GOVERNMENT-RUN Punjab National Bank (PNB) will pick up 30 per cent stake in MetLife Insurance Company for an undisclosed sum. PNB had been scouting for a partner for a long time for exposure in the insurance sector.
Following close of the transaction, the insurance company will re-brand itself as PNB MetLife to leverage strengths of the two brands in the Indian market.
When the MetLife deal is finalised, PNB will have to break its distribution tie with LIC to fall in line with regulatory norms.
PNB had short-listed 10 companies in March 2011 and narrowed the list to three firms, Aviva Life, MetLife and Bharti Axa Life.
KR Kamath, CMD of PNB, said, "We have considered offers made by various companies and selected MetLife as our partner.
With 60 per cent branches in rural and semiurban areas, PNB is positioned to take insurance to deep pockets of India. This partnership has the potential to drive the company into the top tier of Indian life insurers and more than double its market share."
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