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Release
August 2026 · rev 1
Opportunities PMS · Published
As at 31 Aug 2026 · IST₹ · ₹ cr · BSE 500 TRI
Present
Internal working platform. Published figures are extracted from the August 2026 source package and reviewed; reference prices and fundamentals are unlicensed working data, not for redistribution. Past performance is not indicative of future returns.
Company Atlas/Insurance/SBI Life Insurance Company
NSE: SBILIFE· InsuranceCore · Aug 26Large cap

SBI Life Insurance Company

Lowest-cost, highest-persistency

Last close
₹1,735.00
29 Sept 2026 · reference
1D · 1M
+0.4% · −1.5%
price-only
Weight
1.1%
31 Jul 2026 · Aug rank 26
Thesis review
8 Sep 2026
Why We Own, p38
Coverage owner: Research (per book); latest results Q Jun-26Buoyant AIF I Top 30 Holdings - Aug 2026.pdf · p1Buoyant_Why_We_Own_What_We_Own_Sep2026.pdf (portfolio as of 31 July 2026) · p38Screener ↗Tijori ↗NSE ↗
OverviewBusiness & segmentsChartsFinancialsValuationThesisRisks & catalystsCompetitorsResearch & documents
What the company does

SBI Life Insurance Company · Insurance - Life

SBI Life Insurance Company Limited operates as a life insurance company in India. The company's life insurance business comprises individual and group life insurance products, including participating, non-participating, pension, group gratuity, group leave encashment, group superannuation, group annuity, unit-linked and variable insurance products, health, and micro insurance. It also provides accident and disability benefits, level terms, and critical illness insurance products. In addition, the company offers online life insurance, money back income, terms, protection, savings, child plan, wealth, and retirement plans; and corporate solutions, group loan protection, and group micro insurance plans. It provides its products through a multi-channel distribution network comprising individual agents, brokers, corporate agents, bancassurance partners, and certified insurance facilitators, as well as through various partner branches. The company was incorporated in 2000 and is based in Mumbai, India. SBI Life Insurance Company Limited is a subsidiary of State Bank of India.

Sector (Yahoo)
Financial Services
Industry (Yahoo)
Insurance - Life
Employees
27,653
Website
sbilife.co.in

Key people: Mr. Amit Jhingran (MD, CEO & Director) · Mr. Sangramjit Sarangi (President & CFO) · Mr. Girish Mahesh Manik (Company Secretary) · Mr. M. Anand (President & Chief Distribution Officer) · Mr. Subhendu Kumar Bal (President & Chief Risk Officer) · Mr. Prithesh Chaubey (President & Appointed Actuary)

Snapshot and what to watch · Tijori · 22 Sep 2026
  • SBI Life sells life insurance, including market-linked savings plans, guaranteed-return savings and pure term cover. It sells mainly through agents and banks.
  • Earnings depend on market-linked plans at ~60% of new sales. They move with equities. Agency and protection are growing faster, with protection aiding margins.
  • It holds 22.9% private share of individual new premium in FY26. Solvency is 1.96 times against a 1.50 times floor.
  • It is shifting toward non-linked savings and protection through new launches. Per management, it targets a 55:45 linked to non-linked mix.
  • New sales grew ~29% in Q1FY27, well above last year's pace. Costs also rose, with the expense ratio at 12.05%.
  • Near-term profit hinges on holding strong sales without losing margin. Management guides ~15% new premium growth and ~28% new-business margin.
  • Regulatory cases carry provisions of ₹2.75bn and ₹2.76bn. Final orders and the Sahara Life portfolio transfer are still pending.

Yahoo profile 23 Sept 2026 · Tijori 23 Sept 2026

Segments

Revenue mix and market share

Product Wise Break-Up
  • Life84.3%
  • Pension8.7%
  • Annuity7.0%
Location Wise Break-Up
  • India100.0%
Distribution Channel
  • Others93.4%
  • Bancassurance4.4%
  • Agency2.2%
Investment Break-Up
  • Government securities and Government guaranteed bonds49.7%
  • Other Approved Securities35.5%
  • Investment in infrastructure and social sector13.9%
  • Others1.0%
Premium Break-Up - Participating
  • Individual Life97.4%
  • Individual Pension2.5%
  • Variable Insurance0.2%
Premium Break-Up - Non Participating
  • Individual Life82.5%
  • Annuity17.4%
  • Health0.1%
Premium Break-Up - Unit Linked
  • Individual83.6%
  • Pension16.4%
Premium Break-Up - Life Insurance
  • Unit Linked51.8%
  • Non Participating40.0%
  • Participating8.2%

Latest reported mix as compiled by Tijori from company disclosures; percentages of revenue.

Operating metrics

Company-reported KPIs (Tijori) · latest quarter

As the company reports them. They can differ from the ratio table on the Financials tab, which uses Tijori's own definitions (for example NIM on average total assets rather than on interest-earning assets); the Cross-check panel there lines both up.

