HDFC LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED
Report on the audit of the Standalone Financial StatementsOpinion
1. We have audited the accompanying standalone financial statements of HDFC Life Insurance Company Limited (the "Company"), which comprise the standalone balance sheet as at 31 March 2025, the standalone revenue account (also called the "Policyholders' Account" or the "Technical Account"), the standalone statement of profit and loss account (also called the "Shareholders' Account" or "Non-Technical Account") and the standalone receipts and payments account for the year then ended, and notes to the standalone financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information (hereinafter referred to as the "standalone financial statements").
In our opinion and to the best of our information and according to the explanations given to us, the aforesaid standalone financial statements give the information required by the Insurance Act, 1938 as amended time to time including amendment brought by Insurance Laws (Amendment) Act, 2015 (the "Insurance Act"), the Insurance Regulatory and Development Act, 1999 (the "IRDA Act"), the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (Actuarial, Finance and Investment Functions of Insurers) Regulations, 2024 including Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India ("IRDAI") Circular No. IRDAI/ACTL/CIR/MISC/80/05/2024 dated 17 May 2024 (the "Regulations") including orders/ directions/circulars issued by IRDAI and the
Companies Act, 2013 (the "Act") to the extent applicable and in the manner so required and give a true and fair view in conformity with the accounting principles generally accepted in India, of the state of affairs as at 31 March 2025, of its net surplus, its profit and its receipts and payments for the year then ended, as applicable to insurance companies.
Basis for opinion
2. We conducted our audit in accordance with the Standards on Auditing ("SAs") specified under section 143(10) of the Act. Our responsibilities under those SAs are further described in the Auditor's Responsibilities for the Audit of the Standalone Financial Statements section of our report. We are independent of the Company in accordance with the Code of Ethics issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (the "ICAI") together with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the standalone financial statements under the Act, and the Companies (Audit and Auditors) Rules, 2014 (the "Rules") thereunder and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements and the Code of Ethics. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion on the standalone financial statements.
Key audit matters
3. Key audit matters are those matters that, in our professional judgment, were of most significance in our audit of the standalone financial statements of the current period. These matters were addressed in the context of our audit of the standalone financial statements as a whole, and in forming our opinion thereon, and we do not provide a separate opinion on these matters.
Key Audit Matter
How our audit has addressed the key audit matter
Appropriateness of the Timing of Revenue Recognition in the proper period in accordance with applicable guidelines/ accounting standards
Refer Schedule 1 of the standalone financial statements and Schedule 16A, Note (2) to the Standalone Financial Statements.
During the year, the Company has recognised premium revenue of Rs. 3,336,530 Lakh towards new business (first year premium and single premium). Out of the total revenue recognised, Rs. 1,096,923 Lakh were recognised during the last quarter.
In view of the significance of the matter, we applied the following audit procedures in this area, among others:
1) Understood and evaluated the design and tested the operating effectiveness of key controls relating to recognition of revenue including controls over timing of recognition and policy issuance procedure.
Key Audit Matter
How our audit has addressed the key audit matter
This area was considered a key audit matter because of the concentration of revenue during the last quarter of financial year (including cut-off at the balance sheet date). Due to the nature of the industry, revenue is skewed towards the balance sheet date. Hence, there is a need to have adequate control environment and accurate cut-off procedures to mitigate inherent risk of misstatement related to the timing of revenue recognition.
2) Performed testing on a sample basis for policies issued around the year-end including effectiveness of controls relating to cut-off procedures to confirm if related procedural compliances with regard to acceptability of the terms of policy were completed before or after the year end to verify appropriate accounting of revenue in accordance with applicable guidelines/accounting standards
3) Verified on a sample basis that policy sales of the next financial year are not accounted for in the current period.
4) Tested on a sample basis, the unallocated premium to corroborate that there were no policies where risk commenced prior to balance sheet but revenue was not recognized.
5) Tested the manual accounting journal entries relating to revenue on a sample basis so as to identify unusual or irregular items. We agreed the journal entries tested to supporting evidence.
6) Tested on a sample basis cheques receipt with the time stamp in case of products like Unit Linked Insurance Plan to confirm the recognition of the revenue in correct accounting period.
