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Transparency turning into premium item in Indian insurance sector?

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 Mixed views were expressed by insurance industry experts on the sectoral regulators recent decisions of permitting non-life insurers, foreign reinsurer branches (FRB) and Lloyd’s India not to disclose their underwriting performance or NL 40 statement to the public.

Similarly, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has also said foreign reinsurer branches (FRB) and Lloyd’s India need not publish their half yearly and annual accounts, analytical ratios in newspapers.

According to IRDAI, it has received representations on rationalisation of regulatory compliance needs and has taken action on them.

Transparency is turning into a premium item in the Indian insurance sector is one view while the contrary view is that wisdom has dawned on IRDAI albeit late.

“Any rationalisation is good. But transparency is important,” K.K. Srinivasan, former Member (Non-Life), IRDAI told IANS.

“Discontinuing uploading NL 40 appears to be a retrograde step in this era of transparency,” Srinivasan added.

On the IRDAI actions relating to FRBs and Lloyd’s India he added: “As long as FRB’s (including Lloyds) continue to upload their half yearly and annual revenue accounts, profit and loss accounts, balance sheets and key ratios on their website truthfully this purpose will perhaps be adequately be served. There should be severe penalties if the financials uploaded in the website are found to be false or misleading.”

On the other hand P.S. Prabhakar, Senior Partner of the accounting firm Rajagopal & Badrinarayanan and a former insurance industry official wholeheartedly welcomed the IRDAI’s moves.

“I wholeheartedly welcome such easing of restrictions which should not have been put in the first place,” Prabhakar.

“It is a good mindset change for IRDAI that has been hitherto only a trigger-happy regulator and has always irritated the insurers or FRBs (though none of them would have the courage to make this charge openly!) to give needless info and to make disclosures that could jeopardise the business interests in this competitive scenario. Wisdom dawns albeit late!” he said.

According to him, financial information of insurers is anyway published.

Prabhakar argues that insurers need not put their underwriting business strategies and sensitive information as to where they are doing reinsurance, the terms.

“Insurance has always involved public money. No one questioned the public sector insurance companies when they were frugal in disseminating even mandatory information in the pre IRDAI days,” Prabhakar said.

The IRDAI has also exempted FRBs and Lloyd’s India having a policy of not investing in Indian equities but invest only in government securities and debt markets from disclosing to the public their investment.

“Insurers do need data on FRBs and the reason why exemptions in disclosures are granted needs examination, especially on NL 40 and investments,” D.D. Singh, retired Member of IRDAI.

According to Srinivasan, the least transparent in the sector are the insurance intermediaries who are perhaps not even required to upload their financials on their website.

“That should be insisted upon,” Srinivasan said.

As regards ease of doing business, insurance officials have told IANS that the regulator should look at its process of approving new insurance products.

Curiously instead of looking at those items, the IRDAI has exempted the general and reinsurers from disclosure norms.

Business

New TVS Apache RR 310 Hits Indian Market at Rs 2.75 Lakh: All You Need to Know

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TVS has introduced the 2024 edition of its flagship Apache RR 310 in India, starting at Rs 2.75 lakh (ex-showroom). The updated model brings several enhancements, including segment-first aerodynamic winglets integrated into the side fairing, aimed at improving stability and performance.

The latest version of the TVS Apache RR 310 comes with a starting price of Rs 2.75 lakh (ex-showroom) for the Racing Red model. However, this variant does not include the bi-directional quick-shifter. For those looking to add this feature, it will cost approximately Rs 17,000 extra. The 2024 lineup also introduces a new Bomber Grey color option, priced at Rs 2.97 lakh (ex-showroom), offering a stylish and performance-focused upgrade.

The 2024 TVS Apache RR 310 retains its 312cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine with a 6-speed gearbox, but now offers improved performance. The updated model produces 37 bhp at 9,800 rpm and 29 Nm of torque at 7,900 rpm. TVS also claims that it accelerates faster than before, shaving 0.43 seconds off its 0-100 km/h time, making it a more exciting choice for riders looking for speed and agility.

The 2024 TVS Apache RR 310 keeps its familiar trellis frame, supported by upside-down front forks and a rear monoshock for improved handling. Braking is handled by disc brakes. It also comes with a 5-inch TFT display that offers Bluetooth connectivity and navigation.

The updated electronics package includes new features like tyre pressure monitoring, cornering ABS, traction control, and cruise control. While the overall design remains similar, it gets refreshed decals and is available in three colours: Bomber Grey, Racing Red, and Race Replica.

