1 SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROJECT REPORT On Process Documentation on Rainfall Insurance in the Districts of Ahmadabad, Anand and Patan in the form of Case Studies In SEWA (Ahmadabad, Gujarat) Under the Guidance of Industry Mentor Faculty Mentor Ms. Chhaya Bhavsar Prof. K.K Krishnan Coordinator Rainfall Insurance Professor (CIRM) (Ahmadabad, Anand, Patan) Chairperson, Placement & Training SEWA, Ahmadabad BIMTECH, Greater Noida Submitted by Apoorv Jain PGDM (Insurance and Business Management) Roll No-10IN608 BIMTECH
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1
SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROJECT REPORT
On
Process Documentation on Rainfall Insurance in the Districts of
Ahmadabad, Anand and Patan in the form of Case Studies
In
SEWA (Ahmadabad, Gujarat)
Under the Guidance of
Industry Mentor Faculty Mentor
Ms. Chhaya Bhavsar Prof. K.K Krishnan
Coordinator Rainfall Insurance Professor (CIRM)
(Ahmadabad, Anand, Patan) Chairperson, Placement & Training
SEWA, Ahmadabad BIMTECH, Greater Noida
Submitted by
Apoorv Jain
PGDM (Insurance and Business Management)
Roll No-10IN608
BIMTECH
2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Making a project especially on an alien topic like “Rainfall Insurance” could have
been a Sisyphean task but I am very lucky to be under the guidance of very kind
and knowledgeable people who made this task very easy and knowledge gaining.
I would like to express my sincere thanks to Ms Chhaya Bhavsar, Coordinator
Rainfall insurance , SEWA Ahmadabad who not only helped me in making this
project report but her vast experience in the field of Rainfall Insurance helped us
to learn a lot from her practical experience, her support was priceless.
I am deeply thankful to Prof. K.K Krishnan, Chairperson, Placement &
Training, BIMTECH my faculty mentor. He had been a constant source of
knowledge, motivation and suggestions and his priceless advices made this
Internship Project a success.
I am also thankful to Ms Daxaben Patel (Marketing team leader,
Ahmadabad), Ms Hemaben (Marketing team leader, Anand), Ms Deviben
(Marketing team leader , Patan) whose constant support is unforgettable.
I am also thankful to all the Aagewans in the district of Ahmadabad, Anand and
Patan.
I am also thankful to all the staff members of SEWA, Ahmadabad whose support
and advices are commendable.
I am thankful to all my faculty members, friends and family members whose
constant support had made this project report complete and successful.
Last but not the least; I would also like to thank the Birla Institute of
Management Technology, for providing me the opportunity to do a project with
SEWA.
3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
S No Contents Page No.
1. Company’s Profile
a) SEWA
b) CMF
c) AIC
4
a)4
b)8
c)11
2. Introduction 12
3. Executive Summary 15
4. Rainfall insurance in India 16
5. Comparison Rainfall and crop insurance 18
6. Rainfall Insurance at SEWA 20
7. Results 34
8. Analysis 49
9. Research Methodology 52
10. Case Studies
a) Rainfall Insurance-A move forward or a step backward
b) SEWA Card- A boon or a bane
c )Aagewan- The front fighters
d) SEWA- A Grand Brand
e) Happy Faces- Payouts
53
a)53
b)56
c)58
d)61
e)63
11. Recommendations 66
12. References 68
13. Appendices 69
4
1) COMPANY’S PROFILE
a) SEWA
SEWA is a trade union registered in 1972. It is an organisation of poor, self employed
women workers. These are women who earn a living through their own labour or
small businesses. They do not obtain regular salaried employment with welfare
benefits like workers in the organised sector. They are the unprotected labour force of
our country. Constituting 93% of the labour force, these are workers of the
unorganised sector. Of the female labour force in India, more than 94% are in the
unorganised sector. However their work is not counted and hence remains invisible.
SEWA’s main goals are to organise women workers for full employment. Full
employment means employment whereby workers obtain work security, income
security, food security and social security (at least health care, child care and
shelter). SEWA organises women to ensure that every family obtains full
employment. By self-reliance we mean that women should be autonomous and
5
self-reliant, individually and collectively, both economically and in terms of their
decision-making ability.
At SEWA we organise workers to achieve their goals of full employment and self
reliance through the strategy of struggle and development. The struggle is against
the many constraints and limitations imposed on them by society and the
economy, while development activities strengthen women’s bargaining power and
offer them new alternatives. Practically, the strategy is carried out through the joint
action of union and cooperatives. Gandhian thinking is the guiding force for
SEWA’s poor, self-employed members in organising for social change. We follow
the principles of satya (truth), ahimsa (non-violence), sarvadharma (integrating all
faiths, all people) and khadi (propagation of local employment and self reliance).
SEWA is both an organisation and a movement. The SEWA movement is
enhanced by its being a sangam or confluence of three movements : the labour
movement, the cooperative movement and the women’s movement. But it is also a
movement of self-employed workers : their own, home-grown movement with
women as the leaders. Through their own movement women become strong and
visible. Their tremendous economic and social contributions become recognised
With globalization, liberalization and other economic changes, there are both new
opporunities as well as threats to some traditional areas of employment.
SEWA SERVICES
1. SEWA Bank
6
2. Legal Services
3. Health Care
4. Capacity Building of SEWA members
5. Childcare
6. Housing and infrastructure
7. VIMO SEWA (SEWA insurance)
8. Video SEWA
Supportive services like savings and credit, health care, child care, insurance, legal
aid, capacity building and communication services are important needs of poor
women. If women are to achieve their goals of full employment and self-reliance,
these services are essential. Recognising the need for supportive services, SEWA
has helped women take a number of initiatives in organising these services for
themselves and their SEWA sisters. Many important lessons have been learnt in
the process of organising supportive services for and by poor women. They
provide these services in a decentralised and affordable manner, at the doorsteps
of workers. Further, supportive services can be and are themselves a source of self-
employment. For example, midwives charge for their services and creche workers
collect fees for taking care of young children.
Also, women are ready to pay for the services and in fact, this results in the
financial viability of the supportive services. They do not have to be totally
dependent on subsidies and grants. Some supportive services like savings and
7
credit, health and child care have formed their own co-operatives. these
cooperatives have gained operational self sufficiency.
