Your Directors are pleased to present the Sixteenth Directors’ Report of your Companytogether with the audited accounts for the financial year ended March 31, 2024.
The highlights for the Financial Year ended March 31, 2024 are as under:
(INR in '000)
Particulars
Financial Year2023-24
Financial Year2022-23
Gross Written Premium
5,60,75,740
4,07,30,307
Earned Premium (Net)
3,81,12,486
2,66,27,505
Investment Income
30,42,227
19,03,238
Other Income
95,470
61,615
Less: Claims Incurred (Net)
2,24,95,417
1,43,93,106
Less: Commission Paid (Net)
74,81,819
19,08,279
Less: Operating Expenses
1,00,86,340
1,18,01,915
Less: Other Expenses
3,49,958
3,53,404
Less: Provision for diminution in thevalue of investments
-
Less: Provision for doubtful debts
18,131
10,245
Profit/(Loss) before Tax
8,18,518
1,25,409
Key Business Parameters
Solvency Ratio
2.55
1.67
Share Capital (INR in Crores)
1,699.53
1,510.68
Foreign Direct Investment
(INR in Crores)
1,114.66
670.32
No. of Employees
7,868
7,375
No. of offices
210
201
No. of Agents
1,43,074
1,45,385
No. of Policies
24,43,605
19,20,037
During the FY24, the Non-Life Insurance Industry registered INR 2,89,738 CroresGDPI and achieved a growth of 12.8% as compared to 16.4% in FY23.
Health insurance premium is the main driver of the non-life insurance industrywith growth rate of 20.2% in FY24. The market share of the health segment hasincreased to 37.6% from 35.3% in FY23. During the period, within varioussegments in health, the HI Group segment continues to hold the largest share ofGWP at 50.5%, followed by Retail segment at 38.7%, Government at 9.7% andoverseas medical at 1.1%. Retail health insurance business grew by 19.1% to INR42,200 crore in FY24 as compared to 15.3% in FY23.
SAHI Companies continue to grow faster than the industry and in FY24, the growthfor SAHI Companies was 27.1% as compared to 20.2% for the entire health segmentin industry. Also, the share of SAHI Companies increased to 29.7% in FY24 ascompared to 28.1% in FY23.
Health Segment in India is the largest non-life line of business, mainly driven byrising healthcare costs and a high share of out-of-pocket spending. Healthinsurance growth will likely remain robust as the factors driving strong growth overthe past decade remain in place.
Your Company posted a Gross Written Premium of INR 5,608 crores for the yearthereby registering a 38% growth over previous year. The Company postedunderwriting loss of INR 195.11 crores during the year as compared to underwritingloss of INR 147.58 crores during the previous year. The Net Profit for the year wasINR 81.85 crores as compared to net profit of INR 12.54 crores in the previous year.
Your Company aims to be the preferred family health insurer for retail customersand offers quality health insurance services through its comprehensive distributionnetwork comprising of Agency, Bancassurance & Alliances (NBFCs and brokers)and Direct & digital channel.
Key highlights of the year are as follows:
• Niva Bupa is the 4th largest insurer with 9.1% market share in FY 24 asagainst 8.4% in FY 23 for retail health.
• On-boarded new Banca partner viz. India Payment Post Bank.
• Certified Great Place to Work (GPTW). Recognized amongst Top 25workplaces in BFSI in FY 24.
Niva Bupa is committed to offering every Indian the confidence to access the besthealthcare. The company has been empowering consumers for over a decade withinnovative products and solutions across various customer segments, both inurban as well as rural markets. It is one of the fastest-growing health insurancecompanies in India which has been certified Great Place to Work four times in arow with a strong value-based culture, a sustainable business model to build ahealthier future.
Niva Bupa introduced a strategic shift in India's health insurance narrative byestablishing the proposition of ‘health insurance for freedom and not constraints.’This gave birth to the empowering narrative of "Zindagi Ko Claim Kar Le",championing those who live life to the fullest with Niva Bupa acting as the enabler.Our brand plays the role of an enabler in consumers’ lives, shifting their focustowards living life to the fullest rather than dwelling on life's vulnerabilities. Ourproducts are crafted with innovative features that cater not only to those dealingwith health issues but also to health intenders seeking proactive wellnesssolutions. Over the years, this has led to us solidifying our presence in consumers'minds, garnering increased awareness, consideration, and positive sentiment.
As a brand, we want to give a promise of financial assistance to our customers incase of a medical emergency and give them the confidence that they can avail bestpossible treatment and care all over the country. The vast landscape of India offersabundant growth opportunity for the health insurance industry and we arecommitted to working with various stakeholders to democratize health insurancein India and reach out to the underpenetrated geographies of the country.
Your Company ensures the management of investment assets in accordance withthe Asset Liability Management Policy of the Company. The performance of theinvestments has been commensurate with the risk assumed.
90.26% of the portfolio is invested in highest safety instruments (viz. sovereign,AAA or equivalent instruments and cash or cash equivalents). Your Company’sAssets under Management (AUM) stands at INR 5,458.23 crores as on March 31,2024 against INR 3,336.09 crores at the end of the previous year.
