Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Exide Life Insurance
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question is from Indian banking and insurance awareness. It focuses on corporate rebranding in the life insurance sector. When ownership changes or strategic partnerships shift, insurance companies sometimes change their names to reflect new promoters or brand identities. Keeping track of such changes is important for examinations that include financial sector current affairs.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
After a change in shareholding and brand strategy, ING Vysya Life Insurance was rebranded as Exide Life Insurance. The change reflected the exit of ING as a partner and the stronger role of Exide Industries. Other life insurance companies listed in the options have different origins and branding, and none of them is the direct continuation of ING Vysya Life.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall news items about ING Vysya Life Insurance and its later identity.
Step 2: Recognise that Exide Industries, well known for batteries, took a lead role and the life insurance business adopted the Exide Life Insurance brand.
Step 3: Match this information with Option A, Exide Life Insurance.
Step 4: Distinguish this from Max Life Insurance, which grew from a different set of promoters and partnerships.
Step 5: Note that HDFC Life Insurance, Kotak Life Insurance and ICICI Prudential Life Insurance are separate joint ventures with banks and global partners, not renamings of ING Vysya Life.
Step 6: Therefore Exide Life Insurance is the correct new name.
Verification / Alternative check:
Official announcements and insurance sector reports mention that ING Vysya Life Insurance Company Limited changed its name to Exide Life Insurance Company Limited. Policy documents and marketing materials issued after the rebranding use the Exide Life name while referring to the continuity of all existing policies. This confirms that Exide Life Insurance is the new identity of the former ING Vysya Life Insurance.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Max Life Insurance originated from Max New York Life and later rebranded, but this is a separate chain of ownership and not linked to ING Vysya Life.
HDFC Life Insurance is a joint venture led by HDFC and a foreign partner and has no direct connection to ING Vysya Life.
Kotak Life Insurance is associated with Kotak Mahindra Bank and follows a different corporate history.
ICICI Prudential Life Insurance is a joint venture between ICICI Bank and Prudential and was never known as ING Vysya Life.
Common Pitfalls:
Many candidates mix up rebranding stories among multiple insurance companies, especially when several have changed names or partners over the years. A good strategy is to make a small table associating old and new names. For this question, linking ING Vysya Life with Exide Life specifically is the key to selecting the right option.
Final Answer:
ING Vysya Life Insurance Company Limited was rebranded as Exide Life Insurance.
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