Embedded Value85,290 Crs 2026-06
Value Of New Business Margin (VNB)26.2 % 2026-06
Management Expense Ratio - Life Insurance12.05 % 2026-06
61 Month Persistency Ratio58.4 % 2026-06
Commission Ratio - Life Insurance4.4 % 2026-06
AUM - Life Insurance5,24,850 Crs 2026-06
New Business Performance - Life Insurance3,415.38 Crs 2026-08
Claim Settlement Ratio98.8 % 2026-06
Annualized Premium Equivalent (APE) - Quarterly5,380 Crs 2026-06
Business model

How the company earns

India's largest private life insurer (55.3% owned by State Bank of India), with a 22.9% private-sector market share on individual rated premium and 25.5% on individual new business in FY26. FY26 APE was Rs 24,270 crore (+13%), VNB Rs 6,670 crore at a 27.5% margin, embedded value Rs 80,790 crore (+15%) and AUM Rs 4.87 lakh crore. SBI's 22,000+ branch network supplies ~60% of APE via bancassurance, supplemented by a fast-growing agency channel; the product mix is ULIP-heavy (60% of FY26 APE) but non-par rose to 49% of Q1FY27 APE.

Economics and valuation note (book)

At Rs 1,732 the stock is ~2.0x trailing EV (Rs 85,290 cr, Jun-2026) and 1.8x/1.5x FY27E/FY28E P/EV (Nuvama) vs HDFC Life at 1.6x/1.4x - a ~0.2x premium for 20%+ APE growth vs HDFC Life's 17%; Axis Direct trimmed its target multiple to 2.1x from 2.2x FY28E EV. Own 5y average P/EV not sourced. EV/EBITDA n.m.; dividend yield 0.2%.

Competitive position · why this and not peers
HDFC LifeHDFC Life (59x PE, ROE 11.3%, Nuvama P/EV 1.6x/1.4x) grew FY26 VNB only 2% and Aug-2026 individual APE 17.4% vs SBI Life's 12% and 21.8%; SBI Life's 0.2x P/EV premium is paid for faster VNB growth, a higher operating RoEV (19.7%) and SBI's captive distribution.
LICLIC is optically cheap (8.7x PE, ROE 37.8%, FY26 VNB +41.6% to Rs 14,179 cr) but carries a state-owned agency-only model, a 56.7% but falling NBP share, low free float and less EV growth predictability; SBI Life offers cleaner private-sector governance and a 20%+ APE growth engine.
Segment economics

Reported revenue mix

Product Wise Break-Up

share of revenue, %
  • Life
    84.3%
  • Pension
    8.7%
  • Annuity
    7.0%
  • Others
    0.0%
  • Variable Insurance
    0.0%

Share of revenue as disclosed in filings (Tijori normalisation). Segment profit measure: not disclosed in this source — segment EBIT/EBITDA/PBT are not shown rather than estimated. Eliminations and unallocated costs not available here.

Location Wise Break-Up

share of revenue, %
  • India
    100.0%

Share of revenue as disclosed in filings (Tijori normalisation). Segment profit measure: not disclosed in this source — segment EBIT/EBITDA/PBT are not shown rather than estimated. Eliminations and unallocated costs not available here.

Distribution Channel

share of revenue, %
  • Others
    93.4%
  • Bancassurance
    4.4%
  • Agency
    2.2%

Share of revenue as disclosed in filings (Tijori normalisation). Segment profit measure: not disclosed in this source — segment EBIT/EBITDA/PBT are not shown rather than estimated. Eliminations and unallocated costs not available here.

Investment Break-Up

share of revenue, %
  • Government securities and Government guaranteed bonds
    49.7%
  • Other Approved Securities
    35.5%
  • Investment in infrastructure and social sector
    13.9%
  • Others
    1.0%

Share of revenue as disclosed in filings (Tijori normalisation). Segment profit measure: not disclosed in this source — segment EBIT/EBITDA/PBT are not shown rather than estimated. Eliminations and unallocated costs not available here.

Premium Break-Up - Participating

share of revenue, %
  • Individual Life
    97.4%
  • Individual Pension
    2.5%
  • Variable Insurance
    0.2%
  • Others
    0.0%
  • Group Pension
    0.0%

Share of revenue as disclosed in filings (Tijori normalisation). Segment profit measure: not disclosed in this source — segment EBIT/EBITDA/PBT are not shown rather than estimated. Eliminations and unallocated costs not available here.

Premium Break-Up - Non Participating

share of revenue, %
  • Individual Life
    82.5%
  • Annuity
    17.4%
  • Health
    0.1%
  • Individual Pension
    0.0%
  • Others
    0.0%
  • Variable Insurance
    0.0%
  • Group Savings
    0.0%
  • OYRGTA
    0.0%

Share of revenue as disclosed in filings (Tijori normalisation). Segment profit measure: not disclosed in this source — segment EBIT/EBITDA/PBT are not shown rather than estimated. Eliminations and unallocated costs not available here.