During the Financial Year 2023-24, your Company won several awards andrecognitions across credible industry events and summits. Your Company wasonce again recognised as one the Best BFSI Brands 2024 by Economic Times. YourCompany also won the Great Place to Work certification for the fourth year in a rowthis year and got recognized amongst the Top 25 India’s Best Workplaces in BFSI2024.
Your Company was declared Gold winner in the category of Healthcare InsuranceCompany of the Year by IAMAI. It was awarded the Best Health Insurer amongstandalone health insurance companies at the Mint BFSI Summit and Awards,declared the winner under the category of ‘Highest Growth- SAHI’ and ‘Overallachievement- SAHI’ at ASSOCHAM Global Insurance Summit & Awards, won ‘CXstrategy of the year’ at 14th edition of CX Strategy Summit & Awards 2023,declared winner of ESG 2023 in Golden Peacock Awards and honored in theesteemed category of ‘Swift & Prompt Insurer’ at the Annual Insurance Summit &Awards to name a few.
Your Company offers both indemnity and fixed benefit category of products servingretail, affinity/bank groups and government sponsored health insurance programs.
Your company successfully launched many innovative products in FY24. Product‘Aspire’ was introduced in the Retail segment, and was received very well in themarket. By not only offering innovative never seen benefits in the market, Product‘Aspire’ successfully helped open a completely new segment of young and healthybuyers. Thereby, making ‘Aspire’ as one of the fastest growing products in themarket with over INR 100 crores of GWP in less than 3 months.
In the affinity/bank group, your company managed to make in-roads through 2new platforms as products - Relationship Protect and OPD by offering various plansas attachment and advisory within these two domains.
Your Company follows high standards of corporate governance and the Directorshave embraced this belief and taken various steps to raise the bar of CorporateGovernance.
The Board of your Company as on March 31, 2024 comprises of Four (4) Non¬Executive Directors (including one Woman Director), three (3) IndependentDirectors and One (1) Executive Director.
As per Corporate Governance Guidelines issued by IRDAI, the Chief ExecutiveOfficer is designated as a Whole-time Director as defined under the Companies Act2013.
Further, as on March 31, 2024, the Board has following Committees, functioning inline with the requirements of IRDAI’s Corporate Governance Guidelines and theCompanies Act 2013:
a) Audit Committee
b) Investment Committee
c) Risk Committee
d) Policyholders’ Protection Committee
e) Nomination and Remuneration Committee
f) CSR, ESG and Climate Change Committee
g) Borrowing Committee
h) Share Allotment & Transfer Committee
The disclosures, as per the IRDAI’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, form part ofthe Directors’ Report and are appended as Annexure - 1. The details regardingnumber of meetings of the Board and its Committees along with the attendance ofDirectors of the Company thereat, as required under Section 134(3)(b) of theCompanies Act 2013 also forms part of the aforementioned Annexure - 1.
The Board of Directors is responsible for the approval of the overall corporatestrategy and other Board related matters. The Board of Directors of your Companycomprises of Eight (8) members as on March 31, 2024.
1. There has been change in the Directors of the Company during the financialyear ended March 31, 2024.
a. During the year, Ms. Jolly Abraham Plammoottil (DIN :07108545) resignedfrom the directorship of the Company w.e.f. January 4, 2024.
2. In accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act, 2013 and the Articles ofAssociation of your Company, Mr. Maninder Singh Juneja (DIN- 02680016) andMr. Divya Sehgal (DIN- 01775308), being liable to retire by rotation at theensuing Annual General Meeting of your Company and being eligible, haveoffered themselves for reappointment.
3. In accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2013 and IRDAI’sCorporate Governance Guidelines, below are the Committees of the Board as onMarch 31, 2024:
S.
No
Committees
Composition
1.
Audit
Mr. Dinesh Kumar Mittal, Independent Director
Committee
(Chairman)
Mr. Pradeep Pant, Independent Director
Mr. David Martin Fletcher, Non-Executive Director *
Mr. Maninder Singh Juneja, Non-Executive Director
(Observer)*
2.
Investment
Ms. Penelope Ruth Dudley, Non-Executive Director
Mr. Krishnan Ramachandran, Managing Director &CEO
Mr. Vikas Jain, Chief Investment Officer
Mr. Vishwanath Mahendra, Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Manish Sen, Appointed Actuary
Ms. Joanne Elizabeth Woods, Chief Risk Officer **
3.
Policyholders
Protection
Ms. Penelope Ruth Dudley, Non-Executive Director(Chairperson)
Mr. Krishnan Ramachandran, Managing Director &
CEO
4.
Risk Committee
Mr. David Martin Fletcher, Non-Executive Director(Chairman)
Ms. Penelope Ruth Dudley, Non-Executive Director***
5.
Nomination and
Remuneration
Mr. Pradeep Pant, Independent Director (Chairman)Mr. Chandrashekhar Bhaskar Bhave, IndependentDirector
Mr. David Martin Fletcher, Non-Executive DirectorMr. Maninder Singh Juneja, Non-Executive DirectorMr. Dinesh Kumar Mittal, Independent Director
6.
CSR, ESG andClimate ChangeCommittee
Mr. Dinesh Kumar Mittal, Independent Director(Chairman)
Mr. David Martin Fletcher, Non-Executive DirectorMr. Krishnan Ramachandran, Managing Director &CEO
7.