SEWA bank has achieved financial viability for many years now, while the other
cooperatives are steadily moving towards this.
SEWA adopts an integrated approach towards organising. The elements of
this approach are:
• Organizing: The poor need to organize (through their associations) for collective
strength and bargaining power and to be able to actively participate at various
levels in the planning, implementation and monitoring processes of the
programmes meant for them.
• Capacity building: To stand firm in the competitive market, the poor need to
build up their skills, through access to market infrastructure, access to technology,
information,education, knowledge and relevant training (accountancy,
management, planning, designing etc.)
• Capital formation: Asset ownership is the surest way to fight the vulnerability of
poverty. The poor need to create and build up assets of their own at the household
level through access to financial services (savings, insurance and credit).
• Social security: To combat the chronic risks faced by them and their families, the
poor need healthcare, childcare, shelter and relief.
SEWA’s model of livelihood finance:
SEWA did not have a rigid formula for its initiatives in the districts it worked in.
Its method of working relies on organizing its members, involving them and
8
working with (rather than for) them to equip them in their fight against poverty
and improve their quality of life. SEWA’s philosophy, which is very demand-driven
in its approach, could be articulated in four broad steps.
• Organize women and through the strength of numbers instill in them the
belief that they have a say in improving their lives.
• Empower them to speak up about the issues afflicting them.
• Enlighten them with the relevant knowledge and encourage them to debate
solutions for he issues they face.
• Take up the specific demands made by the members and facilitate their
efforts towards meeting them.
Credibility, trust and ownership are the foundation upon which SEWA
builds the structure.
Years of poverty and oppression builds in the villagers a high degree of
helplessness and vulnerability and any outside intervention is viewed with
suspicion. There’s also a high resistance to any change to their precarious
household situation wherein they barely make ends meet. SEWA has faced this in
every district it has worked in.
For instance, in Surendranagar, when SEWA set up the first child care center for
the children of the salt farmers, the women were reluctant to leave their children in
the custody of SEWA caretakers. They believed that their children would be
kidnapped or even poisoned. It took SEWA organizers a lot of effort to convince
9
the women that leaving their children with SEWA would allow them to
concentrate better on salt-farming activities and would eventually result in a better
quality output and a higher income. It took a lot of courage for the first few
women to risk leaving their children in the custody of these ‘outsiders’.
Typically, it is the first few converts that are the hardest. SEWA has persisted
anywhere from three months to a year to establish rapport and trust and convince
the first volunteer. Things become far easier when at least one household has had a
positive experience. In fact it could often be left to the word-of-mouth system of
the village to get more believers organically.
For instance, it took almost a year to establish one child care centre in
Surendranagar district. The very next year, five more centres were established and
in two more years, there were 21 centers in the area.
Building credibility takes time and persistent efforts. Organizing is a process, an
investing in organizing requires time and resources, but once the acceptability is
gained, the momentum is far greater, the membership graph far steeper.
10
b) CENTRE OF MICRO FINANCE
The Centre for Micro Finance (CMF) is a non-profit, non-partisan research
centre housed within the Institute for Financial Management and Research in
Chennai. The mission of the Centre for Micro Finance is to improve the
accessibility and quality of financial services for the poor through rigorous
research, knowledge dissemination and evidence-based policy outreach.
CMF currently employs 38 full-time staff and around 160 surveyors and
consultants working on 19 randomized evaluations and 25 additional research
projects throughout India.
Over the past few years, Indian microfinance has witnessed unprecedented
growth. In addition, many microfinance institutions have begun to offer
products such as health and life insurance and to experiment with new
technology such as mobile phones, point of sale devices, and smart cards.
Yet critical gaps remain in our knowledge of how to deliver microfinance
services most efficiently and how microfinance can best be used as a tool to fight
11
poverty. The Centre for Micro Finance was established in 2005 to help fill these
gaps.
To achieve these objectives the Centre works in partnership with various MFIs
in India, banks, donors, investors, training institutions and several academic
institutions in India and abroad, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT), Yale, Harvard, New York University (NYU) and Indian School of
Business (ISB). CMF also works actively with Indian regulators, policymakers
and other stakeholders to disseminate results from its work and help shape the
policies and donor paradigms that frame the sector.
Research Areas
(1) impact evaluation of credit and savings products
(2) microfinance “plus” (how to effectively combine microfinance with other
development interventions and non financial services)
(3) insurance and innovative products
(4) sector wide and policy issues, such as regulations or the impact of
competition.
CMF also undertakes long-term research on broad development issues through
longitudinal studies, including its flagship project, the Tamil Nadu
Socioeconomic Mobility Survey. To date, the Centre for Micro Finance has
12
conducted over sixty research projects in all corners of India. In addition to
research that we design and in which we are actively involved, CMF also
occasionally serves as a Research Knowledge Partner for individuals and entities
who leverage the expertise of our field infrastructure to conduct their own
studies.
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c) AGRICULTURE INSURANCE COMPANY OF INDIA LIMITED
Agriculture Insurance Company of India Limited (AIC) has been formed at
the behest of Government of India, consequent to the announcement by the then
Hon'ble Union Finance Minister in his General Budget Speech FY 2002-03 that,
"to subserve the needs of farmers better and to move towards a sustainable
actuarial regime, it was proposed to set up a new Corporation for Agriculture
Insurance".
AIC has taken over the implementation of National Agricultural Insurance Scheme
(NAIS) which, until FY 2002-03 was implemented by General Insurance
Corporation of India. In addition, AIC also transacts other insurance businesses
directly or indirectly concerning agriculture and its allied activities.
Varsha Bima covers anticipated shortfall in crop yield on account of deficit rainfall.
Varsha Bima is voluntary for all classes of cultivators who stand to lose financially
upon adverse incidence of rainfall can take insurance under the scheme. Initially
Varsha Bima is meant for cultivators for whom National Agricultural Insurance
Scheme (NAIS) is voluntary.
14
2) INTRODUCTION
Individuals and households in rural India are vulnerable to substantial risks.
Among the most severe is the risk that drought or excessive rain can cause crop
failure, leading to substantial hardship. Economic activity in many rural areas is
very sensitive to the quality of the monsoon. Because a negative weather shock
affects virtually all households in a region, many of the coping mechanisms
(informal insurance, credit, increasing labor supply) are of limited value. While
local insurance has limited ability to insure against local shocks, larger financial
markets, can in theory provide complete insurance.
