New Delhi, with a relative smaller population of 1.68 crore and 315 offices, had mobilised premium of around Rs 5,000 crore and has got the highest insurance penetration of 1.34% and density of Rs 3,228 in 2013-14, it said. Tamil Nadu, the second-largest general insurance market with around 1,200 offices has the largest number of general insurance offices in the country.
Maharashtra tops the list in generating non-life premium, while New Delhi has emerged as number one in general insurance density or per capita insurance premium, and insurance penetration or percentage of population covered, in the country during 2013-14.
According to data from General Insurance Council (GIC), the top five general insurance markets in terms of gross premium are Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Karnataka and New Delhi.
Maharashtra, with around 1,100 offices, set up by the general insurers had mobilised a total premium of Rs 17,774 crore in 2013-14.
The state's per capita premium is pegged at Rs 1,600 while insurance penetration is at 1.13% during the year.
New Delhi, with a relative smaller population of 1.68 crore and 315 offices, had mobilised premium of around Rs 5,000 crore and has got the highest insurance penetration of 1.34% and density of Rs 3,228 in 2013-14, it said.
Tamil Nadu, the second-largest general insurance market with around 1,200 offices has the largest number of general insurance offices in the country.
The state had generated Rs 7,538 crore of premium and has insurance penetration of 0.90% and density of Rs 1,050 in 2013-14, it added.
"Traditionally, Maharashtra has been the highest premium producing state, mainly because of Mumbai being the financial capital of the country.
"However, from the GIC data, it seems that many other states, including New Delhi, have started producing premium due to its economic growth, high literacy and more car owning young people going for motor and health insurance," GIC Secretary General R Chandrasekaran said.
"Maharashtra is the most industrialised state and corporate offices of a number of companies are located here and hence it is on top when it comes to premium collection," ICICI Lombard General Insurance Chief (Underwriting and Claims) Sanjay Datta said.
"Because non-government assets and population were high in New Delhi and surrounding areas and hence it is on top when it comes to insurance penetration and density," he added.
Gujarat, the third-largest general insurance market, had 580 offices with a premium income of Rs 5,020 crore and had an insurance penetration of 0.76% and density of Rs 775 in 2013-14.
Karnataka, with a total premium of Rs 5,698 crore and 612 offices, is ranked at fourth position in 2013-14.
It had an insurance penetration of Rs 932 and density of 0.96% in the reporting period.
However, the general insurers are now diversifying into other parts of the country to grow their business.
"Now, we are focusing on northern and eastern parts of the country. Large states like West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh are some of the other potential areas in the country for insurance coverage," New India Assurance (NIA) General Manager and Director Sanath Kumar said.
"We have plans to open 500 new offices during the current fiscal and a majority of them are likely to come up in these parts of the country," he added.
"Even as we are focusing on Class A and B cities, but we are also looking at some rural areas. However, we plan to go to rural areas by sending our representatives to those areas, rather than having brick and mortar branches over there," Tata AIG General Insurance Chief Executive K K Mishra said.
Insurers also feel that the recently launched Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) will also help increase non-life insurance penetration in the country.
"PMSBY will certainly help increase insurance penetration as the banks and insurers have joined hands for the same," Universal Sompo General Insurance Executive Chairman O N Singh said.
"We already have got 86 branches and are planning to open 20 more in areas like north, south and central parts of the country during the current fiscal," he added.
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