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Aviva Life Insurance India Pvt. LTD - Final
Aviva Life Insurance India Pvt. LTD - Final
Aviva Life Insurance India Pvt. LTD - Final
Aviva Life insurance is the oldest life insurance company in the world. It is
the largest insurer in the UK and is the 28th largest company in the world. In
India, the company is marketing life insurance products and unit linked
investment plans. From my research at Aviva, I found that the company has
a lot of competition from other private insurers like ICICI, HDFC, Birla Sun
Life and Tata Aig. It also faces competition from LIC. To compete
effectively Aviva could launch cheaper and more reasonable products with
small premiums and short policy terms (the number of year’s premium is to
be paid). The ideal premium would be between Rs. 5000 – Rs. 25000 and an
ideal policy term would be 10 – 20 years. Aviva must advertise regularly
and create brand value for its products and services. Most of its competitors
like HDFC, ICICI, Reliance and LIC use television advertisements to
promote their products. The Indian consumer has a false perception about
insurance – they feel that it would not benefit them if they do not live
through the policy term. Nowadays however, most policies are unit linked
plans where a customer is benefited even if their death does not occur during
the policy term. This message should be conveyed to potential customers so
that they readily invest in insurance.
Family responsibilities and high returns are the two main reasons people
invest in insurance. Optimum returns of 16 – 20 % must be provided to
consumers to keep them interested in purchasing insurance. On the whole
Aviva life insurance is a good place to work at. Every new recruit is
provided with extensive training on unit linked funds, financial instruments
and the products of Aviva. This training enables an advisor/ sales manager
to market the policies better. Aviva was ranked 13 in the Best Places to
Work survey.
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CHAPTER I
INDIAN INSURANCE
INDUSTRY
“AN OVERVIEW”
2
THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY IN INDIA
AN OVERVIEW
With the largest number of life insurance policies in force in the world,
Insurance happens to be a mega opportunity in India. It’s a business growing
at the rate of 15-20 per cent annually and presently is of the order of Rs 450
billion (for the financial year 2004 – 2005). Together with banking services,
it adds about 7% to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The gross
premium collection is nearly 2% of GDP and funds available with LIC for
investments are 8% of the GDP.
Even so nearly 80% of the Indian population is without life insurance cover
while health insurance and non-life insurance continues to be below
international standards. A large part of our population is also subject to
weak social security and pension systems with hardly any old age income
security. This in itself is an indicator that growth potential for the insurance
sector in India is immense.
3
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
The history of life insurance in India dates back to 1818 when it was
conceived as a means to provide for English Widows. Interestingly in those
days a higher premium was charged for Indian lives than the non - Indian
lives, as Indian lives were considered more risky to cover. The Bombay
Mutual Life Insurance Society started its business in 1870. It was the first
company to charge the same premium for both Indian and non-Indian lives.
Insurance regulation formally began in India with the passing of the Life
Insurance Companies Act of 1912 and the Provident Fund Act of 1912.
Several frauds during the 1920's and 1930's sullied insurance business in
India. By 1938 there were 176 insurance companies.
The first comprehensive legislation was introduced with the Insurance Act
of 1938 that provided strict State Control over the insurance business. The
insurance business grew at a faster pace after independence. Indian
4
companies strengthened their hold on this business but despite the growth
that was witnessed, insurance remained an urban phenomenon.
The Government of India in 1956, brought together over 240 private life
insurers and provident societies under one nationalized monopoly
corporation and Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) was born. Nationalization
was justified on the grounds that it would create the much needed funds for
rapid industrialization. This was in conformity with the Government's
chosen path of State led planning and development.
The non-life insurance business continued to thrive with the private sector
till 1972. Their operations were restricted to organized trade and industry in
large cities. The general insurance industry was nationalized in 1972. With
this, nearly 107 insurers were amalgamated and grouped into four
companies- National Insurance Company, New India Assurance Company,
Oriental Insurance Company and United India Insurance Company. These
were subsidiaries of the General Insurance Company (GIC).
KEY MILESTONES
1912: The Indian Life Assurance Companies Act enacted as the first statute
to regulate the life insurance business.
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1956: 245 Indian and foreign insurers along with provident societies were
taken over by the central government and nationalized.