Borrowing
Mr. David Martin Fletcher, Non-Executive DirectorMr. Maninder Singh Juneja, Non-Executive DirectorMr. Krishnan Ramachandran, Managing Director &CEO
8.
Share Allotment& TransferCommittee
Mr. Maninder Singh Juneja, Non-Executive DirectorMr. Krishnan Ramachandran, Managing Director &CEO
* Audit Committee was re-constituted to have Mr. David Martin Fletcher as amember and Mr. Maninder Singh Juneja as an Observer w.e.f. January 4, 2024.
** Ms. Joanne Elizabeth Woods appointed as a member of Investment Committeew.e.f. August 2, 2023.
*** Ms. Penelope Ruth Dudley was appointed as a member of Risk Committee andShare Allotment & Transfer Committee w.e.f. January 4, 2024.
- Ms. Jolly Abraham Plammoottil resigned as a member of the Audit Committee,Risk Committee. Corporate Social Responsibility Committee, Borrowing
Committee, Share Allotment & Transfer Committee and Risk Committee w.e.f.January 4, 2024.
- Mr. Divya Sehgal resigned as a member of Nomination & RemunerationCommittee w.e.f. January 4, 2024.
As on March 31, 2024, the following employees were holding the position of Key
Managerial Personnel’s, duly appointed with approval of the Board:-
1. Mr. Krishnan Ramachandran, Managing Director & CEO;
2. Mr. Vishwanath Mahendra, Chief Financial Officer and Interim CRO;
3. Mr. Rajat Sharma, Company Secretary;
4. Mr. Partha Banerjee, Director & Head-Legal, Compliance & Regulatory affairsand Chief Compliance Officer;
5. Mr. Manish Sen, Appointed Actuary;
6. Mr. Vikas Jain, Chief Investment Officer;
7. Mr. Tarun Katyal, Chief Human Resource Officer;
8. Mr. Ankur Kharbanda, Chief Distribution Officer;
9. Mr. Padmesh Nair, Head - Operations and Customer Service;
10. Mr. Dhiresh Rustogi, Chief Technology Officer;
11. Mr. Nimish Agarwal, Head -Marketing;
12. Dr. Bhabatosh Mishra, Head-Claims, Underwriting and Product;
13. Ms. Joanne Elizabeth Woods, Chief Risk Officer;
14. Ms. Smriti Manchanda, Head - Internal Audit
*Mr. Tarun Katyal, Mr. Ankur Kharbanda, Mr. Padmesh Nair, Mr. Dhiresh Rustogi,
Mr. Nimish Agrawal, Dr. Bhabatosh Mishra, Ms. Joanne Elizabeth Woods, Ms.
Smriti Manchanda were appointed as KMPs w.e.f. September 18, 2023.
There was no change in the nature of business of the Company during the year.
a) The Company has filed an application for forbearance for exceeding theExpenses of Management (EOM) over the allowable limit for FY 2023-24 withIRDAI on February 23, 2024 and April 8, 2024. An approval for forbearance isyet to be received for the FY 2022-23. A sum of INR 216.45 crores which is inthe excess of expenses of management over the allowable limit has beentransferred from Revenue Account to Profit and Loss account in accordance withthe circular no. IRDAI/Reg/4/192/2023 for the year to date ended March 31,2024.
b) During the FY 2023-24, the Company has continued with its additional quotashare reinsurance arrangement by ceding 20% of its risk on the indemnityportfolio, other than Employer/Employee scheme(s), to Reinsurer.
c) The Company has issued below mentioned shares on Preferential basis onDecember 19, 2023 at the price of INR 67.15 per share (being fully paid upshares at premium of INR 57.15 each) to following investors:
Name of Shareholders
Number ofEquity Shares
Amount Invested
(in INR)
India Business Excellence FundIV [Motilal]
4,83,99,106
324,99,99,967.90
V-Sciences Investments Pte Ltd[Temasek]
4,46,76,098
299,99,99,980.70
SBI Life Insurance CompanyLimited
2,23,38,049
149,99,99,990.35
Paragon Partners Growth Fund II
37,23,008
24,99,99,987.20
Total
11,91,36,261
799,99,99,926.15
d) On January 4, 2024, Fettle Tone LLP has transferred of 36,63,81,439 equityshares of the Company to Bupa Singapore Holdings Pte Ltd. (herein afterreferred to as ‘Bupa1), pursuant to which Bupa’s shareholding stands increasedfrom 41.41% to 62.98%.
Bupa now has the right to appoint majority of the directors on the Board of theCompany. In accordance and in pursuance of the said change in theshareholding, there has been a change in the control of the Management fromFettle Tone LLP to Bupa Singapore Holdings Pte. Ltd. in terms of Regulation 51read with Part B of Schedule III of the SEBI Listing Regulations.
11. NAMES OF COMPANIES WHICH HAVE BECOME OR CEASED TO BE ITSSUBSIDIARIES, JOINT VENTURES OR ASSOCIATE COMPANIES DURING THEYEAR ALONG WITH REASONS THEREOF
Your Company did not have any subsidiaries, joint ventures or associate companiesduring the year.
