A Project Report on

STUDY OF CONSUMER AWARENESS WITH SPECIAL

REFERENCE TO HDFC SLIC.

Submitted to RTM Nagpur University in partial fulfillment for

degree of

Bachelor of Business Administration, specializing in

< MARKETING MANAGEMENT>

For the academic year 2008-2009

Submitted by:

SNEHAL V. WAHANE.

Under the Guidance of

PRO. ANIRUDDHA BODHANKAR.

Dr.Ambedkar Institute of
Management
Studies & Research,
Deeksha Bhoomi,

NAGPUR
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the project titled STUDY OF CONSUMER AWARENESS

WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO HDFC SLIC is a benefited work carried

out & developed by SNEHAL V. WAHANE in partial fulfillment for the award of
degree of Bachelor of Business Administration during the academic session 2008-09,
submitted to RTM Nagpur University, Nagpur under my guidance and supervision. This
is also to certify that, this project is the result of candidate’s own work and is of
sufficiently high standard to warrant its submission to the University for the Award of the
said Degree. To the best of my knowledge the matter presented in this project report has
not been submitted earlier for any other degree/diploma to any university. The assistance
and help rendered during the course of this project work in the form of basic source
material and information have been duly acknowledged.

Project Guide

Internal Examiner External Examiner

Place: Nagpur Director

Date:

2
 DECLARATION

I hereby declare that this project titled STYUDY OF CONSUMER AWARENESS

WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO HDFC SLIC is a benefited and authentic

record of work done by me under supervision of MR. ANIRUDHHA BODHANKAR.
During academic session 2008-09. The work presented here is not duplicated from any
other source & also not submitted earlier for any other degree/diploma to any university.
I understand that any such duplication is liable to be punished in accordance with the
university rules.

Place: Nagpur SNEHAL V. WAHANE

Date: ___/___/_____

3
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I express my sincere regards to honorable Director of the

Institute Dr. Sudhir S. Fulzele, for his persistent
inspiration, constructive suggestion, and constant
encouragement and for providing me immense valuable
information. His guidance has helped me during every
stage of understanding the project.

I also pay my special thanks Dr. N. Kulkarni and Professor

Aniruddha Bodhankar who extended a hand of co-
operation through my project work.

And last but not least, a very special thanks to Dr.

Ambedkar Institute Of Management Studies and Research,
Deekshabhoomi, Nagpur; for providing me an opportunity
to do such a useful and interesting project.

Date: SNEHAL V. WAHANE

4
 A
Project Report
On
Study Of Consumer Awareness With Special Reference
To
HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company Limited

Introduction

HDFC Standard 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 HDFC SLIC, I found that the
company has a lot of competition from other private insurers like ICICI, Aviva,
Birla Sun Life and Tata AIG. It also faces competition from LIC. To compete
effectively HDFC SLIC 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.

HDFC must advertise regularly and create brand value for its products and
services. Most of its competitors like Aviva, ICICI, Max, 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

5
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 HDFC standard 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 HDFC. This training enables an advisor/sales
manager to market the policies better. HDFC was ranked 13 in the Best
Places to Work survey. The company should try to create awareness about
itself in India. In the global market it is already very popular. With an
improvement in the sales techniques used, a fair bit of advertising and
modifications to the existing product portfolio, HDFC would be all set to
capture the insurance market in India as it has around the globe.

6
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction to Insurance 4

Research Methodology 10

Company Profile of HDFC SLIC

13

Challenges faced in insurance marketing 26

Analysis and Interpretation 30

Conclusion 50

Bibliography 52

7
 CHAPTER I

INDIAN INSURANCE
INDUSTRY
“AN OVERVIEW”

8
 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
1560.41 billion (for the financial year 2006 – 2007). 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 65% 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.

A well-developed and evolved insurance sector is needed for economic

development as it provides long term funds for infrastructure development
and strengthens the risk taking ability of individuals. It is estimated that over
the next ten years India would require investments of the order of one trillion
US dollars. The Insurance sector, to some extent, can enable investments in
infrastructure development to sustain the economic growth of the country.
(Source: www.indiacore.com)

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

9
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.

The Oriental Assurance Company was established in 1880. The General

insurance business in India, on the other hand, can trace its roots to Triton
Insurance Company Limited, the first general insurance company established
in the year 1850 in Calcutta by the British. Till the end of the nineteenth
century insurance business was almost entirely in the hands of overseas
companies.

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
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

10
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.

1928: The Indian Insurance Companies Act enacted to enable the

government to collect statistical information about both life and non-life
insurance businesses.

1938: Earlier legislation consolidated and amended by the Insurance Act

with the objective of protecting the interests of the insuring public.

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.

11
The other decision taken simultaneously to provide the supporting systems
to the insurance sector and in particular the life insurance companies was the
launch of the IRDA online service for issue and renewal of licenses to agents.
The approval of institutions for imparting training to agents has also ensured
that the insurance companies would have a trained workforce of insurance
agents in place to sell their products.