Recent innovations in the insurance sector have led to the development of rainfall
insurance, which may dramatically improve the livelihoods of rural poor (both
farmers and landless labourers), by substantially reducing their vulnerability to
adverse weather conditions. However, a substantial barrier to the success of rainfall
insurance is the limited experience rural poor have with financial services. The
concept of an insurance policy, based on a weather station they do not observe,
which provides payouts only in some states of the world, is a difficult one, and
individuals may be reluctant to purchase products with which they have limited
familiarity.
Risks in Indian Agriculture
Yield risk
15
Rainfall is the major yield risk factor in Indian Agriculture. This is because the
irrigation
system is inadequate and unreliable.
Price risk
Price risks are important when farmers are producing for the market. For small
farmers this would be especially relevant with specialization. Prices are influenced
by demand and supply factors. Food crops and vegetables are generally subject to
gradual and predictable changes in demand.
Strategies to cope up with these risks
Households have of course developed a variety of mechanisms . savings, formal
and informal insurance, borrowing, choice of economic activity, and choosing to
work more hours .to cope with these risks.
Many of these coping strategies are far from ideal, however. Savings typically earn
low rate of return. Borrowing from moneylenders may help smooth consumption,
but these loans come at very high cost. Perhaps most importantly, weather shocks
are aggregate shocks, meaning all households in a given agricultural region require
assistance at the same time.
But a better approach is to buy a insurance policy and cover the risk i.e. Rainfall
Insurance.
Rainfall insurance is a contract which pays policy holders if accumulated rainfall
16
during a period falls outside prescribed bands. The contract speci.es a weather
station at which rainfall is measured, along with start and finish dates, and the
payout in case of deficit or excess rainfall.
17
3) EXECUTIVE SUMMMARY
Rainfall Insurance is sold by SEWA in the districts of Ahmadabad , Anand and
Patan from the year 2006 onwards getting tie up with insurance companies like
ICICI Lombard General Insurance , IFFCO Tokio General Insurance and now
with Agriculture Insurance Company of India Limited in different years.
My project is related to the preparation of process documentation in the districts
of Ahmadabad, Anand and Patan by using the secondary data of previous years i.e
2006 , 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 and using primary data collected through
questionnaire in perception mapping of the customers that why are they buying the
policy and reasons for not purchasing the policy by using detailed personal
interview with a defined set of questions.
I have used exploratory research as my research methodology in preparing the
project report.
To conclude I have prepared some case studies which are the outcomes from this
project. The topics for case studies are as follows:
1. Rainfall Insurance- A move forward or a step backward
2. Aagewan-The front fighters
3. SEWA Card- A boon or a bane
4. SEWA- A Grand Brand
5. Happy faces – Payouts
18
4) RAINFALL INSURANCE IN INDIA
In 2003, Hyderabad-based micro-finance institution BASIX and Mumbai-based
insurance company ICICI Lombard, with technical assistance from CRMG,
launched the first pilot program for index-based weather insurance in the
developing world in the Mahahbubnagar district of Andhra Pradesh. This pilot
program sold weather insurance policies protecting against low rainfall to 200
groundnut and castor farmers. In 2004 BASIX incorporated farmer feedback into
the design of the second generation of improved weather insurance products that
were sold to over 700 farmers, several of whom were repeat customers from the
2003 pilot. In 2005 BASIX scaled up the program further, selling over 7,600
policies in 36 locations in six Indian states. These new policies were refined
versions of the 2004 products and offered improved risk management features for
farmers, but had a generic, standardized structure which made it easier for BASIX
to retail to many clients in many locations. Intense training sessions with loan
officers, who became literally one-stop-shop customer service agents, allowed
BASIX to offer a large array of rainfall insurance products to its farmer clients. In
2006, BASIX sold rainfall and multi-peril weather contracts including temperature
and relative humidity to over 11,000 customers.
Since 2003, the Indian weather insurance market has grown rapidly. Four insurance
companies have sold weather insurance policies to farmers. Indian weather risk has
been reinsured into the international risk markets. For the 2005 monsoon season, a
19
leading Indian seed company bought a bulk weather insurance policy so that it
could attach free weather insurance coupons for a minimal level of drought
coverage to its cottonseed packets which were sold to 100,000 farmers in
Maharashtra.
20
5) COMPARISON OF RAINFALL INSURANCE WITH
CROP INSURANCE
One might reasonably ask why insurance companies are selling rainfall insurance,
rather than crop insurance, as rainfall insurance suffers from substantially greater
basis risk. In this sub- section, we briefly discuss the advantages and limitations of
rainfall insurance relative to crop insurance.
Rainfall insurance has at least two important advantages.
First, relative to crop insurance, transaction costs are significantly lower. There is
no need to hire individuals to verify crop production (nor to hire individuals to
monitor the claims adjusters, etc.). This is a significant advantage, as it can be very
costly to hire and monitor individuals with the requisite human capital to work in
rural areas. In contrast, rainfall insurance pays out based on the reported index.
The only cost is the weather monitoring station. Low transaction costs make it
feasible to offer very small policies, particularly if a non-profit organization
provides the marketing services.
Second, rainfall insurance avoids some problems of asymmetric information. Crop
insurance in India is not linked to individual farms: rather, the government selects
(presumably at random) test farms, on which it measures output loss. Thus, there
is no direct moral hazard or adverse selection. However, agricultural output is
difficult to model. To the extent that the government does not correctly price
21
insurance (perhaps because of incomplete or incorrect price models, or possibly
political pressure), farmers in underpriced areas may purchase more than in areas
where it is relatively overpriced, exacerbating the cost of mispricing mistakes.
Third, rainfall risk may be easier to model, and therefore for insurers to reinsure.
Historical rainfall data are generally of good quality, and much more plentiful than
data on crop output.
Rainfall insurance also has several disadvantages.
The first, and likely most important, is basis risk. Crop output is not perfectly
correlated with rainfall. Moreover, households may experience different rainfall
patterns than those measured at the weather station. (For this reason, insurance is
typically not sold to households more than 30 km from the rainfall station). Finally,
policy-holders face all sorts of other risks to agricultural productivity, such as pests
and fooding, which are not covered by rainfall insurance.
