R. Venugopal

Professor  (Life Insurance)

After opening up of the insurance sector to the private players in 1999-2000, every year the industry sees new directions, new vistas and new ventures.  National Insurance Academy being the only institution in India for Insurance Education, Research and Training is also subject to the changes taking place in the environment. 

The new year 2008 has dawned excellently for NIA, as we have received an approval letter for according a Deemed University status – A Grade from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) a body under the University Grants Commission. Subject to a few procedural formalities, NIA should be receiving this much deserved status very shortly.  However, whenever an institution is recognized in such a manner, our responsibilities and commitments increase manifold.  The stakeholders of NIA start expecting more things from us and we are duty bound to deliver them.

This is what I meant when I said NIA has to look forward for new ventures in the academic year 2008-09.  This  has started with the first significant step of framing the NIA calendar by rising to the expectations of our customers, revising the topics wherever required, and fine-tuning the programmes depending  upon the suggestions received from the industry and the Chief Executive Officers of the Insurance Companies. 

The Life Insurance Sector has seen glorious changes in their business models with more and more emphasis on Financial  Products, catering to the needs of the Market.  The non-life sector has witnessed historic changes in the shape of Detariffing of the products in the Sectors of Fire, Motor, Engineering etc.  This has opened up price wars in the industry leading to a greater role to NIA in the conduct of their training programmes to the Industry Executives.  It is needless to mention about the advancements in the I.T. sector with regard to their initiatives in the insurance industry.  NIA has got a pivotal role to play in training the officers in the different platforms of I.T. applications.

With the above background, we have prepared the NIA calendar 2008-09 catering to the needs of the industry.  We are prepared for changes in the programmes warranted by the compulsions of time if needed.  Our commitment to the industry will be to provide the superior training inputs to the officers to the best of our ability.

Let us await an eventful and enterprising 2008-09.