MAM
Narayan Murthy to join Unilever Board as non exec director
MUMBAI: Unilever, the British parent company of FMCG giant Hindustan Lever announced changes to its board. The company is ready to propose three new non-executive directors for election at the Annual General Meetings in Rotterdam on 15 May and in London on 16 May.
Unilever, in an official statement also said that Infosys Technologies Limited co-founder and Chairman Narayana Murthy will be on the board as a non executive member. Murthy who has led key corporate governance initiatives in India is also a member of the Asia Pacific Advisory Board of BT Group Plc. The other two non executive board members include Genevieve Berger professor of Biophysics and Medical Imaging at Paris University and Hixonia Nyasulu, who also serves as a non-executive director of Sasol Limited and Anglo Platinum and an Advisory Board Member of JP Morgan South Africa.
Chairman of the Nomination Committee Lord Simon said, “Unilever is delighted with these outstanding candidates as they further strengthen the expertise and independence of the Board and, of course, bring diversity of background and experience”.
Unilver chief financial officer Rudy Markham will retire at the Annual General Meeting in May 2007. Markham joined the Board in 1998 as strategy and technology director becoming chief financial officer in 2000. His successor will be announced in due course.
Another retirment on cards is Unilever’s non-executive director and chairman of the corporate responsibility and reputation committee Lynda Chalker. She will be retiring on May 2007 having served three terms of three years. Chalker joined the Board as an advisory director in 1998 becoming a non-executive director in 2004.
Unilever previously announced in January that Michael Treschow will succeed Antony Burgmans as Chairman, following his election to the Board.
Antony Burgmans said, “I would also like to thank Lynda for her wise counsel, particularly her expert knowledge of issues in developing markets. I would also like to welcome Genevieve Berger, Narayana Murthy and Hixonia Nyasulu to the Board. Together their experience and background will be of enormous value to the business.”
Unilever requires all Directors to offer themselves for re-election at the Annual General Meeting each year. The following Directors will be offering themselves for re-election- Leon Brittan, Patrick Cescau, Wim Dik, Charles Golden, Kees van der Graaf, Byron Grote, Ralph Kugler, David Simon, Jean-Cyril Spinetta, Kees Storm and Jeroen van der Veer.
Buying family medical insurance online in India has become a common option for individuals who want to secure health coverage for multiple family members under a single policy. However, many buyers are unsure about the exact steps involved in selecting and purchasing the right plan online.
In this guide, you will know the step-by-step process of buying family medical insurance online in India, along with the key factors to review before purchasing a suitable policy.
Step 1: Assess Your Family’s Healthcare Needs
Before buying online health insurance, check the healthcare needs of all family members. Check age, existing illnesses, regular medicines, and the likely need for hospital care later. This helps in selecting a suitable sum insured, policy type, and level of cover. It also reduces the chance of buying a plan that appears suitable but does not meet actual medical needs.
Step 2: Visit the Insurance Company’s Official Website
After understanding the family’s needs, visit the insurer’s official website and read the plan details carefully. Use the official platform to review eligibility, policy wording, waiting periods, cover details, exclusions, and renewal terms.
This step gives a clearer understanding of how the policy works before payment is made. It also helps avoid confusion caused by incomplete summaries on other pages.
Step 3: Compare Available Family Health Insurance Plans
A family medical insurance policy should be compared on factors beyond the premium. Review the sum insured, hospital network, room rent limits, pre- and post-hospitalisation cover, daycare treatment coverage, and waiting periods. It is also important to check treatment sub-limits and specific policy conditions.
Careful comparison helps determine whether a plan provides balanced coverage and whether its terms are suitable for the healthcare needs of the entire family.
Step 4: Choose the Right Policy and Start the Online Purchase
Once the options have been compared, select the policy that best fits the family’s medical needs and budget. Before starting the application, review the covered members, policy term, benefits, and main conditions again. This is an important stage because errors here can lead to the wrong cover amount, an unsuitable variant, or missing details that create problems during policy use.
Step 5: Calculate the Premium Using an Online Calculator
Use the online premium calculator before making the final choice. Enter the correct details, including age, city, number of insured members, and selected cover amount. The result helps in understanding the expected premium and whether the policy fits the annual budget. This step is useful because it allows cost and coverage to be reviewed together, instead of choosing a plan only because the premium looks lower.
Step 6: Fill in Personal and Medical Details
When filling in the proposal form, provide accurate details for each insured member. This includes name, date of birth, contact details, medical history, ongoing treatment, and previous insurance information if required.
Every answer should be complete and truthful. Incorrect or missing details can create difficulty later. Before you submit the form, read every section again and correct any mistakes.
Step 7: Make Payment Through the Secure Payment Gateway
After checking the form, go to the payment page and complete the transaction through the secure payment gateway. Review the premium, policy term, and entered details once more before confirming payment.
After the transaction is completed, save the receipt, reference number, or confirmation message carefully. Keeping this record is useful if you need to track the purchase or follow up on policy issuance later.
Step 8: Download and Keep Your Policy Document Safely
Once the policy is issued, download the policy document, schedule, and any related papers without delay. Read them carefully to confirm member names, policy period, sum insured, and major terms. Save a digital copy in a secure folder and keep a printed copy if needed. Proper record keeping makes future renewals, document checks, and policy servicing easier and more organised when information is required quickly.
Conclusion
Buying health cover online becomes easier when you handle each step with attention. From checking your family’s needs to reading the final document, every stage helps you make an informed choice. A careful approach can reduce mistakes, improve your understanding of policy terms, and help you choose coverage that matches your household’s medical needs, financial capacity, and long-term healthcare planning in a reliable way for your family over the long term.
