries. The ownership of the subsidiaries was transferred to the Government of India, which in turn divested its stake in the companies through listings on Indian stock exchanges.
As a result of these reforms, GIC became the sole Re-Insurer in India, and is now called GIC Re. Indian insurance companies are required by law to cede 5% of every policy value to GIC Re w.e.f. 1st April 2013, subject to some limitations and exceptions. GIC Re has diversified its operations and is now emerging as an important Re-Insurer in SAARC countries, Southeast Asia, Middle East and Africa. GIC Re has also expanded its international operations through branches in London and Moscow.
GIC Re has a rating of A- (Excellent) from A. M. Best for its financial strength.
Read more about this topic: General Insurance Corporation Of India
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“English history is all about men liking their fathers, and American history is all about men hating their fathers and trying to burn down everything they ever did.”
—Malcolm Bradbury (b. 1932)
“No matter how vital experience might be while you lived it, no sooner was it ended and dead than it became as lifeless as the piles of dry dust in a school history book.”
—Ellen Glasgow (1874–1945)
“The whole history of civilisation is strewn with creeds and institutions which were invaluable at first, and deadly afterwards.”
—Walter Bagehot (1826–1877)