Life Insurance Companies in India

Most people view life insurance policies as a form of investment. However, these plans also offer a significant payout upon the death of the insured individual.

Therefore, individuals with dependent family members need to opt for such contingency plans to ensure that their spouse, children, aged parents and siblings are financially secured, even in the event of unfortunate demise.

If a life insurance policyholder perishes during the plan’s coverage term, his/her family members can claim the death benefit.

Doing so will result in a lump-sum financial benefit, which the surviving family members can use to ensure a comfortable life. The various life insurance companies operating in India are responsible for providing these plans and settling claims when they are raised.

What is a Life Insurance Company?

A life insurance company is an organisation, which creates variegated life insurance policies for its customers. Policyholders pay a premium to the insurance company, which is determined by the sum assured for the chosen coverage, along with other benefits and factors. A life insurance company also needs to handle all claims, which its customers file.

Before extending the financial compensation after a claim is filed, life insurance companies need to verify all information and circumstances of a policyholder’s death. Death by accident or suicide is often excluded from life insurance policy coverage.

Thus, if a policyholder succumbs due to either of these reasons, his/her family members are disqualified from claiming death benefit from the insured life insurance policy.

The following are some of the common types of life insurance policies available in India:

Unit Linked Insurance Plans
Term life insurance
Endowment plans
Whole life insurance
Money-Back policy
Retirement plan
Child plan

These are the seven different life insurance policy types, each of which is geared to meet various requirements and conditions.

You need to consider your current situation in life to determine which of the policies mentioned above is the best suited to your needs.

List of Life Insurance Companies Operating in India

Company name	Founding year	Headquarter location
Life Insurance Corporation of India	1956	Mumbai
Max Life Insurance Co. Ltd.	2000	New Delhi
HDFC Life Insurance Co. Ltd	2000	Mumbai
ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Co. Ltd.	2000	Mumbai
Aditya Birla SunLife Insurance Co. Ltd.	2000	Mumbai
Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance Co. Ltd.	2001	Mumbai
Pramerica Life Insurance Co. Ltd.	2008	Gurugram
TATA AIA Life Insurance Co. Ltd.	2000	Mumbai
Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Co. Ltd.	2001	Pune
SBI Life Insurance Co. Ltd.	2001	Mumbai
Exide Life Insurance Co. Ltd	2001	Bengaluru
Reliance Nippon Life Insurance Company	2001	Mumbai
Sahara India Life Insurance Co. Ltd.	2000	Kanpur
Aviva Life Insurance Company India Ltd.	2002	Gurugram
PNB MetLife India Insurance Co. Ltd	2001	Mumbai
Bharti AXA Life Insurance Company Ltd	2005	Mumbai
IDBI Federal Life Insurance Company Limited	2008	Mumbai
Future Generali India Life Insurance Company Limited	2006	Mumbai
Shriram Life Insurance Co. Ltd.	2005	Hyderabad
Aegon Life Insurance Company Limited	2008	Mumbai
Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance Company Limited	2007	Gurugram
Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance Company Limited	2009	Mumbai
Star Union Dai-Ichi Life Insurance Co. Ltd.	2007	Mumbai
IndiaFirst Life Insurance Company Ltd.	2009	Mumbai

Ensure you pick the life insurance company after adequate research. Check the claim settlement ratios, reputation, policy premiums and other benefits before deciding on a plan that suits your specific needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

✓ Which is the best life insurance company in India?

You should opt for a life insurance plan from one of the reputed providers. However, each company and policy has its benefits and drawbacks. You must consider the best option based on your specific life situation and needs.

Life insurance plans are subjective, meaning a highly beneficial policy for one individual may not prove to be as useful to another. Therefore, choose such a plan after careful consideration.

✓ What are unit-linked insurance plans?

Unit-linked insurance plans or ULIPs are a type of life insurance policy, which doubles down as a savings plan, along with providing a death benefit to policyholders.

The primary benefit of a ULIP is that the policyholder or his/her family members benefit regardless of whether the insured individual lives or dies. If the policyholder perishes, his/her nominees receive a death benefit. However, if the insured outlasts the policy term, he/she can claim the maturity value from this ULIP.

✓ What are the various types of life insurance policies available in India?

Indians can choose from seven major life insurance policy types. These include term insurance plans, ULIPs, retirement plan, child plan, money back policy, whole life insurance and endowment plans.

Each of these has some benefits and drawbacks. Consider them carefully before choosing one or the other.

✓ Why is claim settlement ratio important while choosing a life insurance provider?

Claim settlement ratio can help you determine whether an insurance company is too stringent while sanctioning claims.

Lower ratios indicate that a company may not settle claims easily.

However, a high ratio is indicative of a streamlined compensation process. Therefore, availing a policy from one such company would be beneficial since you can claim without risk of rejection.