Second, rainfall insurance is complicated: it is much easier to explain crop
insurance or life insurance than rainfall insurance. Farmers may not have a good
concept of what a millimetre of rain is, or what range of rainfall outcomes are likely
to obtain. Many have limited numeracy skills, which makes even calculating a
payout complicated. Some individuals may not trust private financial markets.
22
6) Rainfall Insurance at SEWA
In 2005, the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), began offering rainfall
insurance to its members. In 2006, they expanded marketing efforts, offering
insurance to 33 villages, selected randomly from a list of 100. In 2007, 17 more
villages were added, bringing the total number of villages in which insurance was
offered to 50. In offering the insurance, SEWA randomly varied the marketing
messages, allowing a test of framing effects.
Finally, marketers offered a range of discount coupons. This variation, combined
with a panel
survey of 1,500 households, allows us to answer questions about the demand for
insurance, how psychological and social factors affect purchase decisions, and, in
the longer-term, the causal impact of insurance on household investment
decisions, consumption smoothing, employment decisions, and welfare.
The insurance company which provided rainfall insurance with SEWA in different
years are:
Year Company
2006 ICICI Lombard
2007 IFFCO Tokyo
2008 ICICI Lombard
2009 AIC
2010 AIC
23
Year wise a brief decryption of policy:
2006
SEWA chose to offer the product in collaboration with ICICI Lombard General
Insurance Company because of its experience in the field. The company has been
offering this product to the villagers of Andhra Pradesh with the help of BASIX
since 2003.
The insurance product was divided into three phases viz. sowing, growing, and
harvesting. The policy was given for both the excess as well as deficit cover. The
decision was invariably left on farmers to decide which cover they want to take.
The product was offered to 11 villages of Patan, 11 of Anand, and 11 of
Ahmadabad Districts.
The sowing period started according to the calendar day in the month of June 2006
when cumulative rainfall for the month of June at reference station was observed
≥ 50 mm. This was when the actual sowing period starts, but farmers sow seeds
by estimating the moisture of the soil, and only a few were able to estimate the
minimum rainfall required for sowing. This period continued for 35 days.
The growing period follows the sowing period. This period continued for 35 days.
24
In both the phases the strike and exit limits are different for the excess and deficit
cover. However, in the 3rd phase (i.e. harvesting phase), the strike and exit limits
are same for both the excess and deficit cover. The harvesting phase continued for
40 days, which ended the policy period.
The premium charged was different for the excess and deficit cover and was also
dependent on the vulnerability characteristics of the area. Hence all the 3 districts
had different premiums. In Ahmadabad District the premiums were:
High Rain: Rs. 197
Low Rain: Rs. 144
Anand District the premiums were:
High Rain: Rs 204
Low Rain: Rs 155
Patan District the premium was Rs 257 for both excess and deficit rainfall.
The maximum limit payable was Rs. 500 for each of the three phases.
The trigger for each phase is set at different levels for each district.
Marketing Strategies:
SEWA district coordinators trained a group of SEWA members to be ‘team
leaders,’ who assisted in educating villages about rainfall insurance and organized
meetings at the district and inter-district levels. The leaders distributed marketing
25
materials (patrika) in villages (grassroots) and gave presentations to households
expressing interest in the insurance product. They also coordinated with CMF in
the operations giving feedback. The following marketing techniques were adopted:
• PATRIKA: A document giving the detailed explanation of the policy was
given to increase the awareness of the product.
• Endorsement from figure of authority
• Probability of payoff (2 of last 10 yrs vs. 8 of last 10 yrs)
• Positive / negative messages (protection vs. calamity)
• Peer Authority (learn about products from different people, farmer)
Benefits of the approach:
• Relative prices in products is not the only indication of take-up
• Cost effective way of determining what affects take-up of insurance.
Alternative theory of behavioral economics - use market manipulation
2007
In 2007, SEWA offered the product in collaboration with IFFCO TOKIO
General Insurance Company. This year only deficit rainfall cover was offered. The
premium was significantly lowered in all three districts. However it was not the
26
same for all three districts. The lowest premium was charged in Ahmadabad
District of Rs 44 and Anand District has a premium of Rs 72 and Patan
district has a premium of Rs. 86. However the number of policies sold was
highest in Patan (396) and lowest in Ahmadabad District (293).
The number of villages in which the product was offered in Ahmadabad District
was increased to 14. However two villages that were offered policy in year 2006
(Kamod and Bisalpur), were not offered it in 2007, and five new villages were
added to the list.
According to the survey and feedback from the team leaders, it was determined
that the premium in year 2006 was too high for the villagers. Moreover, they did
not get anything in spite of suffering loss due to irregular rainfall. So SEWA
negotiated a contract with the IFFCO Tokyo which involved charging a very low
premium compared to the 2006 premium. However, it also provided less coverage,
as only deficit rainfall was covered.
Marketing Strategies:
While no surveying was done in 2007, new marketing techniques were adopted in
addition to:
• Brainstorming session with grassroots and marketing team to evaluate past
experiences
• More training, longer marketing time, and individual meetings to bolster
connections.
27
The new marketing techniques that were adopted included:
1) Four different types of flyers: (total 2,371)
These flyers explained the adverse effects of variations in rainfall and made them
realize the need for the rainfall insurance product. It also explained the various
details of the policy, like sum insured in different phases and premium charged. It
also explained the number of policies a farmer should take according to his land
holdings.
2) Video tapes:
SEWA used video players (similar to video iPod) to provide a concise marketing
message. It improved the understanding of the product in the minds of the
villagers.
This was one of the most effective marketing strategies and it illustrated the
product visually, which was very useful in increasing the take-up of the policy.
3) Discount coupons:
Aside from the information campaign, monetary incentives were offered to entice
take-up and mitigate the monetary constraints of clients. This came in the form of
discounts/rebates. SEWA offered coupons of Rs. 5, 15, 30 on the premium of
rainfall insurance.
28
2008
In 2008, SEWA again partnered with ICICI Lombard to give both the excess as
well as deficit cover. The coverage was granted from July 1st to September 28th.
The product design was similar to that of 2006. However the policy was granted as
one phase only. The maximum claim payable was Rs. 1000. The premium
charged was Rs. 190. The premium amount was same in all the 3 districts.