PRESENT SCENARIO - LIFE INSURANCE INDUSTRY IN INDIA

The life insurance industry in India grew by an impressive 47.38%, with

premium income at Rs. 1560.41 billion during the fiscal year 2006-2007.
Though the total volume of LIC's business increased in the last fiscal year
(2006-2007) compared to the previous one, its market share came down
from 85.75% to 81.91%.

The 17 private insurers increased their market share from about 15% to
about 19% in a year's time. The figures for the first two months of the fiscal
year 2007-08 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.

Since the opening up of the insurance sector in 1999, foreign investments of

Rs. 8.7 billion have poured into the Indian market and 19 private life
insurance companies have been granted licenses.

Innovative products, smart marketing, and aggressive distribution have

enabled fledgling private insurance companies to sign up Indian customers

12
faster than anyone expected. Indians, who had always seen life insurance as
a tax saving device, are now suddenly turning to the private sector and
snapping up the new innovative products on offer. Some of these products
include investment plans with insurance and good returns (unit linked plans),
multi – purpose insurance plans, pension plans, child plans and money back
plans. (www.wikipedia.com)

CHAPTER II

RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY.

13
 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

“Study Of Consumer Awareness With Special Reference To HDFC

SLIC”

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

14
TYPE OF DATA COLLECTED

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.
(Source: Research Methodology, By C. R. Kothari)

PRIMARY SOURCES

These include the survey or questionnaire method, telephonic interview as

well as the personal interview methods of data collection.

SAMPLING

Sampling refers to the method of selecting a sample from a given universe

with a view to draw conclusions about that universe. A sample is a

representative of the universe selected for study.

SAMPLE SIZE
The sample size for the survey conducted was 270 respondents. This

sample size was taken on 95% confidence level and 6 significant level. Data

universe for this sample is 10,00,000 which is approx population of Nagpur

excluding people below age of 18 years.

SAMPLING TECHNIQUE

Random sampling technique was used in the survey conducted.

SECONDARY SOURCES

These include books, the internet, company brochures, product brochures,

the company website, competitor’s websites etc, newspaper articles etc.

15
 PLAN OF ANALYSIS

Tables were used for the analysis of the collected data. The data is also
neatly presented with the help of statistical tools such as graphs and pie
charts. Percentages and averages have also been used to represent data
clearly and effectively.

CHAPTER III

COMPANY PROFILE
OF

16
HDFC STANDARD
LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY LTD.

17
 HDFC STANDARD LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
LIMITED

INTRODUCTION
HDFC Incorporated in 1977 with a share capital of Rs 10 Crores, HDFC has
since emerged as the largest residential mortgage finance institution in the
country. The corporation has had a series of share issues raising its capital to
Rs. 119 Crores. The gross premium income for the year ending March 31,
2007 stood at Rs. 2,856 Crores and new business premium income at Rs.
1,624 Crores. The company has covered over 8,77,000 lives year ending
March 31, 2007.

HDFC operates through almost 450 locations throughout the country with its
corporate head quarters in Mumbai, India. HDFC also has an International
Office in Dubai, UAE with service associates in Kuwait, Oman and Qatar.
HDFC is the largest housing company in India for the last 27 years.

SNAPSHOT-I
• Incorporated in 1977 as the first specialized Mortgage Company in
India.
• Almost 90% of initial shareholding in the hands of domestic institutes
and retail investors. Current 77% of shares held by foreign institutional
investors.
• Besides the core business of mortgage HDFC has evolved into a
financial conglomerate with holdings In:
 HDFC Standard Life insurance Company- HDFC holds 78.07 %.
 HDFC Asset Management Company – HDFC holds 50.1%
 HDFC Bank- HDFC holds 22.25%.
 Intel net Global (Business Process Outsourcing) – HDFC holds 50%.

18
 HDFC Chubb General Insurance Company – HDFC holds 74%.

19
 SNAPSHOT-II
• Loan Approvals Rs. 805 billion.
(up to Dec 2007) (US $ 18.30 bn.)
• Loan Disbursements Rs.669 billion
(up to Dec. 2007) (US $ 15.20 bn)
• Housing Units Financed 2.5 million.
• Distribution
 Offices 181
 Outreach Programs 90

KEY PLAYERS

Mr. Deepak S Parekh is the Chairman of the Company. He is also the

Executive Chairman of Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited
(HDFC Limited). He joined HDFC Limited in a senior management position in
1978. He was inducted as a whole-time director of HDFC Limited in 1985 and
was appointed as its Executive Chairman in 1993. He is the Chief Executive
Officer of HDFC Limited. Mr. Parekh is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered
Accountants (England & Wales).