Premium Break-Up - Unit Linked

share of revenue, %
  • Individual
    83.6%
  • Pension
    16.4%
  • Group
    0.0%

Share of revenue as disclosed in filings (Tijori normalisation). Segment profit measure: not disclosed in this source — segment EBIT/EBITDA/PBT are not shown rather than estimated. Eliminations and unallocated costs not available here.

Premium Break-Up - Life Insurance

share of revenue, %
  • Unit Linked
    51.8%
  • Non Participating
    40.0%
  • Participating
    8.2%

Share of revenue as disclosed in filings (Tijori normalisation). Segment profit measure: not disclosed in this source — segment EBIT/EBITDA/PBT are not shown rather than estimated. Eliminations and unallocated costs not available here.

Industry cycle

Insurance chapter

Insurance — 7.5%: the largest share of every rupee of household savings, at the cheapest valuation

Insurance retains the highest share of every rupee of household financial savings across bank deposits, markets and insurance — and it is priced lower than either. Life insurance new business premium grew 15.7% in FY26 and private APE 14.9%; August 2026 individual APE was up 22% at SBI Life and 17% at HDFC Life. The GST cut on individual life and health policies to zero (from 18%) in September 2025 cost the insurers their input-tax credit for a quarter but is structurally a demand tailwind for a product that is bought, not sold. On the general side, non-life premiums grew 9.3% to ₹3.36 lakh crore in FY26 with standalone health growing 19%, and the Supreme Court's June 2026 ruling on motor third-party claims took ICICI Lombard down 10% in a day. Our view: a ₹60–70 thousand crore motor-TP market cannot simply be wished away; it will return in an economically workable form through tariff hikes (IRDAI has proposed ~18%) and long-term mandatory cover. One may not wish to remain a policyholder; one should certainly remain a shareholder. Life insurers trade at 1.6–1.9x FY27E embedded value for 15–20% VNB growth; that is a lower multiple of a growing, capital-light annuity than most banks command.

Datapoints the team can quote
  • FY26 life NBP +15.7% (private +16.7%); industry APE +14.5%; Aug-2026 individual APE: SBI Life +21.8%, HDFC Life +17.4%, Axis Max Life +10.2% — CareEdge; BusinessToday, Sep-2026
  • FY26 VNB: SBI Life ₹6,670 cr (+12%), Axis Max Life ₹2,647 cr (+26%), HDFC Life ₹4,034 cr (+2%) — Business Standard, May-2026
  • Non-life GDPI +9.3% to ₹3.36 lakh cr in FY26; standalone health +19.4%; ICRA expects ~11% growth in FY27 — Business Standard, Apr-2026
  • Motor TP tariffs frozen since FY22; IRDAI proposed ~18% average hike (Jun-2025), pending; SC (Aug-2026) extended mandatory long-term TP cover to 4 yrs cars / 6 yrs 2W — IRDAI; Supreme Court
  • Nuvama FY27E/FY28E P/EV: SBI Life 1.8x/1.5x, HDFC Life 1.6x/1.4x, Max Financial ~1.9x/1.6x — Nuvama, Sep-2026
What we deliberately do not own

HDFC Life is the quality benchmark but grew VNB only 2% in FY26 and trades at a premium for it; ICICI Prudential Life has a weaker bank channel. LIC is cheap for structural reasons — product mix, agency cost and a 57% share that is only going one way. In general insurance, Go Digit is a 4–5x-book growth story without ICICI Lombard's underwriting record, Star Health has the worst-in-class loss ratio in retail health and New India Assurance has a combined ratio above 110%.

Market position

Market share (where tracked)

New Business Premium Life Insurance - Market Share8.29 %as of Aug 26
Sector datapoints

From the one-pager

  • FY26 life-insurance new business premium grew 15.7% (private +16.7%, LIC +14.9%); industry APE +14.5% and private APE +14.9%; LIC held 56.7% NBP share (CareEdge, 22-Apr-2026). March-2026 APE was +20.4% YoY on the GST tailwind.
  • FY26 VNB: LIC Rs 14,179 cr (+41.6%), SBI Life Rs 6,670 cr (+12%), Axis Max Life Rs 2,647 cr (+26%), ICICI Pru Rs 2,629 cr (+10.9%), HDFC Life Rs 4,034 cr (+2%) (Business Standard, 26-May-2026). FY26 VNB margins: SBI Life 27.5%, Axis Max Life 25.2%.
  • GST on individual life and health policies cut from 18% to 0% from 22-Sep-2025 with ITC withdrawn; insurers absorbed the ITC loss (Macquarie flagged near-term margin/EV compression) - SBI Life's Q1FY27 margin of 26.2% is 27.4% ex-GST impact.
  • Aug-2026 individual APE growth: SBI Life +21.8%, HDFC Life +17.4%, ICICI Pru +11.2%, Axis Max Life +10.2% (BusinessToday, 8-Sep-2026); Nuvama FY27E/FY28E P/EV: SBI Life 1.8x/1.5x, HDFC Life 1.6x/1.4x, Max Financial 1.9x/1.6x, ICICI Pru 1.1x/1.0x.