However, there was variance in strike and exit levels for Ahmadabad, Anand and
Patan depending on weather station reporting levels. The product was offered to
the same 14 villages in Ahmadabad district. No new villages were added.
Marketing Strategies:
The same marketing team went to the same villages to maintain connections and
the marketing material was similar to second year (2007).
• More variation in flyers was used to improve understanding of the product.
• There were new village-wide meeting interventions, showing video on a
large-scale to all in the village. This increased exposure to insurance, and
central meetings hoped to increase villagers’ trust in insurance.
• Discount coupon
29
If someone attended four village level meetings, they got a discount coupon of
5 Rs. There were discounts of up to Rs. 60 and 90 for those who purchase
insurance. This was done to encourage people to take more than one policy.
• Renewal Gifts
Incentives were given to the policyholders of the previous years in the form of
gifts. A renewal gift of a higher amount was given to policyholders in first year,
as in the first year premium was relative high. No claim amount was given for
the 2 consecutive years, so this marketing strategy was adopted to increase the
take-up of the product. The gift amount was relatively small for households but
still may have caused extra insurance take-up. The gifts were given in
November 2008, so the effect can be measured this year.
2009
In year 2008, farmers suffered huge losses due to excessive rainfall. SEWA did not
cover the period in phases, but instead covered the whole period. When the
farmers suffered losses, SEWA did not pay, but would have paid if the cover was
granted in phases. SEWA identified the worst-hit taluka in each of the three
districts and paid Rs. 570 to each of the policyholder.
So this year, SEWA negotiated a contract with Agricultural Insurance Company of
India Ltd. (AICIL introduced Rainfall Insurance Scheme known as "Varsha Bima"
during 2004 South West monsoon period and offered the product to various
villages of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh).
30
The policy is divided in three phases. In the 1st and 2nd phases, cover against deficit
rainfall is given and in 3rd phase cover against excess rainfall is given. The policy
period for Ahmadabad District starts from 11th June 2009 and will end at 31st
October 2009. The policy in this year is designed on the taluka basis of each
district and hence strike and exit limit is different for each taluka within a district.
Rainfall measurements being taluka-based means:
� More representative of the rainfall measurements in villages
� Villages are on an average about 10 kms away from the weather stations
This year premium was Taluka based:
DISTRICT TALUKA Premium(Rs.)
AHMADABAD Daskroi 130
Sanand 130
Dhandhuka 140
Barvala 145
PATAN Radhanpur 195
Santalpur 180
Sami 180
ANAND Anand 145
Anklav 135
Borsad 160
Nadiyad 140
Petlad 150
Umreth 140
Khambhat 135
31
For every village, taluka boundaries are overridden and closest weather stations are
chosen for measurement basis. This is done to reduce some basis risk as a weather
station for a particular village is chosen at its minimal distance and it increases the
probability of better measurement of risk.
In this year, a total of 18 villages will be offered the product as compared to the 14
in last year. The 18 villages of Ahmadabad District fall in 4 talukas. The reference
weather station for some talukas is GSDMA and for others it is IMD.
All the basic marketing materials re to be used in this year are the same as used in
previous years except for discount coupons, which are replaced by scratch cards.
Scratch Cards: A method of offering discount coupons in which there is a set of
options on a scratch card, which ultimately will give monetary incentives to the
buyer.
The villages that were offered the rainfall insurance product in 2008:
1. Andej
2. Bareja
3. Bilasiya
4. Bakrol
5. Chekhla
6. Jaitalpur
7. Kubadthal
8. Ode
32
9. Pardhol
10. Pasunj
11. Timba
12. Meroli
13. Vahelal
14. Undrel
The villages added in 2009 include:
1. Gaaf
2. Vadiyad
3. Polarpur
4. Bhimnath
Marketing Strategies:
• They follow the same trend of flyers this year also to tell the customers
about the product.
• Also the system of video tapes is continued this this year also to attract the
customers.
• A viilage meeting is organized and the of members who are present are
noted down and then chits are prepared from those names . Then chit was
drawn from the bag . The lucky winner will be awarded with Four
Policies.
33
• A volunteer was selected and mobile number was taken any updates
regarding rainfall data will be messaged to that volunteer and that volunteer
will inform the villagers.
2010
In 2010, SEWA continued their bonding with Agriculture Insurance company
of India Limited (AICIL) who is providing Index Based Weather insurance for
Deficit and Excess Rainfall both.
The premium amount which was Rs. 150 for all Talukas for both excess
and deficit rainfall.
The same policy conditions persist this year also at it was in last year i.e. policy
period is divided into 3 phases. 1st, 2nd and 3rd phase.
Marketing Strategies:
• Scratch Cards- Scratch card was introduced this year to attract the
people. A discount is provided to them for multiple policy purchase.
a. Total Discounts worth Rs. 46,54,96
b. 4 policy just in Rs 80 or 120
c. Multiple policy selling to single farmer etc.
• CMF members are accompanying the Aagewans in doing the field
work and making people understand the policy. There is a monitor in
every village to monitor the activities of Aagewans and help them.
34
• There is subsidy on the sale of policy given by NABARD. It is in the
form that another policy is given free on purchase of 1 policy.
2011
In 2011, SEWA continued there bonding with Agriculture Insurance company
of India Limited (AICIL) who is providing Index Based Weather insurance for
Deficit and Excess Rainfall both.
The premium amount which was Rs. 195 for all Talukas for both excess
and deficit rainfall.
The same policy conditions persist this year also at it was in last year i.e. policy
period is divided into 3 phases. 1st, 2nd and 3rd phase.
Marketing Strategies:
• Scratch Cards- Scratch card was introduced this year to attract the
people. A discount is provided to them for multiple policy purchase.
d. Discount of Rs 46,54,96
e. 4 policy just in Rs 80 or 120
f. Multiple policies selling to single farmer etc.
• CMF members are accompanying the Aagewans in doing the field
work and making people understand the policy
• Game play- A game was organized by fake currency notes to make
the people understand the policy payout method.
