LIC Q3 profit climbs 17 per cent to Rs 12,958 crore on strong premiums

MUMBAI: Life Insurance Corporation of India appears to be back in comfortable cruising mode. The country’s insurance giant reported a 17.2 per cent year-on-year jump in standalone net profit for the December quarter, buoyed by a sharp rise in premium collections and steady investment income.

For the third quarter of FY26, LIC posted a net profit of Rs 12,958.22 crore, up from Rs 11,056.47 crore in the same period last year. For the nine months ended December, the insurer reported a net profit of Rs 33,998.12 crore, underlining a steady run through the financial year so far.

Premium inflows did much of the heavy lifting. Net premium income rose 17.5 per cent to Rs 1,25,613.36 crore, while income from investments climbed 14.1 per cent to Rs 1,07,608.28 crore. First-year premium grew an impressive 45.6 per cent to Rs 10,604.60 crore, and single premium collections surged 30.5 per cent to Rs 45,872.85 crore.

The balance sheet also held its ground. LIC’s solvency ratio improved to 2.19 from 2.02 a year earlier, while earnings per share for the quarter came in at Rs 20.49.

On a consolidated basis, which includes subsidiaries and associates, net profit for the quarter stood at Rs 12,930.44 crore. This was supported by Rs 1,651.22 crore in profits from associates, led by investments in IDBI Bank and LIC Housing Finance.

Segment-wise, the Life Non-Participating business did the heavy lifting, generating a surplus of Rs 11,257.37 crore. The Life Participating segment reported a small deficit of Rs 38.98 crore, largely due to regulatory adjustments related to past expenses and pension liabilities.

The quarter also reflected the impact of certain regulatory approvals, including amortisation of additional family pension contributions and adjustments linked to earlier excess expenses in the participating segment. Despite these, the joint auditors issued an unmodified review conclusion, indicating no material misstatements in the results.

Managing director Dinesh Pant, said the performance reflected continued trust from policyholders and the strength of the insurer’s business model. He added that a more diversified product mix, better persistency and steady investment yields were driving the numbers, with first-year and single premium growth standing out.

Operational metrics showed modest improvements. The 13th-month persistency ratio held steady at 69.36 per cent, while the gross NPA ratio for the policyholders’ fund improved to 1.31 per cent from 1.64 per cent a year earlier. The expense of management ratio also eased to 12.38 per cent from 13.47 per cent.

For LIC, the quarter was less about dramatic turns and more about steady momentum. In an industry built on long-term promises, that may be the most reassuring signal of all.