Mr. Deepak M Satwalekar is the Managing Director and CEO of the

Company since November, 2000. Prior to this, he was the Managing Director
of HDFC Limited since 1993. Mr. Satwalekar obtained a Bachelors Degree in
Technology from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay and a Masters
Degree in Business Administration from The American University, Washington
DC.

20
 GROUP COMPANIES

HDFC Bank: World Class Indian Bank- among the top private banks in India.

HDFC AMC: One of the top 3 AMCs in India- Preferred investment manager.

Intelenet Global: BPO services for international customers.

CIBIL: Credit Information Bureau India Limited.

HDFC Chubb: Upcoming Private companies in the field of General Insurance.

HDFC Mutual Fund

HDFC reality.com: Helps to search properties in all major cities in India

HDFC securities

STANDARD LIFE
Standard Life is Europe’s largest mutual life assurance company. Standard
Life, which has been in the life insurance business for the past 175 years is a
modern company surviving quite a few changes since selling its first policy in
1825. The company expanded in the 19th century from kits original Edinburgh
premises, opening offices in other towns and acquitting other similar
businesses.

21
Standard Life Currently has assets exceeding over £ 70 billion under its
management and has the distinction of being accorded “AAA” rating
consequently for the six years by Standard and Poor.

SNAPSHOT

• Founded in 1875, company supporting generation for last 179 years.

• Currently over 5 million Policy holders benefiting from the services
offered.
• Europe’s largest mutual life insurer.

JOINT VENTURE

HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company Limited was one of the first
companies to be granted license by the IRDA to operate in life insurance
sector. Reach of the JV player is highly rated and been conferred with many
awards. HDFC is rated ‘AAA ’ by both CRISIL and ICRA. Similarly, Standard
Life is rated ‘AAA’ both by Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s. These reflect
the efficiency with which HDFC and Standard Life manage their asset base of
Rs. 15,000 Cr and Rs. 600,000 Cr. respectively.

HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company Ltd was incorporated on 14th August
2000. HDFC is the majority stakeholder in the insurance JV with 81.4% staple
and Standard of as a staple 18.6% Mr. Deepak Satwalekar is the MD and
CEO of the venture.
HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company Ltd. Is one of India’s leading Private
Life Insurance Companies, which offers a range of individual and group
insurance solutions. It is a joint venture between Housing Development
Finance Corporation Limited (HDFC Ltd.) India’s leading housing finance
institution and the Standard Life Assurance Company, a leading provider of
financial services from the United Kingdom. Both the promoters are will

22
known for their ethical dealings and financial strength and are thus
committed to being a long-term player in the life insurance industry- all
important factors to consider when choosing your insurer.

BUSINESS GROWTH
Track Record so far
The gross premium income of HDFC, for the year ending March 31, 2007
stood at Rs. 2,856 crores and new business premium income at Rs. 1,624
crores.

The company has covered over 8,77,000 lives year ending March 31, 2007.
Company also declared our 5th consecutive bonus in as many years for our
‘with profit’ policyholders.

KEY STRENGTH

Financial Expertise
As a joint venture of leading financial services groups. HDFC standard Life
has the financial expertise required to manage long-term investments safely
and efficiently.

Range of Solutions
HDFC SLIC has a range of individual and group solutions, which can be easily
customized to specific needs. These group solutions have been designed to
offer complete flexibility combined with a low charging structure.

Strong Ethical Values:

HDFC SLIC is an ethical and Cultural Organization. False selling or false
commitment with the customers is not allowed.

23
Most respected Private Insurance Company
HDFC SLIC was awarded No-1 Private Insurance Company in 2004 by the
World Class Magazine Business World for Integrity, Innovation and Customer
Care.

CORPORATE OBJECTIVE

Vision

'The most successful and admired life insurance company, which means that
we are the most trusted company, the easiest to deal with, offer the best
value for money, and set the standards in the industry'.

'The most obvious choice for all'.

Values

.Integrity
.Innovation
.Customer centric
.People Care One for all
.Teamwork
.Joy and Simplicity

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

The right investment strategies won't just help plan for a more comfortable
tomorrow -- they will help you get “Sar Utha ke Jiyo”. At HDFC SLIC, life
insurance plans are created keeping in mind the changing needs of family. Its
life insurance plans are designed to provide you with flexible options that
meet both protection and savings needs. It offers a full range of transparent,
flexible and value for money products. HDFC SLIC products are modern and
contemporary unitized products that offer unique customer benefits like

24
flexibility to choose cover levels, indexation and partial withdrawals. (Source:
www.hdfcslic.com)

PLANS THAT ARE OFFERED BY HDFC STANDARDS LIFE

INSURANCE

Individual Products

Protection Plans
A person can protect his family against the loss of his income or the
burden of a loan in the event of his unfortunate demise, disability or
sickness. These plans offer valuable peace of mind at a small price.
Protection range includes our Term Assurance Plan & Loan Cover
Term Assurance Plan.

