The Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Bill, 2025 would amend the Insurance Act, 1938, the Life Insurance Corporation Act, 1956, and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999.
FDI limit raised to 100%
The amendment seeks to raise the FDI limit in the insurance sector from 74 per cent to 100 per cent, according to the bill. On Tuesday, the Lok Sabha passed the Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Bill, 2025 to boost the growth of the insurance sector and strengthen policyholder protection.
Insurance Amendment Bill seeks to accelerate growth of sector, improve regulatory oversight: FM Nirmala Sitharaman
The Bill's aim is to increase regulatory supervision, make rule-making more transparent, relax compliance requirements, and increase the limit of foreign direct investments in the sector. One of the main proposals suggests permitting full (100 per cent) foreign direct investment (FDI) in insurance firms so that they can attract long-term funds, compete more vigorously and be able to cover more customers. Furthermore, the bill aims to attract foreign reinsurers by significantly reducing capital requirements, which may lead to enhanced reinsurance capacity and risk diversification.
Greater powers for regulator, autonomy for LIC
The legislation proposes to strengthen the powers of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India through enhanced enforcement authority, simplified compliance norms and clearer approval thresholds for equity transfers.
Moreover, it allows the Life Insurance Corporation of India to operate more independently, thereby facilitating quicker growth and restructuring, which might even involve international markets.
Nirmala Sitharaman tables 'Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha' insurance amendment bill in Parliament
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government infused over Rs 17,000 crore into public sector insurers and expanded coverage through various insurance schemes. She also highlighted the decision to waive GST on life and health insurance premiums and said insurance penetration has improved over the past 11 years. Opposition members opposed higher FDI limits and raised concerns over the privatisation of the insurance sector.
The Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Bill, 2025 received the Union Cabinet's nod on Friday. As per the statement of objects and reasons, the Bill aims to accelerate the growth and development of the insurance sector and ensure better protection of policyholders.
India's insurance penetration-measured as total premium as a percentage of GDP - declined to 3.7 per cent in 2023-24 from 4 per cent in 2022-23, according to the latest data. Life insurance penetration fell to 2.8 per cent from 3 per cent, while non-life insurance remained steady at 1 per cent. In August 2025, the finance ministry issued a notification replacing the existing 74 per cent foreign investment limit in insurance companies with what it said was "as stipulated by the Insurance Act 1938", ahead of the legislative amendment to enable 100 per cent FDI in the sector.

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