35
7) RESULTS
Policy sold every year Taluka wise
Talukas 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Daskroi 162 283 141 415 468
Sanand 23 10 16 24 15
Barwla 0 0 0 12 74
Dhanduka 0 0 0 8 61
Anand 156 152 66 33 389
Ankalav 0 29 35 2 16
Borsad 4 18 1 6 30
Petlad 25 45 81 26 53
Umreth 93 24 1 21 68
Nadiad 101 58 49 9 63
Khambhat 0 0 0 0 29
Radhanpur 153 232 153 85 249
Santalpur 191 175 60 98 182
Sami 0 0 0 32 28
36
1. Daskroi District
POLICY SOLD IN DASKROI TALUKA
This is the figure showing the policy sold in the Taluka of Daskroi present
in Ahmadabad district from year 2006 to 2010.
In year 2008 there is a payout of Rs. 570 therefore you can see a rise in the
policy sold next year i.e. 2009 of 415 policies sold.
In 2009 there is a payout of Rs. 50 therefore there is a rise in next year
policy sold but not at a rate which is there in year 2008.
In year 2010 there is payout of Rs. 2 therefore it is expected to be a decrease
in policy sold this year as compared to previous years.
0
200
400
600
20062007
20082009
2010
162
283
141
415 468
Daskroi
37
2. Sanand District
POLICY SOLD IN SANAND TALUKA
This is the figure showing the policy sold in the Taluka of Sanand present in
Ahmadabad district from year 2006 to 2010.
In 2008, there is no payout in Sanand Taluka but still there is a rise in policy
sold in year 2009 from 16 to 24 .
In 2009, there is a payout of Rs. 40 but there is a slump in the policy sold
next year.
In 2010, there is a payout of Rs . 5 , therefore a downfall is expected this
year in the number of policies sold.
0
10
20
30
20062007
20082009
2010
23
10 16 24
15
Sanand
38
3. BARWLA TALUKA
POLICY SOLD IN BARWLA TALUKA
This is the figure showing the policy sold in the Taluka of Barwala present
in Ahmadabad district from year 2006 to 2010.
This scheme is started in Barwla Taluka in year 2009 and only 12 policies
sold that year.
The payout in year 2009 is Rs. 415 therefore this is huge rise in policy sold
next year from 12 to 74 policies.
The payout in year 2010 is Rs. 135 therefore a rise in policy sold is expected
this tear also.
0
50
100
20062007
20082009
2010
0
0 0 12
74
Barwla
39
4. DHANDUKA TALUKA
POLICY SOLD IN DHANDUKA TALUKA
This is the figure showing the policy sold in the Taluka of Dhanduka
present in Ahmadabad district from year 2006 to 2010.
This scheme is started in Dhanduka Taluka in year 2009 and only 8 policies
sold in that year.
The payout in year 2009 is Rs. 173 therefore there is a rise in policy sold
next year from 8 to 61.
The payout in year 2010 is Rs. 80 therefore again a rise in policy sold
expected this year also.
0
50
100
20062007
20082009
2010
0
0 0 8
61
Dhanduka
40
5. ANAND TALUKA
POLICY SOLD IN ANAND TALUKA
This is the figure showing the policy sold in the Taluka of Anand present in
Anand district from year 2006 to 2010.
The payout in year 2008 is nil therefore there is a slump in policy sold from
66 to 33 in year 2009.
In 2009, there is payout of Rs. 215 therefore there is a rise in policy sold
from 33 to 389 in year 2010.
In 2010, there is payout of Rs. 27 therefore a little bit slump is expected in
policy sold this year.
0
200
400
20062007
20082009
2010
156
152
66 33
389
Anand
41
6. ANKALAV TALUKA
POLICY SOLD IN ANKALAV TALUKA
This is the figure showing the policy sold in the Taluka of Ankalav present
in Anand district from year 2006 to 2010.
In 2008, there is no payout therefore there is a massive downfall in policy
sold from 35 to 2 in year 2009.
In 2009, there is a payout of Rs. 210 therefore there is rise in policy sold in
year 2010.
In 2010 , there is no payout therefore a slump in policy sold is expected this
time also.
0
20
40
20062007
20082009
2010
0 29 35
2 16
Ankalav
42
7. BORSAD TALUKA
POLICY SOLD IN BORSAD TALUKA
This is the figure showing the policy sold in the Taluka of Borsad present in
Anand district from year 2006 to 2010.
In year 2008, there is no payout but still there is a marginal increase in policy
sold from 1 to 6 in 2009.
In 2009, there is payout of Rs. 230 therefore a there is increase in the level
of policy sold this year.
In 2010 , there is no payout therefore again a slump in policy sold is
expected this year.
0
10
20
30
20062007
20082009
2010
4 18
1 6
30
Borsad
43
8. PETLAD TALUKA
POLICY SOLD IN PETLAD TALUKA
This is the figure showing the policy sold in the Taluka of Borsad present in
Anand district from year 2006 to 2010.
In 2008 there is no payout therefore there is downfall in the policy sold
from 81 to 26 in year 2009.
In 2009, there is payout of Rs. 150 therefore a rise can be seen in policy sold
in year 2010.
In 2010, there is payout of Rs.154 therefore again a rise in policy sold is
expected this year also.
0
50
100
20062007
20082009
2010
25
45
81
26 53
Petlad
44
9. UMRETH TALUKA
POLICY SOLD IN UMRETH TALUKA
This is the figure showing the policy sold in the Taluka of Umreth present in
Anand district from year 2006 to 2010.
In 2008, there is payout of Rs. 570 therefore a rise in policy sold can be seen
from 1 to 21 in year 2009.
In 2009 there is payout of Rs. 380 therefore again a rise in policy sold can be
seen in year 2010.
In 2010 there is a payout of Rs.106 this can move the policy sold graph in
any of the direction this year but is still expected to be in positive direction.
0
50
100
20062007
20082009
2010
93
24
1 21 68
Umreth
45
10. NADIAD TALUKA
POLICY SOLD IN NADIAD TALUKA
This is the figure showing the policy sold in the Taluka of Nadiad present in
Anand district from year 2006 to 2010.
In 2008, there is no payout therefore there is a decline in number of policies
sold in year 2009.
In 2009, there is no payout but still there is rise in policy sold this year.
In 2010, there is payout of Rs. 9 therefore it is expected to be a downfall in
number of policies sold this year.
0
50
100
150
20062007
20082009
2010
101
58 49
9 63
Nadiad
46
11. KHAMBHAT TALUKA
POLICY SOLD IN KHAMBHAT TALUKA
This is the figure showing the policy sold in the Taluka of Khambhat
present in Anand district from year 2006 to 2010.