Investment Plans

HDFC SLIC’s Single Premium Whole of Life plan is well suited to meet
long term investment needs. This provides attractive long term returns
through regular bonuses.

Pension Plans
Pension Plans help to secure financial independence even after
retirement. Pension range includes Personal Pension Plan, Unit Linked
Pension, Unit Linked Pension Plus.

Savings Plans

Savings Plans offer a flexible option to build savings for future needs such
as buying a dream home or fulfilling your children’s immediate and future
needs.

Savings range includes Endowment Assurance Plan, Unit Linked

Endowment, Unit Linked Endowment Plus, Unit Linked Endowment
Plus II, Money Back,

25
 Unit Linked Enhanced Life Protection II, Children's Plan, Unit
Linked Young Star, Unit Linked Young Star Plus, Unit Linked
Young Star Plus II.

Group Products

One-stop shop for employee-benefit solutions

HDFC Standard Life has the most comprehensive list of products for
progressive employers who wish to provide the best and most innovative
employee benefit solutions to their employees. It offers different products for
different needs of employers ranging from term insurance plans for pure
protection to voluntary plans such as superannuation and leave encashment.
HDFC SLIC offers the following group products to esteemed corporate clients:

Group Term Insurance

Group Variable Term Insurance
Group Unit-Linked Plan

An investment solution that provides funding vehicle to manage

corpuses with Gratuity, Defined Benefit or Defined Contribution
Superannuation or Leave Encashment schemes of your company
Also suitable for other employee benefit schemes such as salary saving
schemes and wealth management schemes

Social Product

Development Insurance Plan

Development Insurance plan is an insurance plan which provides life cover to

26
members of a Development Agency for a term of one year. On the death of any
member of the group insured during the year of cover, a lump sum is paid to those
member beneficiaries to help meet some of the immediate financial needs
following their loss.

Eligibility

Members of the development agency and their spouses with:

- Minimum age at the start of the policy 18 years last birthday
- Maximum age at the start of policy 50 years last birthday
Employees of the Development Agency are not eligible to join the group. The
group to be covered is only eligible if it contains more than 500 members.

Premium Payments
The premium to be paid will be quoted per member in the group and will be the
same for all members of the group.
The premium can only be paid by the Development Agency as a single lump sum
that includes all premiums for the group to be covered. Cover will not start until
the premium and all the member information in our specified format has been
received.

Benefits
On the death of each member covered by the policy during the year of cover a
lump sum equal to the sum assured will be paid to their beneficiaries or legal
heirs. Where the death is as a result of an accident, an additional lump sum will
be paid equal to half the sum assured. There are no benefits paid at the end of
the year of cover and there is no surrender value available at any time.

The role of the Development Agency

Due to the nature of the groups covered, HDFC Standard Life will be passing
certain administrative tasks onto the Development Agency. By passing on these
tasks the premium charged can be lower. These tasks would include:
Submission of member data in a specified computer format
Collection of premiums from group members

27
 Recording changes in the details of group members
Disbursement of claim payments and the mortality rebate (if any) to group
members
These tasks would be in addition to the usual duties of a policyholder such as:
Payment of premiums
Reporting of claims
Keeping policy holder information up to date
Training and support will be available to give guidance on how to complete the
tasks appropriately. Since these additional tasks will impose a burden on the
Development Agency, the Development Agency may charge a Rs. 10
administration fee to their members.

Prohibition of rebates
Section 41 of the Insurance Act, 1938 states
No person shall allow or offer to allow, either directly or indirectly, as an
inducement to any person to take out or renew or continue an insurance in
respect of any kind of risk relating to lives or property in India, any rebate of the
whole or part of the commission payable or any rebate of the premium shown
on the policy, nor shall any person taking out or renewing or continuing a policy
accept any rebate, except such rebate as may be allowed in accordance with
the published prospectus or tables of the insurer
If any person fails to comply with sub regulation (previous point) above, he shall
be liable to payment of a fine which may extend to rupees five hundred

INTROUCTION TO UNIT LINKED FUNDS

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 plans
have multiple benefits like life protection, rider protection, savings,
transparency, investment choices, liquidity and planning for taxes. These plans
work like mutual funds.

The premium is collected from the policy holder. He is allotted a certain number

28
of units based of his contribution. The Net Asset Value is the value of each unit
of the fund. It is found by subtracting the charges and current liabilities from the
current assets and investments and dividing this number by the total number of
outstanding units.

Let us take an example. There are 100 investors and each invests Rs. 10 in a
fund. The total value of the fund is Rs. 1000 and each person is allotted 1 unit of
Rs 10. Now the money (Rs. 1000) is invested in the debt or equity market.
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.