12. DETAILS OF SIGNIFICANT AND MATERIAL ORDERS PASSED BY THEREGULATORS OR COURTS OR TRIBUNALS IMPACTING THE GOING CONCERNSTATUS AND COMPANY’S OPERATIONS IN FUTURE
There are no significant and material orders passed by the Regulators or Courts orTribunals that impacted the going concern status of the Company or which canpotentially impact the Company’s future operations.
The Directors do not recommend any dividend for the financial year 2023-24.
The authorized share capital of the Company is INR 5000,00,00,000/- (IndianRupees Five Thousand Crores only) divided into 500,00,00,000 Equity Shares ofINR. 10/- (Rupees Ten only) each. As of March 31, 2024, the paid-up equity sharecapital of your Company was INR 1699,53,45,950/- (Indian Rupees One ThousandSix Hundred Ninety-Nine Crore Fifty-Three Lakhs Forty-Five Thousands NineHundred and Fifty only).
During the year under review, the Company has not issued any debentures.However, in the financial year 2021-22, the Company had issued unsecured,subordinated, listed, rated, redeemable, taxable, non-cumulative, non-convertibledebentures in the nature of subordinated debt for an aggregate sum of INR 250Crores (Indian Rupees Two Hundred & Fifty Crores Only). The securities arecurrently listed on the debt platform of the National Stock Exchange of IndiaLimited.
Your Company regularly monitors its solvency margins, to ensure that it ismaintained in line with the requirements of IRDAI (Assets, Liabilities and SolvencyMargin of General Insurance Business) Regulations, 2016. As on March 31, 2024,the solvency ratio of your Company stood at 255% against required solvency of150%.
Your Company has not transferred any amount to reserves, during the financialyear 2023-24.
Your Company has not accepted any deposits under Section 73 of the CompaniesAct, 2013.
IRDAI vide its letter dated July 14, 2022 advised the insurance companies to set upa cross functional Steering Committee to oversee the implementation of Ind AS. TheCompany has accordingly set up an Ind AS Steering Committee which meets atregular intervals to oversee the progress on the matter. Since, Niva Bupa is asubsidiary of Bupa Singapore Holdings Pte Ltd., going forward IFRS financials shallbe used for consolidation purposes.
Disclosure of sector wise business based on Gross Direct Written Premium (GWP)as per the IRDAI (Obligations of Insurers to Rural or Social Sectors) Regulations,2015 is as under:
Business Sector
Year ended March 31,2024
GWPINR ’000s
% of GWP
Rural
58,08,031
10.36%
Social
2,45,225
0.44%
Urban
5,00,22,485
89.20%
The Company achieved a rural target of 10.36% of GWP against the prescribedobligation of 3.5% of GWP. Under the social sector, the Company covered 9,41,209lives against the prescribed obligation of 4,32,408 lives thereby fulfilling the socialsector obligation.
M/s. S. R. Batliboi & Co. LLP, Chartered Accountants, (firm registration number -301003E/E300005), shall retire at the conclusion of the ensuing 16th Annual
General Meeting (2024). Re-appointment of M/s. S. R. Batliboi & Co. LLP, CharteredAccountants, as Joint statutory auditors, to hold the office from the conclusion of16th Annual General Meeting (2024) until the conclusion of the 19th AnnualGeneral Meeting (2027) of the Company, has been proposed to the shareholders fortheir approval.
M/s. T.R. Chadha & Co. LLP, Chartered Accountants, Delhi (ICAI FRN - 006711N/N500028), shall retire at the conclusion of the ensuing 16th Annual GeneralMeeting (2024). Re-appointment of M/s. T.R. Chadha & Co. LLP, CharteredAccountants, as Joint statutory auditors, to hold the office from the conclusion of16th Annual General Meeting (2024) until the conclusion of the 17th AnnualGeneral Meeting (2025) of the Company, has been proposed to the shareholders fortheir approval.
Based on the recommendation of the Audit Committee, the Board hasrecommended the appointment of M/s. T.R. Chadha & Co. LLP, CharteredAccountants and M/s. S. R. Batliboi & Co LLP, Chartered Accountants, as JointStatutory Auditors of your Company.
Your Company has received the certificates from M/s T.R. Chadha & Co. LLP andM/s. S. R. Batliboi & Co LLP Chartered Accountants, that their appointment asAuditors, if made, shall be in accordance with the conditions laid down in theCompanies (Audit and Auditors) Rules, 2014 and that they are not disqualified fromappointment under Sections 141& 144 of the Companies Act, 2013, the InsuranceAct 1938 and IRDAI’s Corporate Governance Guidelines 2016.
The Report given by the Auditors on the financial statements of the Company is partof the Annual Report.
The Board of Directors of your Company confirms that:-
• In the preparation of annual accounts for the financial year ended March 31, 2024,the applicable accounting standards have been followed along with properexplanation relating to material departures;
• The Directors have selected such accounting policies and applied them consistentlyand made judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent, so as to give atrue and fair view of the state of affairs of the Company at the end of the financialyear, and of the profit/loss of the Company for that period;
• The Directors have taken proper and sufficient care for the maintenance ofadequate accounting records in accordance with the provisions of the CompaniesAct, 2013, for safeguarding the assets of the Company, and for preventing anddetecting fraud and other irregularities;
• The Directors have prepared the annual accounts on a going concern basis;
• The Directors have devised proper systems to ensure compliance with theprovisions of all applicable laws and that such systems were adequate andoperating effectively.
