GICRE - General Insuranc

📊 NSE: GICRE 🏢 Finance & Investments 📅 Last Updated: 12/13/2025 22:18

💰 Financial Performance

Revenue Growth by Segment

Gross Written Premium (GWP) for H1FY26 is dominated by Fire at 34%, Motor at 19%, and Health at 15%. Agriculture saw a degrowth of 11.47% in FY25, falling to INR 3,188.04 Cr from INR 3,601.11 Cr in FY24 due to increased retentions by domestic insurers. Aviation premium decreased 15.66% to INR 729.08 Cr in FY25 from INR 864.45 Cr in FY24 as the company avoided high-risk airline treaties.

Geographic Revenue Split

The portfolio is heavily weighted toward the domestic market, which accounts for 88% of business, while international operations contribute 12%. International property business grew 15.18% in FY25, reflecting strategic engagement in key global markets despite a general strategy of pruning loss-making foreign treaties.

Profitability Margins

Profit After Tax (PAT) has increased ~3x over the last three years, rising from INR 1,920 Cr in FY21 to INR 6,497 Cr in FY24. H1FY26 PAT reached INR 4,619 Cr, a significant jump from INR 2,897 Cr in H1FY25. Return on Equity (ROE) stood at 17.3% in FY24 and improved to an annualized 19.8% in H1FY26.

EBITDA Margin

The Combined Ratio, a key measure of core profitability, improved from 112.0% in FY21 to 107.7% in H1FY26. This 4.3 percentage point improvement indicates better underwriting discipline and lower claim-to-premium ratios, though underwriting losses of INR 1,371 Cr were still reported in the domestic segment for FY24 due to Fire and Health claims.

Capital Expenditure

Not disclosed in available documents as GICRE is a financial service provider; however, Net Worth (excluding Fair Value Change) grew from INR 22,452 Cr in FY21 to INR 46,669 Cr in H1FY26, representing a 107.8% increase in capital base.

Credit Rating & Borrowing

GICRE maintains a strong credit profile with no external borrowings as of the latest rating reports. The company's solvency ratio has significantly improved from 1.74x in FY21 to 3.85x in H1FY26, far exceeding the regulatory requirement of 1.50x.

⚙️ Operational Drivers

Raw Materials

Not applicable for reinsurance; primary costs are Net Claims Paid (INR 32,738 Cr in FY23) and Commission expenses, which were reduced from 20.03% to 17.69% of earned premium to improve margins.

Import Sources

Not applicable; however, international business is sourced from branches in London, Malaysia, and subsidiaries in South Africa and Moscow.

Key Suppliers

Primary 'suppliers' are direct insurance companies providing retrocession and obligatory cessions, including state-backed programs for Agriculture and Health.

Capacity Expansion

Current capacity is defined by the Solvency Ratio of 3.85x and a total investment portfolio of INR 1,43,305 Cr as of September 2024. The company is expanding its Life Reinsurance footprint where it currently holds an 18% market share.

Raw Material Costs

Claim costs are the primary 'input' cost. The peak claim payout in the last three years was INR 36,626 Cr. The loss ratio in the Fire segment improved from 95.5% to 85.3% due to fewer natural catastrophe events.

Manufacturing Efficiency

Underwriting efficiency is measured by the loss ratio; the Aviation loss ratio improved to 87.40% in FY25 from 92.44% in FY24. The Indian Agriculture loss ratio improved to 90.42% from 96.44% YoY.

Logistics & Distribution

Distribution is handled through long-term quota share treaties and obligatory cessions. Management commission for managing the Terrorism Risk Insurance Pool is 1% of original gross premium.

📈 Strategic Growth

Expected Growth Rate

10.60%

Growth Strategy

Growth will be achieved by entering long-term quota share treaties in the Life segment, focusing on Group Credit Life (44% of life portfolio), and leveraging a 'hard market' cycle in Fire and Aviation to increase premium rates. The company is also selectively expanding its international footprint while maintaining an 18% share in the domestic life reinsurance market.

Products & Services

Reinsurance treaties for Fire, Motor, Health, Agriculture, Life (Group Credit Life, Individual Term), Marine (Cargo and Hull), Aviation, and Engineering insurance.

Brand Portfolio

GIC Re (General Insurance Corporation of India).

New Products/Services

New Life products including Terminal Illness (TI) riders and increased Free Cover Limits (FCL) in Group Term Life (21% of life segment) are expected to drive growth.

Market Expansion

Expansion into the GIFT City (IFSC) and maintaining subsidiaries in London, South Africa, and Moscow to capture global specialty risks.

Market Share & Ranking

GICRE is the dominant Indian reinsurer with an 18% market share in the life reinsurance segment and a leading position in domestic general reinsurance.

Strategic Alliances

Manager of the Indian Nuclear Insurance Pool, Terrorism Risk Insurance Pool, and Marine Cargo (Declined Risk) Pool, involving 21 member companies.

🌍 External Factors

Industry Trends

The industry is seeing a shift toward 'hard' pricing cycles in property and aviation. Domestic insurance companies are increasing retentions, which forces GICRE to move from volume-based growth to price-adequacy-led growth (Combined Ratio improved to 107.7%).

Competitive Landscape

Increasing competition from Foreign Reinsurance Branches (FRBs) and Cross-Border Reinsurers (CBRs) in the Indian market is putting pressure on commission structures.

Competitive Moat

Durable moat through its status as the national reinsurer, receiving obligatory cessions (up to 36% in Agri), and a massive investment book of INR 1.43 lakh Cr that generates steady income (INR 11,620 Cr in FY24) to offset underwriting volatility.

Macro Economic Sensitivity

Highly sensitive to domestic GDP growth as it drives insurance penetration in Motor (19% of GPW) and Fire (34% of GPW) segments.

Consumer Behavior

Shift toward fixed-benefit health products (3% of life portfolio) and increased demand for micro-insurance linked to microloans (28% of life portfolio).

Geopolitical Risks

The Russia-Ukraine war impacts the Aviation and Marine segments; the War Risk Pool was formed to cover commodities like fertilizers and crude oil from excluded territories with a capacity of INR 478.80 Cr per shipment.

⚖️ Regulatory & Governance

Industry Regulations

IRDAI Master Circular (May 17, 2024) changed premium accounting for Long-Term Policies, which led to a reduction in inward premium during H2 2024-25. Compliance with the Insurance Act determines the 99.16% high-quality debt investment mandate.

Environmental Compliance

Dedicated to ESG through participation in government-backed agriculture and health programs; ESG risk is managed via a solid Enterprise Risk Management framework.

Taxation Policy Impact

Effective tax rate is not explicitly stated, but PAT of INR 6,497 Cr was reported on a GPW of INR 37,182 Cr in FY24.

Legal Contingencies

Uncertainty regarding losses reserved for the Russia-Ukraine War in the Aviation XOL market, with resolution expected in Q2 FY2025-26. Specific case values for other disputes are not disclosed.

⚠️ Risk Analysis

Key Uncertainties

Underwriting losses in domestic Fire and Health segments (INR 1,371 Cr in FY24) remain a key risk to overall profitability if investment income (INR 11,620 Cr) fluctuates.

Geographic Concentration Risk

High geographic concentration with 88% of revenue derived from India, making the company vulnerable to Indian regulatory changes and local natural catastrophes.