UNIT LINKED VERSUS OTHER FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

Parameters RBI Bonds Fixed Mutual Funds Unit linked

Deposits
Safety High High Medium High

Liquidity None High High High

Returns Low Low High High

Life Cover 1 time 1 time 1 time 10 times

amount amount amount
Tax benefits Tax free Taxed Taxed Tax free

We find that life insurance unit linked plans is a good area to invest money in as
it provides liquidity, safety, high returns, life cover and tax benefits in a single
plan. HDFC SLIC offers the option of indexation to beat inflation. Risk is reduced
to a large extent as the company invests in a diversified portfolio of stocks.

29
 Tax Benefits

INCOME TAX GROSS HOW MUCH HDFC STANDARD

SECTION ANNUAL TAX CAN YOU LIFE PLANS
SALARY SAVE?

Sec. 80C Across All income Upto Rs. 33,990 All the life insurance
Slabs saved on plans.
investment of
Rs. 1,00,000.

Sec. 80 CCC Across all income Upto Rs. 33,990 All the pension plans.
slabs. saved on
Investment of
Rs.1,00,000.

Sec. 80 D Across all income Upto Rs. 3,399 All the health
slabs saved on insurance riders
Investment of available with the
Rs. 10,000. conventional plans.

TOTAL SAVINGS
Rs37,389
POSSIBLE
Rs. 33,990 under Sec. 80C and under Sec. 80 CCC , Rs.3,399
under Sec. 80 D, calculated for a male with gross annual
income
exceeding Rs. 10,00,000.

Sec. 10 (10)D Under Sec. 10(10D), the benefits you receive are completely
tax-free, subject to the conditions laid down therein.

30
 CHAPTER III

CHALLENGES FACED
IN INSURANCE
MARKETING

31
 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.

Some of the main problems in marketing the policies are:

 Large amount of competition (18 players in the market)

 Other brands are well advertised and have higher recall value

 LIC is considered a safer option

 Face competition from banks and mutual funds

 High premium policies are difficult to market

 Incorrect perception about insurance

 Interested prospects might have a lack of time and postpone

investments

 Customers get defensive if you cold call

 Short term plans are available only at large premium

 Customers do not have risk appetite to invest in shares

 Some prospects have already invested and are not interested in

further investments

 Consumers don’t want to undertake medical examinations

 Large amount of documentation

32
  Customers do not like their money locked up for many years

 Lack of awareness about the unit linked funds in the market

 No money back plan present in the product portfolio

SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT

 Advertise about the company and its products – it motivates

individuals to purchase insurance

 Create a positive perception about insurance

 Speak about the good features a plan offers like high returns, life

cover, tax benefits, indexation, accident cover while prospecting

customers

 Try to sell the product/plan which the consumer requires and not the

plan where the advisors benefit is higher

 Improve the efficiency in operations

 Bring out policies with small premiums payable for short periods of

time – Rs. 5000 – Rs. 10000 per annum for 10 years

 Attract the youth of India with higher returns on investment as returns

are the motivating factor which influence purchase of insurance

 Promote insurance in colleges and corporate houses

 Promote HDFC SLIC as an Indian Company to build trust

 HDFC SLIC could have a brand ambassador or a mascot to promote its

services

 Should have partial withdrawals from the first year onwards

 Tap the rural market where there is large potential

33
 Diversify product portfolio

 Make products more straight forward – reduce complexities

CHAPTER IV

ANALYSIS

&

INTERPRETATION

34
 ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION
“A SURVEY ON THE LIFE INSURANCE INDUSTRY IN INDIA”

AGE GROUP OF SURVEYED RESPONDENTS

TABLE 1:

Age group No. of Respondents

18 - 25 years 127
26 - 35 years 67
36 - 49 years 46
50 - 60 years 24
More than 60 years 6

CHART 1:

35
Analysis:
From the chart above we find that 47% of the respondents fall in the age
group of 18 – 25 years, 25% fall in the age group of 26 – 35 years and 17%
fall in the age group of 36 – 49 years.

Therefore most of the respondents are relatively young (below 26 years of

age). These individuals could be induced to purchase insurance plans on the
basis of its tax saving nature and as an investment opportunity with high
returns.

Individuals at this age are trying to buy a house or a car. Insurance could
help them with this and this fact has to be conveyed to the consumer. As of
now many consumers have a false perception that insurance is only meant
for people above the age of 50. Contrary to popular belief the younger you
are the more insurance you need as your loss will mean a great financial loss
to your family, spouse and children (in case the individual is married) who
are financially dependent on you.

GENDER CLASSIFICATION OF SURVEYED RESPONDENTS

36
TABLE 2:

Particulars No. of Respondents

Male 193
Female 77

CHART 2:

CUSTOMER PROFILE OF SURVEYED RESPONDENTS

TABLE 3:

Customer profile No. of respondents

Student 62
Housewife 5
Working Professional 116
Business 49
Self Employed 24
Government service employee 14

37
CHART 3:

Analysis:
From the chart above it can clearly be seen that 43% of the respondents are
working professionals, 23% are students and 18% are into business.
Therefore the target market would be working individuals in the age group of
18 – 25 years having surplus income, interested in good returns on their
investment and saving income tax.