23. NUMBER OF CASES FILED AND THEIR DISPOSAL UNDER SECTION 22 OF THESEXUAL HARASSMENT OF WOMEN AT WORKPLACE (PREVENTION,PROHIBITION AND REDRESSAL) ACT, 2013)
Your Company is very sensitive towards any complaints related to sexualharassment and has a well-defined Policy on Prevention of Sexual Harassmentagainst Women at the workplace.
The Company has an Internal Complaints Committee under the Sexual Harassmentof Women at the Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013. 18(Eighteen) complaints were reported to POSH Committee/Internal Committeeduring the Financial Year 2023-24 out of which 13 (Thirteen) are closed and 5 arein progress.
As per the requirements of the Companies Act, 2013, formal Annual PerformanceEvaluation has been carried out for evaluating the performance of the Board, theCommittees of the Board and the Individual Directors.
The performance evaluation was carried out by obtaining feedback from all directorsthrough a confidential online survey mechanism. The outcome of this performanceevaluation was placed before the Nomination and Remuneration Committee on andfurther placed before the Board in the meeting held on May 10, 2024.
Your Company’s internal control system is commensurate with the size and scale ofthe business operations.
Your Company has developed and strengthened its internal financial controlsframework over the years. Your Company strives to create and sustain controlconscious culture by creating ‘tone at the top’ appropriately. The risk and internalcontrols environment is governed by two specialized committees of the Board i.e.Audit Committee and Risk Committee. There are well defined charters for eachCommittee making them responsible for institutionalizing and providing oversight torisk assessment and the controls evaluation processes. The Audit Charter and theRisk Management Policy are reviewed annually and a quarterly reporting structureto the respective Committees of the Board is in place. To ensure independence, theInternal Audit department reports to the Chairperson of the Audit Committee of theBoard.
Further, a risk based Internal Audit mechanism is in place, wherein variousprocesses and functions are audited on an annual basis. Internal audits are carriedout at two levels:
1. Processes are reviewed to ascertain their completeness and the adequacy ofcontrols in mitigating risks (design); and
2. Compliance of documented processes are reviewed (effectiveness).
Further, detailed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are laid down for keyprocesses and vital controls are mapped in the finance manual. A limited review isconducted by the Statutory Auditors on the quarterly financial statements and adetailed annual audit is conducted at the end of each financial year.
A framework for monitoring of internal controls on financial reporting has beendocumented, including structure for governance around Financial Reportingcontrols during the year. Risk and Control matrices have been defined for allidentified internal controls on financial reporting.
26. CONTRACT OR ARRANGEMENTS WITH RELATED PARTIES UNDER SECTION188(1) OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2013
During the period, the Company did not enter into any transaction with the relatedparties. Statutory Reporting in Form AOC - 2 of the related party transactions isenclosed herewith as Annexure No - 2.
Your Company has a Board approved Related Party Transaction Policy and SOP.The requisite disclosure of the Related Party Transaction has been made in theNotes to Accounts of your Company.
Related Party disclosures as specified in Para A of Schedule V of the Securities andExchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements)Regulations, 2015 forms part of the audited financials.
27. PARTICULARS OF LOANS, GUARANTEES OR INVESTMENTS UNDER SECTION186 OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2013
In accordance with Section 186(11)(a) of the Companies Act 2013 together with theclarification issued by Ministry of Corporate Affairs on February 13, 2015, Section186 does not apply to an Insurance Company. Your Company does not have anyloan given, investment made or guarantee given or security provided as requiredunder Section 186 of the Companies Act, 2013 and all other applicable provisions ifany.
28. THE EXTRACT OF THE ANNUAL RETURN U/S 92 OF THE COMPANIES ACT,2013
The extract of the Annual Return as per the requirements of Section 92 of theCompanies Act, 2013 is published on the website of the Company i.e.https: / /www.nivabupa.com /about-us/nivabupa/index.aspx.
29. COMPANY’S POLICY ON DIRECTORS’ APPOINTMENT AND REMUNERATIONINCLUDING CRITERIA FOR DETERMINING QUALIFICATIONS, POSITIVEATTRIBUTES, INDEPENDENCE OF A DIRECTOR AND OTHER MATTERSUNDER SECTION 178 OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2013
Your Company has put in place the relevant framework and a Nomination &Remuneration Policy as required in section 178 of the Companies Act 2013. Anyshareholder, interested in obtaining a copy of the Policy, may write to the CompanySecretary at the Registered Office of Company, which is also displayed on yourCompany’s website. The Policy is also attached herewith as Annexure - 3 and alsopublished in the website of the Company i.e. and published in the website of theCompany i.e. https: / /transactions.nivabupa.com /pages/investor-relations.aspx.
30. PARTICULARS OF THE ESOP GRANTED BY THE COMPANY DURING THE YEARMARCH 31, 2024 ARE AS UNDER:
The aforesaid information can be sought by writing to the Company Secretary of theCompany.
31. STATEMENT ON DECLARATION GIVEN BY INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS UNDERSECTION 149(6) OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2013
Your Company has received declarations from all the Independent Directors of yourCompany confirming that they meet with the criteria of independence as prescribed
under sub section (6) of Section 149 of the Companies Act, 2013. The Independentdirectors have duly complied with the Code for Independent Directors prescribed inSchedule IV to the Act and other requirements of IRDAI’s Corporate GovernanceGuidelines.
