General Insurance Corporation, (abbreviated as GIC), is an Indian public sector reinsurance company, headquarters in Mumbai, India. It was incorporated on November 22, 1972, under the Companies Act, 1956. It was the sole nationalised reinsurance company in the Indian insurance market until the insurance market was open to foreign reinsurance players by late 2016 including companies from Germany, Switzerland and France. GIC Re's shares are listed on BSE Limited and National Stock Exchange of India Ltd.
Making of GIC
The business of general insurance was nationalised through The General Insurance (Emergency) Provisions Ordinance promulgated on 13 May 1971 and thereby the business being carried on by 107 entities was consolidated and restructured into four companies namely The New India Assurance Company Limited, Bombay, United India Fire & General Insurance Company Limited, Madras, Oriental Fire & General Insurance Company Limited, Bombay and National Insurance Company Limited, Calcutta (New India Assurance Co. Ltd., United India Insurance Co. Ltd., The Oriental Insurance Co. Ltd., and National Insurance Company Co. Ltd. respectively).[4]
The General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Act, 1972 (GIBNA) that followed paved the way for the Government to take over ownership of these businesses.