NO. OF RESPONDENTS WHO HAVE LIFE INSURANCE POLICY IN THEIR

NAME
TABLE 4:
Person who have life insurance policy
Yes 103
No 167

38
CHART 4:

ANALYSIS:
This graph shows that out of total 270 respondents only 103 or 38%
respondents have life insurance policy in their name. Rest all don’t have a
single policy in their name. So there is a very big scope for life insurance
companies to cover these people. So in future business of life insurace will
gro further.

MARKET SHARE OF LIFE INSURANCE COMPANIES

TABLE 5:

LIFE INSURER NUMBER OF POLICIES

HDFC STANDARD LIFE 4
BIRLA SUN LIFE 3
AVIVA LIFE INSURANCE 6
BAJAJ ALLIANZ 7
LIC 55
TATA AIG 6
ICICI PRUDENTIAL 12
ING VYSYA 6
BHARTI AXA 2
OTHERS 2

39
CHART 5:

Analysis:
In India, the largest life insurance company is Life Insurance Corporation of
India. It has been in existence in India since 1956 and is completely owned
by the Government of India. Today the organization has grown to 2048
offices serving 18 crore policies and has a corpus of over 340000 crore INR.

40
 ANNUAL PREMIUM PAID BY INDIVIDUALS FOR LIFE INSURANCE

TABLE 6:

Premium paid (p.a.) No. of respondents

Rs. 5000 - Rs. 10000 40

Rs. 10001 - Rs. 15000 26

Rs. 15001 - Rs. 24900 18

Rs. 25000 - Rs. 50000 10

Rs. 50001 - Rs. 60000 4

Rs.60001 - Rs. 80000 2

Rs. 80001 - Rs. 100000 3

CHART 6:

ANNUAL PREMIUM PAID BY INDIVIDUALS FOR LIFE INSURANCE

Analysis:

41
From the chart above we find that, 39% of the respondents surveyed pay an
annual premium less than Rs. 10001 towards life insurance. 25% of the
respondents pay an annual premium less than Rs. 15001 and 17% pay an
annual premium less than Rs. 25000. Hence we can safely say that HDFC
SLIC would be able to capture the market better if it introduced
products/plans where the minimum premium starts at Rs. 5000 per annum.
Only 19% of the respondents pay more than Rs. 25000 as premium and most
products sold by HDFC SLIC have Rs.12000 as the minimum annual premium
amount. They should introduce more products like Easy Life Plus and Safe
Guard where the minimum premium is Rs.6000 p.a. and Rs. 12000 p.a.
respectively. This would definitely increase their market share as more
individuals would be able to afford the policies/plans offered.

POPULAR LIFE INSURANCE PLANS

TABLE 7:

Type of Plan No. of Respondents

Term Insurance Plans 105
Endowment Plans 122
Pension Plans 16
Child Plans 8
Tax Saving Plans 19

42
CHART 7:

POPULAR LIFE INSURANCE PLANS

Analysis:
From the chart given above we can clearly see that 45% of the respondents
hold endowment plans and 39% of the respondents hold term insurance
plans. Endowment plans are very popular and serve two purposes – life cover
and savings.
If the policy holder dies during the policy term the nominee gets the death
benefit that is, sum assured and accumulated bonus. On survival the policy
holder receives the survival benefit with a bonus.

A term plan is a pure risk cover plan wherein the insured pays a lower
premium for a higher sum assured. Term insurance is the cheapest form of
insurance and helps the policy holder insure himself for a relatively low
premium. For the returns sensitive investor term plans do not find favor as
they do not offer a return in case the individual does not die during the policy
term.

43
 AWARENESS OF UNIT LINKED INSURANCE PLANS

TABLE 8:

Awareness of Unit Linked Plans No. of Respondents

Yes 154
No 116

CHART 8:

AWARENESS OF UNIT LINKED INSURANCE PLANS

Analysis:
From the chart given above we find that 57% of the respondents are aware
of unit linked life insurance plans and 43% are not aware of such plans.
These plans should be promoted through advertising. The company can
advertise through television, radio, newspapers, bill boards and pamphlets.
This would increase awareness and arouse curiosity in the minds of the
consumer which would enable the company to market its products more
effectively.

Unit – linked plans are those where the benefits are expressed in terms of
number of units and unit price. They can be viewed as a combination of

44
insurance and mutual funds. The number of units a customer would get
would depend on the unit price when they pay the premium.

When the policy matures the individual gets his fund value. The value of his
fund is calculated by multiplying the net asset value and number of units
held by them on that day.

