ICICI Bank gets IRDAI approval to increase stake in ICICI Lombard by up to 4%

ICICI Bank has received approval from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) for its proposal to increase the stake in ICICI Lombard General Insurance. ICICI Bank has got the regulatory nod to increase its stake in the insurance entity by an additional 4 per cent. 

As of June 2023, ICICI Bank held a 48.01 per cent stake in ICICI Lombard. With the additional 4 per cent stake purchase through the open market, the insurance company would become a subsidiary of the lender.

Under IRDAI’s approval, ICICI Bank will have to maintain its role as the promoter of the ICICI Lombard, comply with IRDAI Regulations, and adhere to specified conditions. 

IRDAI has permitted the bank to increase its stake in the insurance firm through one or more tranches. This permission will be valid until August 31, 2024, ICICI Bank said in a filing to the stock exchanges.

ICICI Bank Board approved proposal in May

The bank had previously informed the exchanges in May about its board's approval to increase its stake in ICICI Lombard. However, the proposal was pending for regulatory approvals. The IRDAI's approval comes after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) gave a go ahead to the bank's proposal on August 4, 2023.

In 2021, ICICI Bank had reduced its stake in the insurance company from 51.87 per cent to 48.08 per cent following ICICI Lombard's acquisition of Bharti AXA General Insurance, which involved the allotment of 35,756,194 equity shares to existing shareholders of Bharti AXA.

ICICI Bank share price

Shares of ICICI Bank were trading 0.68 per cent lower at Rs 962.50 apiece on BSE at 11:31 AM. On the other hand, ICICI Lombard General Insurance shares were trading 0.65 per cent higher at Rs 1,350 apiece on BSE. ICICI Lombard General Insurance shares surged as much as 4 per cent in morning trade on Monday.

Despite experiencing marginal declines in share prices over the past week and month, ICICI Bank's stock has exhibited a rise of over 10 per cent in the past year. ICICI Lombard stock has gained more than 9  per cent so far this year.