LIC's market investments to exceed Rs 2 lakh crore in FY '12

Source: The Economic Times

Country's largest insurer, Life Insurance Corporation has said that its total investments in the market will cross Rs 2 lakh crore this fiscal. "Our investments will be more than last year... We will top last year's total investment of Rs 2 lakh crore this year," said LIC Managing Director Thomas Mathew . 

Mathew said that LIC will take a final call on this year investments depending on
business. "Hopefully, business will be good this year," he added. LIC is the largest domestic institutional investor in the Indian market and had invested Rs 40,000 crore in equities last fiscal. 

As per the Insurance Act, 50% of investments made by an insurance company has to be in government securities and about 15% in infrastructure related areas. The balance 35% is invested in other areas like equities and debentures. 

Mathew said LIC will participate in the government's Rs 40,000 crore disinvestment programme in the current fiscal. "Earlier we participated in all the government public offers. This year also when government public offers come we will participate" he said. The government plans to raise Rs 40,000 through stake sale in different PSUs in 2011-12.