LIC was formed by an Act of Parliament- LIC Act 1956- with a capital
contribution of Rs. 5 crore from the Government of India.
INDUSTRY REFORMS
Reforms in the Insurance sector were initiated with the passage of the IRDA
Bill in Parliament in December 1999. The IRDA since its incorporation as a
statutory body in April 2000 has fastidiously stuck to its schedule of framing
regulations and registering the private sector insurance companies. Since
being set up as an independent statutory body the IRDA has put in a
framework of globally compatible regulations.
6
year 2004-2005. Though the total volume of LIC's business increased in the
last fiscal year (2004-2005) compared to the previous one, its market share
came down from 87.04 to 78.07%.
The 14 private insurers increased their market share from about 13% to
about 22% in a year's time. The figures for the first two months of the fiscal
year 2005-06 also speak of the growing share of the private insurers. The
share of LIC for this period has further come down to 75 percent, while the
private players have grabbed over 24 percent.
With the opening up of the insurance industry in India many foreign players
have entered the market. The restriction on these companies is that they are
not allowed to have more than a 26% stake in a company’s ownership.
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CHAPTER II
RESEARCH DESIGN
8
RESEARCH DESIGN
INTRODUCTION
A Research Design is the framework or plan for a study which is used as a
guide in collecting and analyzing the data collected. It is the blue print that
is followed in completing the study. The basic objective of research cannot
be attained without a proper research design. It specifies the methods and
procedures for acquiring the information needed to conduct the research
effectively. It is the overall operational pattern of the project that stipulates
what information needs to be collected, from which sources and by what
methods.
TITLE OF THE STUDY
9
In effect plans (insurance products) should be flexible to suit individual
requirements. This research tries to analyze some key factors which
influence the purchase of insurance like the term of the policy, the type of
company, the amount of annual premium payable (capacity and willingness
to spend), risk taking ability and the influence of advertising. Solutions and
recommendations are made based on qualitative and quantitative analysis of
the data.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
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There are two types of data used. They are primary and secondary data.
Primary data is defined as data that is collected from original sources for a
specific purpose. Secondary data is data collected from indirect sources.
PRIMARY SOURCES
SECONDARY SOURCES
The study was conducted only for a short period of one month
respondents is true
CHAPTER 1:
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Introduction to insurance - An overview of the industry in India,
history, key milestones, reforms in the industry, present scenario in India.
CHAPTER 3:
CHAPTER 4:
CHAPTER 5:
CHAPTER 6:
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Problems requiring more research – Future line of work
CHAPTER 7:
Conclusion
CHAPTER 8:
References
CHAPTER III
COMPANY PROFILE
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COMPANY PROFILE
in London
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• 1885 – General Accident founded in Perth, Scotland
General Accident
• 2000 – CGNU formed with the merger of CGU and Norwich Union
Poland
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• Long term savings and asset management account for 71% of
premiums
• Got licensed on 14th May 2002 and started operations on 6th June 2006
• Tie - ups with ABM Amro, American Express, Canara Bank &
VISION
CORE VALUES
• Integrity
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• Innovation
• Customer centricity
• Empowered Team
The right investment strategies won't just help plan for a more comfortable
tomorrow -- they will help you get “Kal Par Control”. At Aviva, life
insurance plans are created keeping in mind the changing needs of you and
your family. Our life insurance plans are designed to provide you with
flexible options that meet both protection and savings needs. We offer our
customers a full range of transparent, flexible and value for money products.
Aviva products are modern and contemporary unitized products that offer
unique customer benefits like flexibility to choose cover levels, indexation
and partial withdrawals. (Source: www.avivaindia.com)
1) LIFE LONG
Life Long is designed to suit individual requirements, no matter which life
stage you are at, and changes as your needs change during your entire life.
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For the same premium, you can opt for a higher life cover (protection) and
lower savings or lower life cover and higher savings. The choice of
protection-savings mix is yours, and the decision can be based on your
priorities and age. You can also cover your spouse under the same policy
without any additional expense through a joint life policy (first death basis).
The entry age is 18 – 60 years. If any rider is opted the maximum entry age
is 55 years (last birthday). This is a whole life plan with premium payment
age up to 85 years. The minimum annual premium is Rs. 6000. The
minimum sum assured is 0.5* (70 – entry age) * Annual premium and the
maximum sum assured is Annual premium * Cover level, where the cover
level ranges from 10 to 100, depending upon age at entry.
