SBI Life Q4 PAT dips 1 pc to Rs 805 crore, premium income rises 16 pc
Mumbai, April 22
SBI Life Insurance on Wednesday reported a marginal 1 per cent decline in its net profit for the fourth quarter of FY26, even as premium income showed strong growth.
During the quarter, the insurer's profit after tax (PAT) stood at Rs 804.64 crore, compared with Rs 813.5 crore in the same quarter last year.
On a quarter-on-quarter basis, net profit jumped by about 40 per cent from Rs 576.74 crore in the third quarter of the fiscal.
Moreover, net premium income rose 16 per cent year-on-year to about Rs 27,684 crore, against Rs 23,860 crore in the corresponding period last year, indicating healthy business momentum.
However, the solvency ratio decreased to 190 per cent from 196 per cent a year ago.
On operational metrics, persistency showed improvement across key buckets.
The transfer to shareholders' account also rose significantly to Rs 2.36 lakh crore in Q4, from Rs 1.94 lakh crore in the previous quarter, reflecting improved operating performance.
Gross premium income for Q4 FY26 stood at Rs 27,683.8 crore, lower than Rs 30,245.3 crore in Q3 but higher than Rs 23,860.7 crore in the year-ago period, suggesting some sequential moderation.
The solvency ratio edged down marginally to 190 per cent from 191 per cent a year earlier, though it remained well above regulatory requirements.
Moreover, new business premium grew by 20 per cent to Rs 42,500 crore, while renewal premium rose 19 per cent to Rs 58,700 crore.
In addition, the annualised premium equivalent (APE) expanded 13 per cent to Rs 24,270 crore.
Amit Jhingran, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, said the life insurance industry witnessed improved momentum during FY26, supported by recent regulatory measures and a shift in customer preference towards protection-oriented products.
He added that the exemption of GST on individual policies enhanced affordability during the year.
In terms of network, SBI Life operates through 1,230 offices and a distribution force of 358,506 trained insurance professionals across the country.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The GST exemption on individual policies is a game-changer for middle-class families like mine. Makes term plans and other protection products much more affordable. This is the kind of policy support we need. Kudos to SBI Life for capitalizing on this and showing strong premium growth. 👍
Mixed bag. While premium growth is impressive, the sequential moderation in gross premium (Q4 vs Q3) and the slight dip in solvency ratio need watching. Investors should look at the full year picture, not just one quarter. The 40% QoQ jump in profit is promising though.
The sheer scale of their distribution network is mind-blowing! Over 1,230 offices and 3.5 lakh+ trained professionals? That's how you build trust and reach every corner of India. Explains the strong renewal premium growth. Solid performance overall.
As a shareholder, the transfer to shareholders' account jumping to Rs 2.36 lakh crore is the headline for me. That's a massive improvement and reflects strong operating performance. The 1% PAT dip is just noise when the underlying business is firing on all cylinders.
Respectfully, I'd like to see more transparency on *why* PAT dipped despite such strong premium growth. Are expenses rising too fast? The article mentions the 'why' of growth (GST exemption, customer preference) but not the 'why' behind the marginal profit decline. A bit more detail would be helpful for a complete analysis.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.