7) Tested the automated control that the issuance of the policy is done after the payment is received.
Key Audit Matter
How our audit has addressed the key audit matter
Valuation of Investments Portfolio (31 March 2025: Rs. 33,628,153, 31 March 2024: Rs. 29,222,008) (Rs. in Lakh)
See schedule 8, 8A and 8B of the standalone financial statements and schedule 16A Note (6)(b) on the accounting policy.
The Company's investment portfolio consists of Policyholders investments (unit linked and non- linked) and Shareholders investments. Total investment portfolio represents around 99 % of the Company's total assets as at 31 March 2025.
As prescribed by Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (the "IRDAI") investments including derivative instruments, should be valued in accordance with the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Investment) Regulations, 2016 (the "Investment Regulations") and policies approved by Board of Directors of the Company.
In view of the significance of the matter, we applied the following audit procedures in this area, among others:
1) Obtained an understanding of the Company's process and controls over the valuation of investments. The understanding was obtained by performance of walkthroughs, which included inspection of documents produced by the Company and inquiries with those involved in the pertinent process;
2) Examined the design, implementation and operating effectiveness of key controls over the valuation process. Assessed the Company's assessment and approval of assumptions used for the valuation including key authorization and data input controls thereof;
Key Audit Matter
How our audit has addressed the key audit matter
Investments in unit linked portfolio of Rs. 1,01,62,815 Lakh are valued based on observable inputs as per their accounting policy and gains/losses are recognized in revenue account. These unit linked portfolio investments do not have risk of significant misstatement. The valuation of unlisted or not frequently traded investments involves Company judgement. Due to their significance to standalone financial statements, the same is considered as key audit matter.
Investments in non-linked and shareholders portfolio of Rs. 2,34,65,338 Lakh are valued as per the accounting policy, based on which:
• the unrealized gains/ losses arising due to changes in fair value of listed equity shares and mutual fund units are recorded in the "Fair Value Change Account" in the Balance Sheet; and
• debt securities and unlisted equity shares are valued at historical cost.
Further, investments in the non-linked and shareholders portfolio are assessed for impairment as per the Company's Board approved impairment policy which involves the Company's judgement. There is increased economic stress on account of external factors, which may impact the valuation of these investments.
Accordingly, valuation of investments was considered to be one of the areas which required significant auditor attention and was one of the matters of significance in the standalone financial statements.
3) Obtained independent balance confirmations for investments as at balance sheet date from the custodians and depository participants appointed by the Company to check the units of securities for the purpose of valuation re-computation.
4) On a test check basis, recomputed valuation of different class of investments to assess valuation methodologies with reference to the Investment Regulations along with the Company's Board approved valuation policy;
5) Examined movement and accounting in Fair Value Change account for specific investments. Further, in case of revaluation done for investment properties, examined the underlying valuation report recomputed the movement in "Revaluation reserve".
6) Obtained written representations from the Company on compliance of valuation of investments with the regulations and adequacy of impairment recorded for the year.
Key Audit Matter
How our audit has addressed the key audit matter
Information Technology (IT) systems and controls related to financial reporting process.
The Company is highly dependent on its Information Technology (it) infrastructure comprising hardware, software, multiple applications, automated interfaces and controls in systems for recording, storing and reporting of financial transactions.
The Company's key financial accounting and reporting processes recording premium, commission, benefits paid, investments amongst others are highly dependent on IT systems including automated controls, to process and record large volume of transactions on daily basis. Accordingly, there exists a risk that deficiencies / gaps in the IT control environment (including General IT Controls and automated application controls) could result in a significant misstatement in the financial statements.
In view of the significance of the matter, we involved Information technology specialist to assess IT systems and controls with respect to standalone financial statements and applied the following audit procedures in this area, among others:
1) Obtained an understanding of the Company's General IT Control (gitc) over key financial accounting and reporting systems, and related applications (collectively referred to as "in-scope systems");
2) Tested the design and operating effectiveness of key GITCs for in-scope systems, including;
• Logical access controls (e.g. segregation of duties, role-based access, user provisioning and de-provisioning),
• Periodic user access reviews and recertifications,
Key Audit Matter How our audit has addressed the key audit matter
Given the pervasive nature and criticality of the IT • Password and authentication policies, and environment to the preparation of the standalone
• Change management controls, including
financial statements, we have identified the testing of
testing and approvals of system changes in
IT systems and the related control environment as a
segregated environments.
key audit matter for the current year.