One can invest their monies in a With Profits Fund and 3 Unit Linked funds;
Protector, Growth and Balanced Funds. An individual can opt for riders like
accidental death and disbursement rider, critical illness and permanent total
disability rider and hospital cash benefit. There will be 5% extra allocation
of units on the 15th policy year.
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of the risk and the security of the return on the investment. You can invest
100% of your premiums either in the With Profits Fund or in any of the Unit
Linked Funds. The minimum allocation in each selected unit linked fund
must be 10%.
Allocation of Units
• Units purchased with the first year’s premium and the first
from the second year’s premium onwards and after the first
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from time to time. The Unit Price will be calculated as follows: Unit
price for Unit Linked Funds is equal to the market value of assets
held by the fund plus the value of current assets and accrued
units outstanding
365) - 1. Aviva guarantees that the unit price in this fund will
never fall
premium. The premium shall be adjusted on the due date even if it has
where the premium is received, the closing NAV of the day on which
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premium is received shall be applicable. Currently, this time is 4:15
p.m.
where the premium is received, the closing NAV of the next business
The total of top-up premiums cannot exceed 25% of the total regular
premiums paid till date at any point in time. Units purchased from top-up
premiums will be used to allocate accumulation units to various investment
funds in the same proportion as selected by you for your regular premiums
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Can I increase the sum assured?
You can increase your sum assured anytime before age 67 or the 27th policy
year, whichever is earlier, provided that all due premiums have been paid.
This is subject to the maximum increase allowed at that age. The sum
assured under the riders (except HCB) will also increase up to the maximum
limit allowed under each rider. Evidence of health may be required before
such an increase in sum assured is made.
You can increase your regular premiums through any of the 2 methods
mentioned below:
Indexation
You have the option to increase your regular premiums by an indexation rate
at any policy anniversary to protect the real value of your investment against
inflation. The rate of indexation will be in line with the increase in the
Whole Sale Price Index (or in the event that this Index ceases to be
published such other index as the Company may select for this purpose).
The base sum assured and sum assured of any attached rider (except HCB)
would also be increased by the corresponding indexation increase.
The maximum sum assured limits under the riders for the purchased policy
would not apply in this case. You can opt for indexation at the inception of
the plan only. Once opted for, this will become a default option unless
altered by you. The indexation benefit is available till age 67 or the 27th
policy year, whichever is earlier.
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Additional Regular Premiums (ARP)
On every policy anniversary you have the option to increase the regular
premium amount through ARP at any time up to age 67 or the 27th policy
year, whichever is earlier. The minimum ARP is Rs. 1,000. ARP will
increase the sum assured automatically. The sum assured of any attached
rider (except HCB) would also increase provided the increased sum assured
is within the maximum limits allowed for the riders. Evidence of health may
be required before such an increase in sum assured is made.
When can I withdraw my money?
• The minimum partial withdrawal is Rs. 5,000 and the fund value
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• Till age 58 years, the total partial withdrawal with respect to regular
premiums in a policy year should not exceed 25% of the fund value
to top-up premiums.
Apart from the death cover under the base plan, Life Long offers extra
protection through optional riders:
• Hospital Cash Benefit Rider (HCB): The Company will make fixed
attached to the base plan at inception only and the rider covers expire
at 60 years of age.
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What happens if I die?
In the unfortunate event of your death or if your spouse dies before you (if
• The sum assured as well as the rider sum assured will be reduced by
all partial withdrawals made from regular premium account within the
last 2 years prior to death. If death occurs after age 60, the sum
till death
also be payable
• If you have invested in the With Profits fund, a final bonus, if any,
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deducted monthly by cancellation of units from the accumulation unit
the first 30 years. IMC will be deducted monthly from initial units
Risk (SAR = Sum Assured less the Fund Value pertaining to regular
AD&D rider charge will apply on Sum Assured; the CI&PTD rider
26
charge will apply on the Sum at Risk, while the HCB rider charge is a
fixed amount.
and approval by the IRDA. The Company shall charge the applicable
service tax over and above the mortality charge and rider premium
Tax benefits will be as per Section 80C & Section 10(10D) of the Income
Tax Act, 1961. Insurance is tax free up to Rs. 100000 per annum and the
returns on investment on maturity of the policy are also tax free.