In Khambhat Taluka this scheme had started in year 2010 only.
In 2010 , there is a payout of Rs.5 therefore a downfall in policy sold is
expected this year.
0
10
20
30
20062007
20082009
2010
0
0 0 0
29
Khambhat
47
12. RADHANPUR TALUKA
POLICY SOLD IN RADHANPUR TALUKA
This is the figure showing the policy sold in the Taluka of Radhanpur
present in Patan district from year 2006 to 2010.
In 2008, there is no payout therefore there is a slump in policy sold in year
2009.
In 2009, there is no payout but there is huge rise in policy sold is a miracle
done by the marketing team of Radhanpur Taluka which is personally
experienced by me.
In 2010, there is no payout this time also but anything can happen this time.
0
100
200
300
20062007
20082009
2010
153 232
153 85
249
Radhanpur
48
13. SANTALPUR TALUKA
POLICY SOLD IN SANTALPUR TALUKA
This is the figure showing the policy sold in the Taluka of Santalpur present
in Patan district from year 2006 to 2010.
In 2008, there is payout of Rs. 570 thus you can see a rise from 60 to 98 in
2009.
In 2009, there is no payout but still there is a increase in policy sold may be
due to payout last time.
In 2010, there is payout of Rs. 410 therefore it is expected to be a increase in
policy sold next year.
0
100
200
20062007
20082009
2010
191 175
60 98 182
Santalpur
49
14. SAMI TALUKA
POLICY SOLD IN SAMI TALUKA
This is the figure showing the policy sold in the Taluka of Sami present in
Patan district from year 2006 to 2010.
This scheme started here in year 2009 and 32 policies are sold in that year.
The payout in 2009 is nil therefore there is a downfall in policy sold in year
2010.
The payout in year 2010 is nil thus a slump is again expected this year.
0
20
40
20062007
20082009
2010
0
0 0
32
28
Sami
50
8) ANALYSIS
This project mainly done on the responses on the basis of personal
interview and analysis is done on the basis of some closed ended questions
and rest of the things are covered under case study and recommendations.
The analysis is done on the basis of certain questions asked in the
questionnaire.
Ques1) What are the factors that intend you to buy the rainfall insurance?
Ans) Out of 108 respondents the respone is like this
Factors for purchase Numbers
Good coverage 63
Brand of SEWA 89
Promise of payout 97
63
89 97
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Good Coverage Brand of SEWA Promise of Payout
Factors for purchase
51
Yes
93%
No
7%
Aware of RI
Yes
2%
No
26%
Partly
72%
Ques2) How many people are aware of Rainfall Insurance?
Ans) There are 2 tables shown. First is showing the response of the people.
Second is showing the response by surveyor on the basis of knowledge and
awareness.
Response Numbers
Yes 2
No 28
Partly 78
You can get an impression from this figure that how much people really knows
about insurance.
Response Numbers
Yes 100
No 8
52
Ques3) What’s the occupation of the respondents?
Ans) There are basically 2 occupation of the policy holders i.e. farmer and farm
worker among the 108 respondents
Occupation Numbers
Farmer 55
Farm worker 53
51% 49% Farmer
Farmworker
53
9) RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
I have used conclusive research as my research methodology.
To collect the primary data I have used the measures i.e.
1) Questionnaires
2) Personal Interviews
On the basis of convenience of 108 respondents in the district of
Ahmadabad (29), Anand (35) and Patan (44) on different basis i.e.
diversification in payouts during last year so to avoid biasness.
And then done the perception mapping on the basis of the data collected
through questionnaires and personal interviews.
Performed analysis on different questions –
1) Factors responsible for policy purchase
2) Awareness of Rainfall Insurance among customers
3) Occupation of the customers
I have used the secondary data provided by SEWA to perform result and
analysis on the basis of
1) Policy sold in previous years i.e. 2006,2007,2008,2009 and 2010
2) Payout in years of 2008,2009,2010
54
10) CASE STUDY
1. Rainfall Insurance- A move forward or a step backward
SEWA is providing rainfall insurance from year 2006 with tie up with different
insurance companies in past years with different terms and conditions every year.
SEWA has a tie up with CMF (Centre of Micro Finance) in providing rainfall
insurance.
Year Company
2006 ICICI Lombard
2007 IFFCO Tokyo
2008 ICICI Lombard
2009 AIC
2010 AIC
55
No. of policies sold every year is having a huge fluctuation every year. There are
different factors responsible for the fluctuation.
Year Policy sold
2006 908
2007 1067
2008 603
2009 781
2010 1775
The factors that can be responsible for this fluctuation can be:
• Network and the familiarity of the Insurance Provider (Trust)
• Availability of cash at the time of purchase (Liquidity)
56
• Distance from the Weather station
• Payouts in Previous Years
• Low premium
The main factor which is coming as the major reason after the survey done in
different villages of Ahmadabad, Anand and Patan is Payouts in Previous Years
which is indicating that there is lack of awareness and education about insurance
among the people because according to the “principal of indemnity” in insurance
there should be no gain. But people are not aware of it and they are expecting
payout every time even in case of good rain.
But still SEWA has taken an initiative to provide Rainfall Insurance to the farmers
and farm workers so that they should not get much affected due to variation in
rainfall. This product is still in its pilot phase and still there are trying to find out
the best way to help the farmers and farm workers.
What’s the recommendation as a surveyor I have to give for Rainfall Insurance?
SEWA should make the people aware and educate them about insurance and then
relate it with Rainfall Insurance for that they should first educate their Aagewan
about insurance and then Rainfall Insurance.
57
2. SEWA Card- A boon or a bane
SEWA Card is a scheme which is recommended by CMF (Centre of Micro
Finance) under which discounts are provided on the purchase of policy by the
customer. It is only applicable for the previous SEWA members not for the new
ones.
CMF is applying that scheme under the name of SEWA.CMF is saying that it is
based on pure luck and people who are having a good fortune will win in this
game.
But according to me this is neither a fair scheme nor luck based because the name
is already there on the card and the customer can scratch that card only. Therefore
the probability of win limits to that card only.
58
Another thing which is wrong in that card is that SEWA is providing discount on
the customer’s behalf and SEWA is paying remaining premium from his own
pocket which violates the rules of selling insurance.
And this scheme is not going to be there forever. Therefore you are making the
people addicted to the game and this can cause harm in selling Rainfall Insurance
in future.
