From Amazon to Westbridge, PE firms bet on insurance due to stable rules

The last few months have seen a spurt in private equity deals in the insurance space, with investors like Westbridge Capital and Warburg Pincus buying stakes in Star Health & Allied Insurance and India First Life, respectively (see box). There have been other deals too.

The deals are driven by a new regulation in December 2017, which allowed PE firms to come in as promoters in insurance firms and exit after a lock-in period of five years. This was matched by few foreign partners, who were keen to sell their stake in their Indian ventures. 

For instance, Legal & General sold