3) Examined automated control and system interfaces relating to process such as premium income, commission expense, benefits paid, and investment accounting. This included testing of
• Automated data interfaces and reconciliations
• System logic, validations, and data flows
• Processing controls for completeness and accuracy of financial data
4) Assessed policies and strategies adopted by the Company in relation to security of key information infrastructure, data and maintaining information and monitoring.
5) Reviewed the Company's policies and governance practices related to cybersecurity, infrastructure security, and client data protection, including strategies adopted for incident prevention, detection, and response
6) Examined compensating controls and alternate procedures, where deficiencies existed.
7) Obtained written representations from Company confirming the design and operating effectiveness of IT General Controls and application-level controls over financial reporting.
Other Information
4. The Company's Management and Board of Directors is responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in Management Discussion and Analysis, Directors' report including Annexures to Directors' report and management report but does not include the standalone financial statements and auditors' report thereon. Management Discussion and Analysis, Directors' report including Annexures to Directors' report and management report are expected to be made available to us after the date of this auditors' report.
Our opinion on the standalone financial statements does not cover the other information and we will not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
I n connection with our audit of the standalone financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information identified above when it becomes available and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the standalone financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated.
When we read the Management Discussion and Analysis, Directors' report including Annexures to Directors' report and management report, if we conclude that there is a material misstatement therein, we are required to communicate the matter to those charged with governance and take appropriate action as applicable under the relevant laws and regulations.
Management and Board of Directors' Responsibilities for the Standalone Financial Statements
5. The Company's Management and Board of Directors are responsible for the matters stated in section 134(5) of the Act with respect to the preparation of these standalone financial statements that give a true and fair view of financial position, financial performance and receipts and payments of the Company in accordance with the accounting principles generally accepted in India including the provisions of the Insurance Act, the IRDA Act, the Regulations including orders/ directions/ circulars issued by IRDAI in this regard, and the Accounting Standards specified under section 133 of the Act read with Rule 7 of the Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014 further amended by Companies (Accounting Standards) Amendment Rules, 2021, to the extent applicable. This responsibility also includes maintenance of adequate accounting records in accordance with the provisions of the Act for safeguarding of the assets of the Company and for preventing and detecting frauds and other irregularities; selection and application of appropriate accounting policies; making judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and design, implementation and maintenance of adequate internal financial controls, that were operating effectively for ensuring the accuracy and completeness of the accounting records, relevant to the preparation and presentation of the standalone financial statements that give a true and fair view and are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the standalone financial statements, the Management and Board of Directors are responsible for assessing the Company's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless Board of Directors either intends to liquidate the Company or to cease operations, or has no realistic alternative but to do so.
The Board of Directors are also responsible for overseeing the Company's financial reporting process.
Auditors' responsibilities for the Audit of the Standalone Financial Statements
6. Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the standalone financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with the SAs will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these standalone financial statements.
As part of an audit in accordance with the SAs, we exercise professional judgment and maintain professional scepticism throughout the audit. We also:
• Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the standalone financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control.
• Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances. Under section 143(3)(i) of the Act, we are also responsible for expressing our opinion on whether the Company has adequate internal financial controls with reference to financial statements in place and the operating effectiveness of such controls.
• Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates and related disclosures made by the Management and Board of Directors.
• Conclude on the appropriateness of the Management and Board of Directors use of the going concern basis of accounting in preparation of standalone financial statements and, based on the audit evidence obtained, whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. If we conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we are required to draw attention in our auditor's report to the related disclosures in the standalone financial statements or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify our opinion. Our conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of our auditor's report. However, future events or conditions may cause the Company to cease to continue as a going concern.
• Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the standalone financial statements, including the disclosures, and whether the standalone financial statements represent the underlying transactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation.
7. We communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit.
8. We also provide those charged with governance with a statement that we have complied with relevant ethical requirements regarding independence, and to communicate with them all relationships and other matters that may reasonably be thought to bear on our independence, and where applicable, related safeguards.
9. From the matters communicated with those charged with governance, we determine those matters that were of most significance in the audit of the standalone financial statements of the current period and are therefore the key audit matters. We describe these matters in our auditor's report unless law or regulation precludes public disclosure about the matter or when, in extremely rare circumstances, we determine that a matter should not be communicated in our report because the adverse consequences
of doing so would reasonably be expected to outweigh the public interest benefits of such communication.
Other Matters
10. The actuarial valuation of liabilities for life policies in force and for policies in respect of which premium has been discontinued but liability exists as at 31 March 2025 is the responsibility of the Company's Appointed Actuary (the "Appointed Actuary"). The actuarial valuation of these liabilities for life policies in force and for policies in respect of which premium has been discontinued but liability exists as at 31 March 2025 has been duly certified by the Appointed Actuary and in her opinion, the assumptions for such valuation are in accordance with the guidelines and norms issued by the IRDAI and the Institute of Actuaries of India in concurrence with the Authority. We have relied upon the Appointed Actuary's certificate in this regard for forming our opinion on the valuation of liabilities for life policies in force and for policies in respect of which premium has been discontinued but liability exists, as contained in the standalone annual financial results of the Company.
11. The standalone financial statements for the corresponding year ended 31 March 2024 included in these standalone financial statements were audited by G. M. Kapadia & Co., one of the current joint auditors of the Company, jointly with Price Waterhouse Chartered Accountants LLP, who had jointly expressed an unmodified opinion vide their audit report dated 18 April 2024.
Our opinion is not modified in respect of these matters.
Report on Other Legal and RegulatoryRequirements
12. The actuarial valuation of liabilities for life policies in-force and for policies in respect of which premium has been discontinued but liability exists as at 31 March 2025 has been duly certified by the Appointed Actuary. The Appointed Actuary has also certified that, in her opinion, the assumptions for such valuation are in accordance with the generally accepted actuarial principles and practices, requirements of the Insurance Act, regulations notified by the IRDAI and the Institute of Actuaries of India in concurrence with the Authority.
13. The report does not include a statement on the matters specified on paragraphs 3 and 4 of the Companies (Auditor's Report) Order, 2020 ("the
Order") issued by the Central Government of India in terms of section 143(11) of the Act, since in our opinion and according to the information and explanations given to us, the said Order is not applicable to the Company.
14. As required by the Regulations, we have issued a separate certificate dated 17 April 2025 certifying the matters specified in paragraphs 3 and 4 of Schedule C read with regulation 3 of the Regulations.
15. As required under the Regulations, read with section 143(3) of the Act, we report that:
a) We have sought and obtained all the information and explanations which to the best of our knowledge and belief were necessary for the purposes of our audit.
b) In our opinion, proper books of account as required by law have been kept by the Company so far as it appears from our examination of those books.
c) As the Company's financial accounting system is centralized at Head Office, no returns for the purposes of our audit are prepared at the branches and other offices of the Company.
d) The standalone balance sheet, the standalone revenue account, the standalone profit and loss account and the standalone receipts and payments account dealt with by this Report are in agreement with the books of accounts.
e) In our opinion and to the best of our
information and according to the
explanations given to us, investments
have been valued in accordance with the
provisions of the Insurance Act and the Regulations and orders/directions/circulars issued by the IRDAI in this behalf.
f) In our opinion and to the best of our
information and according to the
explanations given to us, the Standalone Balance Sheet, the Standalone Revenue
Account, the Standalone Profit and Loss Account and the Receipts and Payments Account dealt with by this report comply with the Accounting Standards referred to in section 133 of the Act, read with Rule 7 of the Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014 further amended by the Companies (Accounting
Standards) Amendment Rules, 2021, to the extent they are not inconsistent with the accounting principles prescribed in the Regulations and orders/directions issued by IRDAI in this regard.
