Already on the back foot for high costs, insurance firms have said they are loaded with high capital requirements. Speaking at a round-table discussion on the life insurance sector's contribution to the Indian economy, SB Mathur, secretary general of the Life Insurance Council (a self regulatory body of life insurance companies) said, "The assets under management of life insurance companies as on March 2009, excluding LIC, is Rs 1,18,400 crore, which is supported by a capital of Rs 24,833 crore."

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