32. STATEMENT REGARDING OPINION OF THE BOARD WITH REGARD TOINTEGRITY, EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE (INCLDUING PROFICIENCY) OFTHE INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS APPOINTED DURING THE YEAR
No independent Directors were appointed during the year by the Company. TheBoard is satisfied with the expertise, integrity and experience of the IndependentDirectors, both individually and collectively.
In order to uphold the highest standards of ethical behavior, your Company has aCode of Conduct which is applicable across the organization.
Your Company also has a Whistle Blower Policy approved by the Board whichempowers and provides a channel to employees for communicating any breaches ofyour Company’s Values, Code of Conduct, Anti Money Laundering Policy and otherregulatory and statutory requirements. Appropriate disciplinary actions are takenagainst any violation. During the FY 2023-24, actions against 581 employees weretaken by the Company as per Employee Disciplinary Action Plan. 13 complaintswere received under the Whistle Blower Policy in the Financial Year 2023-24 whichwere duly investigated and investigation for all 10 case were closed. All theinvestigations and proceedings are conducted through Code & Ethics Committeemeetings. The Management provides assurance on the effectiveness of the Anti¬fraud and Whistle Blower Policy to the Risk Committee/Board through the Code &Ethics Committee.
The Company has a duly constituted CSR Committee as per the provisions ofsection 135 of the Companies Act 2013 and IRDAI’s Corporate GovernanceGuidelines. As per the provisions, Mr. Dinesh Kumar Mittal (Independent Director)is Chairman of the CSR Committee. Further, Mr. David Martin Fletcher and Mr.Krishnan Ramachandran are the members of the Committee. The Committee metonce during the year i.e. on May 3, 2023.
Ms. Jolly Abraham Plammoottil ceased to be member of Corporate SocialResponsibility Committee with effect from January 04, 2024.
The Committee has duly formulated and timely monitors the CSR Policy of theCompany. The Committee is primarily responsible for formulating andrecommending to the Board of Directors from time to time the CSR activities andthe amount of expenditure to be incurred on the activities pertaining andmonitoring CSR Projects.
Annual Report on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities is attachedherewith as Annexure 4.
While we have diligently addressed the ESG focus areas like last year, our effortshave extended to encompass special initiatives, such as the following:
• Carbon Footprint Assessment: This year, we conducted a comprehensive carbonfootprint assessment. The primary objective of this activity was to gain a thoroughunderstanding of our company's carbon emissions across our operations, all ouroffice locations and travel activities. This helped us identify areas where emissionscould be minimized and set specific reduction targets.
• On our journey towards becoming a zero-paper consumption company, an exercisewas conducted to monitor and track paper consumption for our big offices
• Digitization of Agent Welcome Kit: During the last fiscal year, we printed
approximately 60,000 welcome kits, resulting in the production of 120,000 pageswhen agents were on boarded. Our team has successfully developed a newcapability that allows us to send digital copies of the welcome letter and ID card,eliminating the need for excessive paper usage.
• Digitization of customer transactions: - Online interactions, route customerrequests through digital platforms like web form/ mobile app etc. and buildcapabilities to fulfill these requests digitally rather than the existing manual effortsrequired.
• We recognize that sustainability extends beyond our direct operations which includethe practices of our suppliers. We have implemented a Supplier Code of Conductthat defines our expectations regarding environmental sustainability, human rights,fair labor practices, Cyber security & Data Privacy, Fair Competition Practices andEthical business ethics. All suppliers are required to adhere to this code & policy.
• Go Live with ESG Training - We have created an online module for ESG trainingaimed at enhancing our employees' awa reness of the organization's goals and theirrole in contributing towards ESG initiatives. The module was launched in October2023 with an overwhelming response. Employees were encouraged to complete theESG training through various channels, including floor workshops, desktopwallpapers, and regular communication mailers.
• SwasthyaNeev 4.0 - An initiative to support the fight against hunger, and pledged todonate meals to underprivileged kids.
• Pratishtha -Niva Bupa and Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) have come together with anobjective to help the underprivileged elderly population of the country andsponsored meals for senior citizens in this fiscal year.
As a testament towards our ESG efforts, we were awarded the Golden PeacockAward for ESG Excellence by the Institute of Directors, India in 2023.
Your Company in the meeting held on May 4, 2023 has appointed M/s RanjeetPandey & Associates, Practicing Company Secretaries, New Delhi to conductSecretarial Audit for the Financial Year 2023-2024 as per the requirements ofSection 204 of the Companies Act, 2013.
M/s. Ranjeet Pandey & Associates, Company Secretaries, New Delhi have submittedtheir report for the financial year 2023-2024 in the prescribed format MR-3 which isannexed as Annexure No - 5.
Joint Statutory Auditors of your Company for the financial year 2023-24 i.e. M/s.T.R. Chadha & Co. and M/s. S.R. Batliboi & Co. LLP in their Auditor’s Report forFY 2023-24 have given no qualifications, reservations, disclaimers, commentsand/or adverse remarks.