CONSUMER WILLINGNESS TO SPEND ON LIFE INSURANCE PREMIUM

TABLE 9:

Willingness to spend on premium No. of respondents Percentage

Less than Rs. 6,000 41 15%

Rs. 6,001 - Rs. 10,000 73 27%

Rs. 10,001 - Rs. 25,000 110 41%

Rs. 25,001 - Rs. 50,000 41 15%

Rs. 50,001 - Rs. 1,00,000 5 2%

CHART 9:

CONSUMER WILLINGNESS TO SPEND ON LIFE INSURANCE PREMIUM

45
Analysis:
From the graph above, we can clearly see that 41% of the respondents would
be willing to spend between Rs. 10001 – Rs. 25000 for life insurance. 27 %
would be willing to spend between Rs. 6001 – Rs. 10000 per annum. Only
15% would be willing to spend more than Rs. 25000 per annum as life
insurance premium.

We could say that the maximum premium payable by most consumers is less
than Rs. 25000 p.a. This is further reduced as most customers have already
invested with LIC, ICICI Prudential, Birla Sun Life, Bajaj Allianz etc.

HDFC SLIC is faced with a large amount of competition. There are 18

insurance companies in India inclusive of LIC. Hence to capture a larger part
of the market the company could introduce more reasonable plans with
lesser premium payable per annum.

CHART SHOWING IDEAL POLICY TERM

TABLE 10:

Ideal policy term No. of respondents

3 - 5 years 51
6 - 9 years 41
10 - 15 years 95

46
 16 - 20 years 38
21 - 25 years 24
26 - 30 years 5
More than 30 years 3
Whole life Policy 13

CHART 10:

CHART SHOWING IDEAL POLICY TERM

Analysis:
From the chart given above it can be seen that 35% of the respondents
prefer a policy term of 10 – 15 years, 19% prefer a term of 3 – 5 years and
15% prefer a term of 6 – 9 years. This means that HDFC SLIC could introduce
more plans wherein the premium paying term is less than 15 years.

47
The outlook of insurance as a product should be changed from something
which you pay for your whole life (whole life policy) and do not receive any
benefit (the nominee only receives the benefit in case of your death) to an
extremely useful investment opportunity with the prospects of good returns
on savings, tax saving opportunities as well as providing for every milestone
in your life like marriage, education, children and retirement.

FACTORS THAT MOTIVATE RESPONDENTS TO PURCHASE INSURANCE

TABLE 11:

Parameter No. of Respondents

Advertisements 35
High returns 84
Advice from friends 46
Family responsibilities 89
Others 16

CHART 11:

Analysis:

48
From the chart above it can be seen that 33% of the respondents purchase
life insurance to secure their families, 33% take life insurance to get high
returns, 17% purchase insurance on the advice of their friends and 13%
purchase insurance because of the influence of advertisements.

The main purpose of insurance is to cover the financial or economic loss that
occurs to the family in case of the uncertain death of the policy holder. But
now a days this trend is changing. Along with protection (life cover), a
savings element is being added to insurance.

With the introduction of the new unit linked plans in the market, policy
holders get the option to choose where their money will be invested. They
can invest their money in the equity market, debt market, money market or a
combination of these. The debt and money markets usually have low risk
attached whereas the equity market is a high risk investment option.

PREFERRED COMPANY TYPE OF THE RESPONDENTS

TABLE 12:

Type of Company No. of Respondents Percentage

Government Owned Company 127 47%

Public Limited Company 62 23%

Private Company 49 18%

Foreign Company 32 12%

CHART 12:
PREFERRED COMPANY TYPE OF THE RESPONDENTS

49
Analysis:
From the graph above we find that 60% of the respondents preferred to
purchase insurance from a government owned company, 29% of the
respondents preferred to purchase insurance from a public limited company
and only 4% of the respondents preferred a foreign based company. Heavy
advertising through television, newspapers, magazines and radio is required.

MINIMUM EXPECTED RETURN ON INVESTMENT

TABLE 13:

Expected Returns No. of respondents

Less than 5% 5
5% - 10% 39
11% - 15% 46
16% - 20% 49
21% - 25% 46
26% - 30% 27
31% - 40% 22
41% - 50% 14
More than 50% 22

CHART 13:

50
Analysis:
From the chart above it can clearly been seen that 18% of the respondents
would like 16 – 20% returns, 17% would like returns between 21 – 25% and
17% would like returns of 11 – 15% on their investments. Therefore the
average return on investment should be at least 16 – 20 %.

Most consumers are willing to adapt to some amount of risk but still want
some guaranteed returns. Therefore the bulk of investment should be made
in the balanced fund with 50% debt and 50% equity. The returns on the
Secure Fund are guaranteed as these involve investment is government
securities and the debt market. But the returns on these instruments are low
(8 – 10%). If the company invests in shares, returns are higher (39%) but
correspondingly risk borne by the policy holder is also higher. Therefore a
good combination of the two instruments is often a wise choice.