g) On the basis of the written representations received from the directors as on 31 March 2025, taken on record by the Board of Directors, none of the directors are disqualified as on 31 March 2025, from being appointed as a director in terms of section 164 (2) of the Act.
h) With respect to the adequacy of the internal financial controls with reference to standalone financial statements of the Company and the operating effectiveness of such controls, refer to our separate report in "Annexure A".
i) With respect to the other matters to be included in the Auditor's Report in accordance with Rule 11 of the Companies (Audit and Auditors) Rules, 2014, in our opinion and to the best of our information and according to the explanations given to us:
i. The Company has disclosed the impact of pending litigations as on 31 March 2025 on its financial position in its standalone financial statements - Refer Schedule 16(b)(1) and Schedule 16(b)(2) to the standalone financial statements;
ii. The Company has made provision as at 31 March, 2025, as required under the applicable law or accounting standards, for material foreseeable losses, if any, on long-term contracts including derivative contracts - Refer Schedule 16(b)(15) and Schedule 16(c)(1) to the standalone financial statements;
iii. There are no amounts which were required to be transferred to the Investor Education and Protection Fund by the Company during the year ended 31 March, 2025.
iv. a. The management of the Company
has represented that, to the best of its knowledge and belief, as disclosed in the Schedule 16(C) (20) to the standalone financial statements, no funds have been advanced or loaned or invested
(either from borrowed funds or share premium or any other sources or kind of funds) by the Company to or in any other person(s) or entity(ies), including foreign entities ("Intermediaries"), with the understanding, whether recorded in writing or otherwise, that the Intermediary shall directly or indirectly lend or invest in other persons or entities identified in any manner whatsoever by or on behalf of the Company ("Ultimate Beneficiaries") or provide any guarantee, security or the like on behalf of the Ultimate Beneficiaries.
b. The management of the Company has represented that, to the best of its knowledge and belief, as disclosed in the Schedule 16(c) (20) to the standalone financial statements, no funds have been received by the Company from any person(s) or entity(ies), including foreign entities ("Funding Parties"), with the understanding, whether recorded in writing or otherwise, that the Company shall directly or indirectly, lend or invest in other persons or entities identified in any manner whatsoever by or on behalf of the Funding Parties ("Ultimate Beneficiaries") or provide any guarantee, security or the like on behalf of the Ultimate Beneficiaries; and
c. Based on audit procedures that have been considered reasonable and appropriate in the circumstances performed, nothing that has come to our notice that
has caused us to believe that the representations under sub-clause (a) and (b) of Rule 11(e), as provided under (a) and (b) above, contain any material misstatement.
v. The dividend declared and paid by the Company during the year and is in accordance with section 123 of the Act.
vi. Based on our examination, which included test checks, the Company has used accounting software for maintaining its books of account, which has a feature of recording an audit trail (edit log), and the same has been operated throughout the year under audit for all relevant transactions recorded in the software. Further, during the course of our audit, we did not come across any instance of the audit trail feature being tampered with.
Except for the periods of previous financial year where the audit trail feature was not enabled for certain software and its databases, the Company has preserved the audit trail in accordance with statutory record retention requirements.
16. With respect to the matter to be included in the Auditor's Report under section 197(16) of the Act, in our opinion and according to the explanations given to us, the remuneration paid by the Company to its directors during the year is in accordance with the provisions of section 197 of the Act read with section 34A of the Insurance Act, 1938. The remuneration paid to any director is not in excess of the limit laid down under section 197 of the Act read with section 34A of the Insurance Act,1938. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has not prescribed other details under section 197(16) which are required to be commented upon by us.
For B S R & Co. LLP For G. M. Kapadia & Co.
Chartered Accountants Chartered Accountants
ICAI Firm Registration No:101248W/W-100022 ICAI Firm Registration No: 104767W
Pranav Gune Atul Shah
Partner Partner
Membership No: 121058 Membership No: 039569
ICAI UDIN: 25121058BMNWTE7756 ICAI UDIN: 25039569BMLNBJ9863
Place: Mumbai Place: Mumbai
Date: 17 April 2025 Date: 17 April 2025
|