M/s. Ranjeet Pandey & Associates, Secretarial Auditors of your Company for theFinancial Year 2023-24 have given no significant qualifications, reservations,disclaimers, comments and adverse remarks in its report except below mentioned:
1. The National Stock Exchange of India Limited has imposed penalty of Rs. 5,000on the company for intimating notice of Board meeting held on 13th February,2024 with a delay of 1 day;
Management Response: The Management inadvertently considered “two days”instead of “two working days” as mentioned in the regulation 50(1). Penalty hasimposed by the stock exchange has been duly paid.
2. In terms of Regulation 51 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and DisclosureRequirement) Regulations, 2015, the listed entity shall inform the stockexchange revision in the rating within twenty-four hours from the date ofoccurrence of the event or receipt of information. The company was unable tocomply with the above said requirement during the financial year 2023-2024.
Management Response: The Company inadvertently missed the submission ofrevision in the rating to stock exchange.
38. RISK MANAGEMENT POLICY FOR THE COMPANY INCLUDINGIDENTIFICATION THEREIN OF ELEMENTS OF RISK THAT MAY THREATENTHE EXISTENCE OF THE COMPANY
Your Company’s overall approach to managing risk is based on the ‘three lines ofdefense’ model with a clear segregation of roles and responsibilities for all the lines.Business Managers, through a network of Risk Champions, are part of the first lineof defense and have the responsibility to evaluate their risk environment and put inplace appropriate controls to mitigate such risks or avoid them. The RiskManagement Function, along with the Compliance Function, Fraud & Risk ControlUnit and Chief Information Security Officer, forms the second line of defense. TheInternal Audit Function guided by the Audit Committee is the third line of defenseand provides an independent assurance to the Board. The Statutory Auditors andregulatory oversight aided by the Appointed Actuary in their fiduciary capacity arealso construed to provide an additional line of defense.
Risk management activities are supervised on behalf of the Board by the RiskCommittee, whose responsibilities conform to those prescribed by the IRDAI. TheChief Risk Officer assists the Board Committee in overseeing the risk managementactivities across the Company.
Your Company has an operationally independent Risk Management Function inplace, headed by a Chief Risk Officer. The function is responsible for thesupervision of all risk management activities in the Company, including developingthe risk appetite, maintaining an aggregated risk view across the Company,monitoring the residual risks to ensure that they remain within tolerance levels.Chief Information Security Officer also reports to Risk Management Function. RiskManagement function also reviews the appropriateness and adequacy of the riskmanagement strategy and develops recommendations to the Risk Committee asnecessary. The Risk Management function also ensures that, through variousmanagement submissions, the Board is adequately informed on key emerging riskrelated issues and if necessary, provides supplementary advice to the Boardthrough the Risk Committee. A Management Risk Committee has been constitutedwhich is headed by the CEO and includes key members such as Chief Risk Officer,Chief Financial Officer, Appointed Actuary, Director- Claims, Underwriting &Product, Director & Head - Legal, Compliance & Regulatory Affairs, Director -Operations & Customer Service, Chief Distribution Officer. Head Internal Audit andFinancial Controller are permanent invitees to the committee. All important riskrelated matters are discussed, reviewed and monitored by this Committee on aperiodic basis. The company also has quarterly Operational Risk committee (ORC)in place which constitutes Risk Champions from all functions. The ORC is Chairedby Chief Risk Officer. The Information Security Committee convenes quarterly,chaired by the Chief Information Security Officer, to deliver information andupdates regarding risks pertaining to information security.
Your Company has reviewed the risk management policy and framework whichdefines its approach to enterprise wide risk management. The implementation is acontinuous cycle of improvement over the Company’s existing risk managementelements which are progressively integrated into the framework. The Company hasthe vision of a matured state of risk culture whereby every individual takesresponsibility of risks and has a thorough understanding of all risk tolerances.
Within the framework, Risk Appetite Statements are in place that identify andaddress each material risk to which the Company is exposed and establishes thedegree of risk that the Company is willing to accept in pursuit of its strategicobjectives, business plans and the interest of the policyholders. These material riskshave been categorized in the areas of Financial, Operational, Legal & RegulatoryCompliance and Reputational Risks. The Risk Management Strategy has beendeveloped which defines the Company’s approach to manage the identified materialrisks through acceptance, avoidance, transfer and/ or mitigation. The degree andintensity of the management action are guided by comparing the risk appetite withthe potential impact of the risk, likelihood of its occurrence and the costs ofimplementing the controls. This is supplemented by various policies and proceduresin respective operating areas which help to identify, mitigate and monitor risks.
The risk management framework also ensures that the level of risk accepted iswithin the Company’s risk capacity and the level of capital adequacy is in excess ofthe level prescribed via regulation.
The information required under Section 197 of the Companies Act, 2013 togetherwith Rule 5 of the Companies (Appointment and Remuneration of ManagerialPersonnel) Rules, 2014, as amended from time to time, and IRDAI’s CorporateGovernance Guidelines is annexed herewith as an Annexure -6.
The information in accordance with the provision of Section 134(3)(m) of theCompanies Act, 2013 read with the Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014 for the yearended March 31, 2023 is provided hereunder:
In view of the nature of business activity of the Company, the information relatingto the conservation of energy, as required under Section 134(3) and Rule 8(3) ofCompanies (Accounts) Rules, 2014, is not applicable to the Company.