Illustration
This illustration is of a 30 year old, who pays premiums annually for a sum
insured of Rs. 1,000,000.
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discount)(Rs.) (Rs.)
10 3160 2923 500 3160 2423
15 3390 3136 500 3390 2636
20 3620 3349 500 3620 2849
2) LIFE SHIELD
Life Shield is an ideal life insurance plan that helps you protect your
family's future. While there can be no compensation for the loss of life, Life
Shield ensures that your family's financial needs are met should something
unfortunate happen to you. Its aim is to pay out a guaranteed cash amount in
the unfortunate event of your death during the term of the policy.
• Life Shield is a low cost life insurance plan which guarantees to pay a
lump sum amount in case of your death during the term of the policy.
age. However, the maximum age of the life insured at expiry of the
policy is 65 years.
• The minimum and maximum policy terms are 5 years and 40 years,
respectively.
insured is Rs.500000.
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• The sum insured of the policy can be increased (only up to 40 years of
your marriage.
• This option to increase the sum insured is available if the policy has
been accepted on standard rates.
• The plan pays out a sum insured in the unfortunate event of your
death before the maturity date.
• We offer preferred rates to customers opting for higher sum insured
and to Pension Plus policyholders of Aviva.
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PLANS MAINLY FOR SAVINGS & INVESTMENT
The entry age for the policy is 18 – 50 years. The policy term is 10, 15, 20
or 25 years. Maximum age at maturity is 60 years.
The minimum annual premium is Rs. 6000 and maximum is Rs. 50000. Sum
assured is calculated as higher of 10 times the annual premium and 0.5 *
policy term * annual premium subject to a minimum of Rs. 60,000 and a
maximum of Rs. 50,000. The investment fund options available are
protector, growth and balanced funds.
On maturity, you can either take out the maturity proceeds (fund value in
respect of regular premiums) and terminate the policy or opt for a settlement
option wherein all or part of maturity proceeds would be paid out to you as
structured payouts in accordance with the settlement option then offered by
the Company. The settlement option is available only on Unit Linked funds
and only if all due premiums have been paid.
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In case of a non accidental death in the first policy year 50% of the sum
assured or fund value which ever is higher is paid. From the 2nd policy year,
higher of sum assured or fund value is payable. In case of accidental death
an additional sum assured is payable.
the policy term. IMC will be deducted monthly from initial units
Risk (SAR = Sum Assured less the Fund Value). It will be deducted
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term. The charge for the ADPTD benefit will apply on Sum Assured
2) YOUNG ACHIEVER
The entry age for this policy is 21 – 55 years. The term of the policy is 8 to
21 years (maximum age at maturity 65 years). If your child’s age is between
0 – 13 years, the policy term will be 21 minus the age of your child at entry.
For example if the age of your child is 10 years at the time of purchasing the
policy, the policy term will be 11 years (21 – 10). The minimum annual
premium payable is Rs. 6000. The minimum sum assured is Rs. 36000 and
maximum sum assured is Rs. 10,000,000. For each policy term there is a
low and high sum assured to choose from ranging from 6 to 21 times the
annual premium.
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due premiums till date are paid. Any partial withdrawal will first be made
from the top up premium account (if any and if eligible for withdrawal)
followed by the regular premium account, if required.
premiums
• The minimum partial withdrawal is Rs. 5,000 and the fund value
will increase by 5% p.a. on the 1st of January each year. PAC will
33
• Initial Management Charge (IMC): 10% p.a. of initial units
during the policy term. IMC will be deducted monthly from initial
units
and 1.50% p.a. on Growth Fund. FMC will be applied on the fund
3) LIFE SAVER
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up of Rs. 1500 and a maximum of up to 25% of the total regular
premium paid. The allocation rate for the top up premium is 96%.
A policy holder can avail a premium holiday 6 months after the 5th policy
year for 4 times during the policy term. During this time the policy does
not lapse. A grace period of 30 extra days are given to the policy holder
to pay premium beyond the premium paying due date. On the death of
the policy holder the higher of the sum assured or fund value is paid. The
sum assured protects the policy holder and their corpus whereas invest
able premiums grow the savings component.