51
 CHAPTER V

FUTURE LINE OF

RESEARCH

52
53
 FUTURE LINE OF RESEARCH

The future topics for research in the organization could be setting up of an

appropriate ad campaign. It is very vital to the companies’ success that the
people of India know about HDFC SLIC, its products and their special features
and how insurance in general can help them in their future. The
advertisements have to be emotionally appealing. They might also include a
celebrity. The brand name of HDFC could be used to give a push to HDFC
SLIC and its products. The general perception of insurance as “inauspicious”
should be done away with and individuals and corporations accept insurance
on power with other investment opportunities.

The other area of research could be in the management of funds HDFC SLIC
possesses and how it can maximize returns for its investors. A research
project could be undertaken on how to ensure that the money gets invested
in the right companies and earns a medium – high return on investment.
Another area of research could be an analysis of the sales and marketing
techniques used by HDFC SLIC. A large number of changes could be
introduced and this would help in saving operating costs and improving the
efficiency of the firm.

54
CHAPTER VI

CONCLUSION

55
 CONCLUSION

HDFC standard life insurance is first life insurance Company in India. It has
businesses spread out across the globe. It was registered on 23rd December
2000. It currently ranks number 4 amongst the insurers in India (Source:
annual premium provided by the company)

The company faces a large amount of competition. To sustain itself it must

promote its products through advertising and improve its selling techniques.
Consumers must be aware of the new plans available at HDFC SLIC. 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.

The unit linked concept must be specifically promoted. The general

perception of life insurance has to change in India before progress is made in
this field. People should not be afraid to invest money in insurance and must
use it as an effective tool for tax planning and long term savings.

HDFC SLIC 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. Individuals below the age of 30 (mostly male) were interested in
investment plans. This was a general conclusion drawn during prospecting
clients.

56
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

www.hdfcslic.com

www.tata-aig-life.com

www.irdaindia.com

www.lic.com

www.money control.com

www.bajajallianz.com

www.icici.prulife.com

Magazine –

Insurance World

The Outlook Money

Secrets of Successful Insurance Sales by Mr. Jack Kinder

57
 A SURVEY ON ‘INSURANCE INDUSTRY’

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am a student of Dr. Ambedkar Institute of Management studies and

research Nagpur. As part of the requirements for my Graduation in
Management I am required to do a research based project. Kindly spend a
few minutes of your valuable time and fill in this questionnaire.

 Do you have a life insurance

policy/investment plan in your name?

o Yes o No

 If yes which company’s insurance

policies do you hold?
o Aviva Life
o HDFC Standard Insurance
Life Insurance o Bajaj Allianz Life
o Birla Sun Life Insurance
Insurance o LIC
o Tata AIG Life o ING Vysya Life
Insurance Insurance
o ICICI Prudential o Bharti Axa Life
Life Insurance Insurance
o Others (specify name)

 What is the approximate premium paid

by you annually (in Rupees)?

o Rs. 5,000 – Rs. o Rs. 50,001 – Rs.

10,000 60,000
o Rs. 10,001 – Rs. o Rs. 60,001 – Rs.
15,000 80,000
o Rs. 15,001 – Rs. o Rs. 80,001 – Rs.
25,000 1,00,000
o Rs. 25,001 – Rs.
50,000
o More than Rs. 1,00,000 (specify premium)

 What kind of insurance policy

would suit you best in your
current stage of life?
o Life Insurance

58
o Life Insurance o Pension Plans
and Investment
Plans

59
o Child Plans
o Tax saving plans

 Are you aware of the new unit

linked insurance plans in the
market?

o Yes o No

 How much would you be willing to

spend per annum if you were to go
for an investment/insurance plan?

o Less than Rs. o Rs. 25,001 – Rs.

6,000 50,000
o Rs. 6,001 – Rs. o Rs. 50,000 – Rs.
10,000 1,00,000
o Rs. 10,001 – Rs. o More than Rs.
25,000 1,00,000
 Which according to you is an ideal
policy term? (Number of years you
would be willing to pay premium)

o 3 to 5 years o 21 to 25 years
o 6 to 9 years o 26 to 30 years
o 10 to 15 years o More than 30
o 16 to 20 years years
o Whole life policy

 What motivates you to purchase

insurance/investment plans?

o Advertisements o Advice from

o High Returns friends
o Family
responsibilities
o Others (specify)

 In which kind of company would

you prefer to make a purchase of
insurance?

o Government o Public Limited

owned Company
company

60
 o Private o Foreign based
Company company

 Typically what kind of returns

would you look at from your
investments? (Please note: Higher
returns involve greater risk)

o Less than 5% o 21% - 25%

o 6% - 10 % o 26% - 30%
o 11% - 15 % o 31% - 40%
o 16% - 20 % o 41% - 50%
o More than 50%

Personal Details:

Name:

Address:

Age: Contact No. :

Profile of
respondent:
• Student • Business
• Housewife • Self – Employed
• Working • Government
Professional Service
Employee

Date:

61