Your Company has developed an energy efficient model to operate & deliver on itscommitments. This model eliminates dependency on non-renewable resources totravel & maintain facilities for both employees & policyholders. Your company hasput in place a flexible & energy efficient business continuity plan which gets testedcontinuously simulating widespread scenarios.
Digital tools, techniques & widespread adoption by stakeholders of your companies’customer app, website, chat bot & instant communication tools are pivotal forsustainable growth and exceptional service. Over time, your Company hasdecreased reliance on energy consuming assets such as printers & papers.Embracing environmentally friendly practices, your company delivers soft policycopies and digital product brochures instead of printed materials, while promptingdigital payments over paper-based transactions.
FY 2024 witnessed an acceleration of digital technology adoption at Niva Bupa byintroducing more features and better performance. The Core platforms wereenhanced to introduce new products and features for both Retail and Group. Theone of most notable is embarking on the implementation of a modern cloud-based,best-in-class Policy Administration System journey. Hybrid cloud data centre basedinfrastructure is used to provide a robust, scalable and secure infrastructure toboost technology adoption.
The immediate benefits accrued to the company from various technology initiativesinclude much improved Customer and User Satisfaction. Business performancewas improved due to enhancement products and features and highly available andscalable systems and infrastructure.
i. the details of technology imported - Not Applicable
ii. the year of import - Not Applicable
iii. whether the technology been fully absorbed - Not Applicable
The Foreign Exchange earned in terms of actual inflows during the year and theForeign Exchange outgo during the year in terms of actual outflows.
Particular
For the year endedMarch 31, 2024
For the year endedMarch 31, 2023
i)
Foreign ExchangeEarnings
Nil
ii)
Foreign Exchange Outgo
CIF Value of Imports
- Capital Goods
- Trading Goods
Others
87,129
32,968
The Company is in the insurance industry. In view of the nature of activities whichare being carried on by the Company, the maintenance of cost records as specifiedby the Central Government under sub section (1) of section 148 of the CompaniesAct, 2013 is not applicable on the Company and hence such accounts and recordsare not maintained.
41. THE DETAILS OF APPLICATION MADE OR ANY PROCEEDING PENDING UNDERTHE INSOLVENCY AND BANKRUPTCY CODE, 2016 (31 OF 2016) DURING THEYEAR ALONGWITH THEIR STATUS AS AT THE END OF THE FINANCIAL YEAR
The Company has neither made any application nor are there any pendingproceedings under the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code, 2016 during the year.
42. DETAILS OF DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AMOUNT OF THE VALUATION DONE ATTHE TIME OF ONE TIME SETTLEMENT AND THE VALUATION DONE WHILETAKING LOAN FROM THE BANKS OR FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS ALONG WITHTHE REASONS THEREOF
This section is not applicable on the Company.
43. DETAILS IN RESPECT OF FRAUDS REPORTED BY AUDITORS UNDER SUB¬SECTION (12) OF SECTION 143 OTHER THAN THOSE WHICH AREREPORTABLE TO THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT
During the year under review, the statutory auditors have not reported anyinstances of fraud by its officers or employees against the Company to the AuditCommittee, the details of which would need to be mentioned in the Board’s reportas required under section 143(12) of the Companies Act, 2013.
During the year, the Company has complied with the applicable provisions of theSecretarial Standard on meetings of the Board of Directors (‘SS-1’) and theSecretarial Standard on General Meetings (‘SS-2’) issued by the Institute ofCompany Secretaries of India.
45. DETAILS OF DEBENTURE TRUSTEE & REGSITRAR & TRANSFER AGENT
DEBENTURE TRUSTEE
REGSITRAR & TRANSFER AGENT
Ý
Name: Axis Trustee Services
Limited
Name: MAS Services Limited
(SEBI Registration Number:
IND000000494)
INR000000049)
Registered Office: Axis
House,
Registered Office: T - 34, IInd
Bombay Dyeing Mills Compound,
Floor, Okhla, Industrial Area,
Pandurang Budhkar Marg,
Worli,
Phase - II, New Delhi -110020
Mumbai - 400025.
Telephone: (011) 26387281-83
Telephone: (022) 6230 0451
Facsimile: (011) 2638 7384
Facsimile: (022) 6230 0700
E-mail: demat@masserv.com
E-mail:
Website: www.masserv.com
debenturetrustee@axistrustee.in
Website: www.axistrustee.com
The Directors wish to place on record their deep appreciation for the hard work,dedicated efforts, teamwork and professionalism shown by the employees, agents,advisors and Partners which have enabled your Company to establish itselfamongst the leading Health Insurance companies in India.
Your Directors take this opportunity to express their sincere thanks to our valuedcustomers for their continued patronage.
Your Directors also express gratitude to the Insurance Regulatory and DevelopmentAuthority of India, the Reserve Bank of India, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Central& State Governments, Bupa and True North for their continued cooperation,support and assistance.
Chandrashekhar Bhaskar Bhave Krishnan Ramachandran
Chairman of the Board and Director Managing Director & Chief Executive
DIN - 00059856 Officer Officer DIN - 08719264
Place: GurugramDate: 31.05.2024