Total Factor Productivity Growth of Indian Life Insurance Companies: A Malmquist Approach

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the productivity growth of Indian life insurance companies using the Malmquist index. This study analyzed all the 24 life insurance companies' productivity performance in India from the financial year 2012-2013 to 2016-2017 using the Malmquist index based on the secondary data collected from Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority's Annual Reports. Findings indicated that the total factor productivity (TFP) of the life insurance sector increased at an average of 27.6 percent during the study period. On average, this improvement was ascribed to an efficiency improvement of 5.5 percent and a technological improvement of 20.9 percent. The results also indicated that the private life insurers experienced higher productivity growth of 30.2 percent than the state-owned Life Insurance Corporation of India's 17.2 percent. This is the first study that comprehensively analyzed the changes in total factor productivity of the Indian life insurance sector. The study holds important and practical insights for policymakers, practitioners, and decision-makers.