TVS has introduced two performance kits for the new Apache RR 310: the Dynamic kit, priced at Rs 18,000, and the Dynamic Pro kit at Rs 16,000. The Dynamic kit enhances the bike’s handling with fully adjustable suspension, a tyre pressure monitoring system, and a brass-coated drive chain. The Dynamic Pro kit, meanwhile, focuses on safety and stability, offering race-tuned dynamic stability control for better on-road performance. These upgrades allow riders to customize their experience for both performance and safety.

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Business

Jio network down: users are facing problems

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Some Jio users in Mumbai are experiencing network outages, causing the issue to trend on Twitter. According to reports on social media, the disruptions have affected specific areas in the city. One user claimed that the Reliance Jio IDC Data Centre caught fire, potentially causing service interruptions. The user tweeted, “Reliance Jio IDC Data Centre caught fire, some services down due to that.

The network of Reliance Jio, one of the leading telecom companies in India, has been down for the last 1 hour. So users are facing a lot of problems. Many have posted about this on social media and tagged Reliance Jio. Reliance Jio network is down since last 1 hour.

Due to this, many works of Jio users have been stopped. A user posted on X and informed that the Jio service has been shut down due to a fire in the IDC (data center). Repair work is going on here. The network will be restored soon. But Reliance Jio has not given any official information about this yet. Therefore, users are asking when the network will be restored.

Reliance Jio service has been discontinued. Most of the users have no signal in their mobiles. 20 percent reported internet connectivity disruption on Down detector. 14 percent people are facing problems in running Jio fiber. Reliance Jio’s website is also not working properly and users are unable to access the Jio app.

There are more than 10 thousand complaints on Downdetector around 12 noon. More outage issues have been reported from cities like Delhi, Lucknow and Mumbai. Users across the country are complaining about Jio service being down. Jio on X is also trending down. People are sharing memes for Jio.

Reliance Jio services have once again been suspended in many parts of the country. Today i.e. on 17th September it started from Mumbai, the financial capital of the country and now Jio is down in all the cities of the country. Earlier in May and June 2024 also, Jio services were suspended in Mumbai. Users are constantly complaining on social media about Jio being down but there is no concrete solution and assurance from the company yet.

Users on social media claim that Jio services have been suspended across Mumbai. There is a network problem for several hours. Many users have also complained about the broadband service. Outage tracker Downdetector has also confirmed Jio’s outage. According to Downdetector’s map, it has stopped in New Delhi, Lucknow, Nagpur, Cuttack, Hyderabad, Chennai, Patna, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Guwahati.

More than 10 thousand people have complained on Downdetector in just 1 hour. On this site, 67 percent people complained about lack of signal, 20 percent about mobile internet and 14 percent about Jio Fiber.

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Business

‘Take A Trip To Vietnam For Your iPhone 16’: X User Proposes Cost-Effective Way To Buy The Latest Apple Smartphone

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Apple recently launched its latest iPhone series, the iPhone 16 series. In addition, the company also launched the latest Apple Watch along with the latest version of Apple AirPods.

Trip To Vietnam For Apple

Apple products from time immemorial have been known for their exorbitant and sky-high pricing. Many have often made memes about having to sell their organs to be able to afford one of their iPhones.

Now, with the latest launch, and X user has found a way to cut corners by taking a trip.

According to the user, an aspiring iPhone buyer in India should take a trip to the East Asian nation of Vietnam to be able to get the new iPhone 16 at a cheaper rate.

However, the user also notes that these savings can only be made, if the buyer is intending to buy the advanced iPhone 16 Pro iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Savings Only iPhone 16 Pro

The user said, “Plan your #iPhone16 purchase with a trip to #Vietnam and spend the same amount you would be spending buying it here in India.”

In addition, the user also added, “But the savings work only if you are planning to buy the #iPhone16Pro or the #iPhone16ProMax”.

In addition, the user also surmised an instance of users travelling to the UAE an purchasing these phones.

According to the user, the Visa fees & fight rates don’t make Dubai that lucrative unless flying somewhere via UAE or planning for the #iPhone16ProMax only”.

As per the statistics produced by the user, the most expensive iPhone 16 Pro Max will cost an Indian buyer Rs 1,44,900 a piece. In Vietnam, however, it would cost a buyer Rs 1,18,992.

This marks a difference of Rs 25,908. Meanwhile, in the UAE, particularly in Dubai, the same phone would cost the buyer Rs 1,16,550, marking a difference of Rs 28,350.

The iPhone series will be available in India from September 20, with the pre-order for the phone starting on September 13.

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