The customer has the option to return the policy within 15 days and no
surrender penalty would be levied on the same. You can experience the
service and if you are not satisfied you have a chance to cancel the
policy. This is called the free look period. Tax free partial withdrawal is
allowed after the three policy years. No surrender value is payable in the
first three policy years. If the policy has lapsed it can be reinstated within
two years from the date of the first unpaid premium. The settlement
option is available at maturity.
4) LIFE BOND
A wide age band can opt for this policy. The eligibility is 1 – 65 years.
There are no riders available with this policy. The minimum sum assured is
Rs. 31,250 and there is no maximum limit. The minimum premium payable
is Rs. 25000 and there is no maximum limit. The customer decides how
much money he wants to set aside in this investment. Only single premium
is allowed. No additional regular premiums are allowed. The minimum top
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up premium is Rs. 6250 and the maximum top up premium is 25% of the
total regular premiums paid.
Policy administration charge: 1.5% p.a. of the single premium for the first
year and 1% p.a. thereafter. This is also true for the top – up premiums.
5) SAVE GUARD
This policy is a limited premium paying term whole life plan. The eligibility
age for this plan is 18 – 50 years. The minimum premium payable is Rs.
12000 and the maximum is Rs. 360000. Annual premiums have to be
multiples of 6000.
Policy proceeds are tax free under the section 10 (10D) of the Income Tax
Act, 1961 (provided the total premium paid in any policy year does not
36
exceed 20% of the capital sum assured). A tax deduction is also applicable
under section 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
6) TREASURE PLUS
The maturity benefit is higher of the fund value or minimum maturity value
where minimum maturity value is equal to annual premium into policy term.
The administration charges is Rs 38/- per month. The initial management
charge of 7% per annum will be charged on initial units during the premium
paying term. Mortality charges are based on gender, age and term of the
policy.
Freedom life plan is a limited payment term investment cum protection plan.
The eligibility age is 18 – 60 years. This policy can cover you and your
spouse for the same premium amount. The maximum age at maturity is 70
years. The policy term is 10 – 30 years. The minimum premium payable is
Rs. 25000 p.a. for 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 years and a minimum of Rs. 200000
p.a. for 3 or 5 years.
37
The minimum sum assured is 0.5*PT*AP and the maximum sum assured is
1.25*PT*AP. There is an option of increasing the sum assured before the
age of 40 years by 50%, within 3 months of marriage or within 3 months of
the birth of the child. This feature helps the policy holder to alter the policy
to suit his life stage and need. There are guaranteed loyalty additions of 5%
on the 10th policy year and 3% on every subsequent 5th policy anniversary
till the date of maturity. The HCB, CIPTD and ADD riders are available.
8) PENSION PLUS
The maturity benefit is 100% of the corpus used to purchase regular pension
from the annuity options available and commutation of 33.33% and the
balance for purchasing pension from Aviva or the open market.
HUMAN RESOURCE
38
to the business. Through the “Financial Health Check” (FHC) Aviva’s sales
force has been able to establish its credibility in the market. The FHC is a
free service administered by the FPA’s for a need-based analysis of the
customer’s long-term savings and insurance needs. Depending on the life
stage and earnings of the customer, the Financial Health Check assesses and
recommends the right insurance product for them.
ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE
Zonal Manager
Branch Manager
Operations
HR
Sales Manager Sales Manager Department
Department
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At Aviva in Bangalore, the internal structure of the organization was as
given above. The branch was headed by the zonal manager. He controlled
the south zone. The branch manager was the next person in authority. All
strategic decisions about the firm’s future were taken by these two
individuals. There job profile was to monitor the performance of the
organization and see that all the operations were going smoothly.
The financial planning advisors are the main link between the customer and
the company. They are the individuals who try to market the insurance
policies to prospects. They are provided training for the same. Every advisor
must pass the insurance examination as specified by the IRDA. Only a
licensed advisor is allowed to procure business for the firm. Apart from this
training is provided on unit linked funds and the savings/ protection
products Aviva offer.
Unit linked plans are based on the component of the premium or the
contribution of the customer towards the plan. This contribution can be in
different modes like yearly, half yearly, quarterly and monthly. Unit linked
40
plans have multiple benefits like life protection, rider protection, savings,
transparency, investment choices, liquidity and planning for taxes. These
plans work like mutual funds.
