Japan’s SOMPO seeks control of Universal General

Mumbai: Japan’s SOMPO Insurance is in discussions to raise its stake in Universal SOMPO General Insurance to 51% from the current 34.61% by acquiring shares from existing Indian shareholders, people familiar with the talks told ET. Karnataka Bank and Dabur Investment Corp are among the other Universal stockholders in talks with the Japanese insurer, they said.

The proposed transaction would give SOMPO majority control of the joint venture, multiple sources said. “The discussions are still at an early stage. No structure has been finalised and it will depend on the willingness of existing shareholders to dilute,” said one of the people cited above.

Emails sent to SOMPO, Dabur Investment and Karnataka Bank seeking their comments remained unanswered until the publication of this report.

Besides SOMPO, Indian Bank owns 28.52%, Indian Overseas Bank 18.06%, Dabur Investments 12.81% and Karnataka Bank 6% in Universal SOMPO. SOMPO’s immediate objective is to cross the 51% ownership threshold, said people privy to the development.

The move comes as global insurers reassess their India strategy after the government liberalised foreign direct investment (FDI) norms in the insurance sector.

The new framework allows overseas insurers to fully own Indian insurance businesses, removing the earlier requirement of having a domestic joint venture partner.

While the regulatory change has made India more attractive for global insurers, securing additional stakes in existing ventures remains challenging as most domestic partners are strategic investors and the business has been performing well. Universal SOMPO has emerged as one of the faster-growing mid-sized general insurers in recent years.The company has expanded its gross written premium from around ₹2,500 crore six years ago to over ₹6,000 crore, while remaining profitable for the past five years and paying dividends for the last four. Its earnings before tax have also improved sharply over the period. The insurer has grown at 18% in FY26, growing faster than the industry, which grew at 9%.

The insurer requires additional capital over the next few years to support growth, maintain solvency and invest in technology and new product development as it expands its motor, health and commercial insurance businesses.

For SOMPO, increasing its ownership would provide greater operational flexibility and strengthen its position in one of the world’s fastest-growing insurance markets.