Punjab National Bank (PNB) plans to buy equity stake in a domestic life insurance company to begin a new innings in the insurance business. The country’s second largest public sector bank has also invited bids from ten life insurance companies for this purpose. The shortlisted companies include Aegon Religare Life Insurance, Aviva India Life Insurance, Bharti AXA Life Insurance, Birla Sun Life Insurance, DLF Pramerica Life Insurance, Future Generali Life Insurance, HDFC Life Insurance, Max New York Life Insurance, Met Life Insurance and Reliance Life Insurance. The tie-up will be proposed partner will be finalized during April-June 2011 period.
Earlier, PNB had invited proposals from insurance companies to decide on the business model for its proposed foray into the life insurance venture. Boston Consulting Group is believed to be the advisor to the bank. The bank is yet to decide the size of its investment but remains hopeful that the life insurance venture will commence its operations by the third quarter of this calendar year.
At present, PNB is the only large public sector bank, which does not have a life insurance subsidiary. Its earlier entry to life insurance through a joint venture with Principal Financial Group, Berger Paints and Vijaya Bank has not been successful. At present, PNB is the bancassurance partner of the country’s largest life insurer Life Insurance Corporation of India. After the bank forms a joint venture with a private entity, PNB will have to exit the tie-up with LIC. Current regulations allow a bank to sell insurance products of only one insurer.
Company Name | CMP |
---|---|
SBI | 756.55 |
Bank Of Baroda | 224.20 |
Canara Bank | 95.05 |
PNB | 99.25 |
Union Bank Of India | 106.50 |
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