Suppose the fund value increased by 20%. As a result the Rs. 1000 invested
became Rs. 1200. Hence the value of every investor is now Rs. 12 and not
Rs. 10.
41
CHAPTER IV
COMPETITIVE
42
ANALYSIS
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
LIC has an excellent money back policy which provides for periodic
payments of partial survival benefits as long as the policy holder is alive.
20% of the sum assured is payable after 5, 10, 15 and 20 years and the
balance 40% is payable at the 20th year along with accrued bonus.
For a 25 years term , 15% of the sum assured becomes payable after 5,10,15
and 20 years and the balance 40% plus the accrued bonus becomes payable
at the 25th year. An important feature of these types of policies is that in the
event of the death of the policy holder at any time within the policy term the
43
death claim comprises of full sum assured without deducting any of the
survival benefit amounts which have already been paid. The bonus is also
calculated on the full sum assured.
Aviva does not have a money back policy. It could offer a money back plan
and capture some portion of this market. While marketing insurance
products I found that many customers wanted to purchase these plans.
LIC offers 66 different plans; plans are formulated for specific occasions –
whole life plans, term assurance plans, money back plan for women, child
plans, plans for the handicapped individuals, endowment assurance plans,
plans for high worth individuals, pension plans, unit linked plans, special
plans, social security schemes – diversified portfolio of products. Aviva
could diversify its product portfolio. It could add more plans for high worth
individuals and women.
The minimum premium payable for an LIC policy is Rs. 5000 p.a. It
increases at Rs. 1000 per year. At Aviva minimum premium for easy life
plus is Rs. 6000 which increases in multiples of 6000 per year. Hence Aviva
should reduce the minimum premium amount payable to compete with LIC.
The guaranteed sum assured in case of the death of the policyholder is larger
in LIC than in Aviva.
Switching from one fund to another is cheaper – for LIC it is only Rs. 100 to
switch from one fund to another whereas at Aviva it is Rs. 500. More
number of switches is allowed free per year in the case of LIC.
44
There are however some drawbacks to investing in LIC. The allocation
charges are higher. Therefore the money invested in the fund is lower than
what Aviva will invest. This is true across all policies. Aviva covers its costs
over the policy term whereas LIC charges a high amount for the first five
years and then charges a very nominal amount from the 6th year onwards.
The investment benefit is not as high as Aviva.
ICICI PRUDENTIAL
ICICI Prudential is a stiff competitor for Aviva. The company is a merger
between ICICI Bank which is the biggest private bank in India and
Prudential Plc which is a global life insurance company.
The company has an investment plan which is market related – Invest Shield
Life. In this plan even if the market falls, the premium will be returned to
investors. It is a guaranteed plan which ensures the company carefully
invests your money. The stock market performance of ICICI Prudential is
much better than Aviva. The returns on the growth fund were 46.28%
compared to the 39.59% offered by Aviva. Customers are attracted by
higher returns and this is a plus point for Prudential.
45
However the charges are very high in the plans offered by ICICI Prudential.
It is 35% during the first year, 15% in the next year and 3% from the third
year onwards. Also a higher minimum premium of Rs. 8000 is charged.
Hence the policies are not accessible to the lower strata of the society.
(Source: www.iciciprulife.com)
Birla Sun Life Insurance Company Limited is a joint venture between The
Aditya Birla Group, one of the largest business houses in India and Sun Life
Financial Inc., a leading international financial services organization. The
local knowledge of the Aditya Birla Group combined with the expertise of
Sun Life Financial Inc., offers a formidable protection for your future. The
Aditya Birla Group has a turnover close to Rs. 33000 crores with a market
capitalization of Rs. 53400 crores (as on 31st March 2006). It has over
72000 employees across all its units worldwide. It is led by its Chairman -
Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla. Some of the key organizations within the
group are Hindalco and Grasim.
Sun Life Financial Inc. and its partners today have operations in key markets
worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Hong
Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China and Bermuda. It had
assets under management of over US$343 billion, as on 31st March 2006.
The company is a leading player in the life insurance market in Canada.