What recommendation I as a surveyor have to give for SEWA Card?
It’s not a good move and you are selling insurance on discount violating basic rules
of insurance. You are playing with luck in insurance which is not a right thing and
diverting from basic meaning of insurance. This is a bit confusing that Aagewans
are spending a large share of time in letting the people know how to play the game
rather than benefits of buying Rainfall Insurance.
59
3. Aagewan-The front fighters
Marketing is one of the most important parts of any organization or company. You
made the product but until to take it to the public and check the response it’s of no
use and benefit.
Aagewans are the part of marketing team of SEWA who selling different products
for them to their members and interact directly with the customers.
According to the survey conducted by me almost 100% of the people said that
Aagewans are the people who tell us about the exact rainfall value every year.
Therefore the importance of Aagewans is huge in an organization like SEWA and
their suggestions and feedbacks should be given utmost importance.
To have an effective sale of Rainfall Insurance proper knowledge and education
about the product has to be given to the Aagewan, so that they could be more
confident and efficient in selling the Rainfall Insurance.
60
Currently what’s happening is that Aagewans are also selling insurance on previous
year payouts which is not the right way to sell insurance. Rather they should tell the
public about the benefits of insurance and let them know what the importance of
insurance is and why it is for?
What’s the recommendation I as a surveyor have to give for Aagewans?
Aagewans should be given more education and knowledge about insurance and
then relate it with Rainfall Insurance so that selling of insurance could be done
efficiently and there could be no “misselling”.
Moreover I wish to suggest that SEWA should try to arrange the meeting of the
Aagewans and the insurance company officials so that the officials of the insurance
company may elaborate the delicacies of complex thing like insurance. This will
help them to clear their doubts related to rainfall insurance and will give them a
inner confidence to face the questions of the customers more boldly. This will
61
ultimately lead to eradicate the misconception among consumers and will add to
the goodwill of SEWA.
62
4. SEWA – The grand brand
Year-2006
Village-Disar
Taluka- Radhanpur
District-Patan
State- Gujarat
A unfortunate event happened in this village when a person using the name of
SEWA taken money from the people as a premium who is not an Aagewan nor
from SEWA and ran away with the money and never came back. When people
from SEWA came there to collect the premium villagers said that they already paid
the premium and showed the receipt which after investigation found out that it
was fake. After this event normally people will not buy the product again but the
brand of SEWA is that much huge people have a blind trust on SEWA that they
purchased the policy again. They said that SEWA is like a god for them because at
the time of earthquake SEWA was the first to reach there and helped them
immensely. They will do whatever SEWA says. The brand of SEWA is very big in
that region.
63
What is the recommendation as a surveyor I have to give on this Grand Brand of
SEWA?
If SEWA has a huge reputation in that region their focus should be on upholding
that trust and their focus should be on maintaining that brand loyalty.
64
5. Happy Faces: Payouts
There are some places in the districts of Ahmadabad, Anand and Patan where the
payout is paid on the policy in 2010.
TALUKA DISTRICT PAYOUT(Rs)
DASKROI AHMADABAD 1
DHANDUKA AHMADABAD 80
BARWALA AHMADABAD 125
SANAND AHMADABAD 5
AHMADABAD AHMADABAD 1
NARODA AHMADABAD 1
DALDI PATAN 401
RADHANPUR PATAN 0
SAMI PATAN 0
65
SANTALPUR PATAN 401
VARAHI PATAN 401
ANAND ANAND 60
ANKLAV ANAND 0
BORSAD ANAND 0
KHAMBHAT ANAND 5
NADIAD ANAND 9
PETLAD ANAND 86
UMRETH ANAND 88
We can summarize from this table that in the district of Ahmadabad there is good
payout in the Barwala and Dhanduka Talukas , in the district of Patan there is good
payout in the Daldi, Santalpur and Varahi districts and same with Anand districts
there is good payout in the district of Petlad and Umreth.
Therefore there is a huge response for buying policy this year also and people are
saying the customers are saying that they are very happy with the payout. They are
poor farmers and farm workers and a little bit of payout will make them happy.
Vice-versa there is a opposite response in the districts where the payout is not that
much or nil. People are hesitant to buy the policy again and there is a negative
response to the policy.
66
Example :
In Polarpur village of Barwala Taluka , out of 18 people visited in a day 17 of them
purchased the policy and the one who had rejected the policy is not because she is
not satisfied rather she is not well mentally.
On the other hand, In Bilasia village of Daskroi Taluka , out of 15 people visited in
a day only 2 had purchased the policy again .
So, more payout more level of happiness………
67
11) RECOMMENDATIONS
1) Training for Aagewan- Aagewan are the one who faces the people and
answer their queries therefore it is important that they have knowledge
about the policy and conditions so SEWA can organize a training
program for Aagewans . Two options are
• Training from insurance company(AIC) representative
• Training from people within organisation
2) Making a package policy- SEWA can make current rainfall insurance
policy combined with its other health and life insurance . SEWA’s other
insurance products are quite popular among people so they can make it
as a package policy .
3) Discount process easy- The process of giving discounts to the people is
quite confusing and difficult and not fair also. So the process of giving
discounts to the people should be straight , defined and same for
everyone. There should be no luck factor involved in it.
4) Awareness of the product- SEWA’s marketing team should be focused
on spreading the awareness for the rainfall insurance and making the
people educated about the policy. Once the people got aware about the
policy benefits it will not be difficult to sell the policy.
5) Marketing team+ Insurance Company- As marketing team is not well
aware about policy condition and technical details a insurance company
representative should accompany them during the field work in the
68
villages and make the people aware about the policy’s technical
knowledge and conditions. This can work as an alternative
recommendation to the first recommendation which i have made.
6) Use insurance company’s existing material- SEWA can make use of the
material used by AIC in the other states where their Rainfall Insurance
scheme is running i.e. flyers, brochures and videos in marketing rainfall
insurance in villages and can request AIC to convert them in Gujarati.
69
12) REFRENCES
1) Published paper “Agricultural Insurance in India: Approaches and
Challenges” by Debdatta Pal , IIM Ahmadabad.
2) “Weather Insurance In Rural India” by Xavier Jine and James Vickery of
World Bank.
3) “Weather Insurance: Managing Risk Through an Innovative Retail