46
Being a customer centric company, BSLI has invested heavily in technology
to build world class processing capabilities. BSLI has covered more than a
million lives since inception and its customer base is spread across more
than 1000 towns and cities in India. All this has assisted the company in
cementing its place amongst the leaders in the industry in terms of new
business premium income. The company has a capital base of 520 crores as
on 31st July, 2006.
Its Flexi Life Line Plan offers life long insurance cover till the policy holder
is 100 years of age. There are guaranteed returns of 3% p.a. net of policy
charges after every 5 years from the eleventh policy year onwards. However
the charges are very high. The initial charges for the first year are 65%.
Hence the fund value is greatly reduced.
BAJAJ ALLIANZ
Bajaj Allianz is a joint venture between Allianz AG with over 110 years of
experience in over 70 countries and Bajaj Auto, a trusted automobile
manufacturer for over 55 years in the Indian market. Together they are
committed to offering you financial solutions that provide all the security
you need for your family and yourself. Bajaj Allianz is the number one
private life insurer for the year 2005 – 2006. It is leading by 78 crores. It has
experienced a whopping growth of 216% in the last financial year.
The company has sold 13, 00,000 policies and is backed by 550 offices
across India. It offers travel insurance, motor insurance, home insurance,
health and corporate insurance. The mortality charges are lower than Aviva.
47
The entry age could be zero years which allow even new born babies to be
insured.
TATA AIG
Tata Aig is a joint venture between the Tata group and American
International Group Inc. In one of the plans the company offers hospital
cash benefit wherein it will pay Rs. 2500 per day in case of hospitalization
and Rs.12.5 lakhs in case the person suffers from any critical illness. Annual
premium is much less (about Rs. 6712) to avail such a good benefit. Charges
are relatively low compared to Aviva for some policies.
The company offers high coverage plans at low cost. There is a plan even
for a policy term of 1 year. Your family can continue to enjoy their current
lifestyle even in the case of something happening to you. These plans are
very flexible and Aviva could adopt this idea of insuring individuals for
short periods of time. For example; there is a family of four. The only
earning member is the father.
He has just taken a loan from a bank of 20 lakhs to purchase a new home.
He is able to repay the loan with his current salary in 15 years. The problem
arises if something were to happen to him within these fifteen years. Not
only will the family face the emotional and financial loss of their father but
they will also have to repay the home loan or risk being homeless.
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CHAPTER V
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MARKETING
PROBLEMS
MARKETING PROBLEMS
The old and out dated technique of tele marketing is used to prospect
customers. More modern techniques must be adopted. The company must
sponsor shows and give presentations in corporate houses. The financial
health check must be performed for every prospect to assess his/her true
financial position and needs. Some of the advisors skip this vital step and the
prospect ends up with a plan they do not appreciate and soon surrender or
discontinue.
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Large amount of competition (15 players in the market)
Other brands are well advertised and have higher recall value
investments
Some prospects have already invested and are not interested in further
investments
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SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT
Speak about the good features a plan offers like high returns, life
customers
Try to sell the product/plan which the consumer requires and not the
Bring out policies with small premiums payable for short periods of
Aviva is actually Aviva Dabur – Dabur has a good brand name and
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Aviva could have a brand ambassador or a mascot to promote its
services
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CHAPTER VI
FUTURE LINE OF
RESEARCH
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with and individuals and corporations accept insurance on power with other
investment opportunities.
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CHAPTER VII
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
Aviva life insurance is one of the world’s largest and oldest life insurance
companies. It has businesses spread out across the globe. It came to India in
the year 2002. It currently ranks number 7 amongst the insurers in India.
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The medium of advertising used could be television since most of its
competitors use this tool to promote their products. The company must be
promoted as an Indian company since consumers seem to have more trust in
investing in Indian firms. Hence its association with Dabur should be
showcased since Dabur is a trusted name in India and it could be used to
provide a push to the products Aviva has to offer.
Aviva could tap the rural markets with cheaper products and smaller policy
terms. There are individuals who are willing to pay small amounts as
premium but the plans do not accept premiums below a certain amount. It
was usually found that a large number of males were insured compared to
females. This was a general conclusion drawn during prospecting clients.
REFERENCES
57
“Reforms." Wikipedia. 17 Apr. 2007 <http://www.wikipedia.com>.
BagicCorp/index.jsp>.
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