We have audited the accompanying standalone financial statements of ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company Limited (the “Company”), which comprise the Standalone Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2024, the Standalone Revenue Account (also called the “Policyholders' Account” or the “Technical Account”), the Standalone Profit and Loss Account (also called the “Shareholders' Account” or the “Non-Technical Account”) and the Standalone Receipts and Payments Account for the year then ended, and schedules annexed thereto 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 in accordance with the Insurance Act, 1938 (the “Insurance Act”), as amended from time to time, including amendment brought by Insurance Laws (Amendment), Act 2015 the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999 (the “IRDA Act”), the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (Preparation of Financial Statements and Auditors' Report of Insurance Companies) Regulations, 2002 (the “IRDA Financial Statements Regulations”), orders/ directions/ circulars issued by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (the “IRDAI”) and the Companies Act, 2013 (the “Act”), to the extent applicable, 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 of the Company as at 31 March 2024, its net surplus, its profit and its receipts and payments for the year ended on that date.
BASIS FOR OPINION
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 together with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the standalone financial statements under the provisions of the Act and 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
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 year. 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.
We have determined the matters described below to be the key audit matters to be communicated in our report.
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Information Technology (IT) systems and controls related to financial reporting process
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Key audit matter
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How our audit has addressed the key audit matter
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The Company is highly dependent on its complex 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 such as premium income, 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 as part of its operations, such that there exists a risk that gaps in the IT control environment could result in the financial accounting and reporting records being materially misstated.
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We have involved our IT specialists in our assessment of the IT systems and controls with respect to financial statements, which included, but were not limited to the following:
• Obtained an understanding of the Company's General IT Control (GITC) over key financial accounting and reporting systems, and supporting control systems (referred to as inscope systems);
• On the in-scope systems, we have tested the design and operating effectiveness of key IT general controls. This included evaluation of entity's controls to ensure segregation of duties and access rights are based on duly approved requests, access for exit cases being revoked in a timely manner and access of all users being re- certified during the period of audit, evaluation of password policies. Further, controls related to program change were evaluated to verify whether the changes were approved, tested in an environment that was segregated from production and moved to production by appropriate users;
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Information Technology (IT) systems and controls related to financial reporting process
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Key audit matter
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How our audit has addressed the key audit matter
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Due to the pervasive nature, complexity and importance of the impact of the IT systems and related control environment on the Company’s financial statements, we have identified testing of such IT systems and related control environment as a key audit matter for the current year audit.
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• Evaluated the design and tested the operating effectiveness for the audit period over the in-scope systems around system interfaces, reconciliations and system processing relevant to the audit of premium income, commission expense, benefits paid and investments, for evaluating completeness and accuracy
• Evaluated policies and strategies adopted by the Company in relation to security of key information infrastructure, data and client information management and monitoring
• Where deficiencies, if any, were identified, tested compensating controls or performed alternative procedures; and
• Obtained written representations from management on whether IT general controls and automated IT controls are designed and were operating effectively during the year.
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Valuation and impairment determination of Investments (31 March 2024: INR 2,897,360,953,31 March 2023: INR 2,482,204,207) (INR in thousands)
Refer Schedule 8,8A and 8B of the standalone financial statements and refer schedule 16 note 2.12 on accounting policy
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Key audit matter
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How our audit has addressed the key audit matter
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The Company’s investment portfolio consists of Policyholders
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Our audit procedures for this area included but were not limited to
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investments (unit linked and non- linked) and Shareholders investments. Total investment portfolio represents around 99%
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the following:
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of the Company’s total assets as at 31 March 2024
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•
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Obtained an understanding of the Company's process and controls over the valuation of investments. The understanding
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Investments are valued in accordance with the Board approved
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was obtained by performance of walkthroughs, which
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investment policy framed by the Company as per the provisions
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included inspection of documents produced by the Company
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of the Insurance Act, the IRDA Financial Statements Regulations, IRDAI (Investment) Regulations, 2016 and the applicable orders/
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and discussion with those involved in the pertinent process;
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directions/ circulars issued by IRDAI.
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•
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Evaluated and tested the design, implementation and operating effectiveness of key controls over the valuation
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Investments in unit linked portfolio of INR 1,648,424,014
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process, including the Company's assessment and approval
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thousands are valued based on observable inputs as per their
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of assumptions used for the valuation including key
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accounting policy and gains/losses are recognized in Revenue account. These unit linked portfolio investments do not represent
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authorisation and data input controls thereof;
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higher risk of material misstatement however, are considered to
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•
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Obtained independent external confirmations for investments
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be a key audit matter due to their materiality to the standalone
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as at balance sheet date from the Custodians and Depository
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financial statements.
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Participants appointed by the Company to confirm the units
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Investments in non-linked and shareholders portfolio of INR
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of securities for the purpose of valuation re-computation;
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1,248,936,939 thousands are valued as per their accounting
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•
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On a test check basis, recomputed valuation of different
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policy, based on which:
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class of investments to assess appropriateness of valuation
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• the unrealized gains/ losses arising due to changes in fair
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methodologies with reference to IRDAI Investment
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value of listed equity shares and mutual fund units are
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Regulations along with the Company's Board approved
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recorded in the “Fair Value Change Account” in the Balance
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valuation policy;
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Sheet; and
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Examined movement and appropriateness of accounting in
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• debt securities and unlisted equity shares are valued at
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Fair Value Change account for specific investments. Further,
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historical cost.
Further, investments in the non-linked and shareholders portfolio
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in case of revaluation done for investment properties, examined the underlying valuation report for valuation for testing the reasonableness and also recomputed the
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are assessed for impairment as per the Company’s investment
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policy which involves significant management judgement. There
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movement in "Revaluation reserve".
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is increased economic stress on account of external factors,
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Ensured the appropriateness and reasonableness of
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which may impact the valuation of these investments.
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methodology, assumptions and judgements used by
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Accordingly, valuation of investments (including impairment
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management with reference to the valuation and impairment
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assessment) was considered to be one of the areas which required
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of investments as per the Company's Board approved
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significant auditor attention and was one of the matter of most
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valuation and impairment policy. Obtained third party
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significance in the standalone financial statements.
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valuation price reports as per the Company's policy as relevant and understood such methodology to conclude on the reasonableness.
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Obtained written representations from management on compliance of valuation of investments with the regulations and adequacy of impairment recorded for the year
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INFORMATION OTHER THAN THE STANDALONE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND AUDITOR’S REPORT THEREON
The Company's management and Board of Directors are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the Annual Report, which is expected to be made available to us after that date.
Our opinion on the standalone financial statements does not cover the other information and we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
In connection with our audit of the standalone financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the standalone financial statements or our knowledge obtained during the course of our audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated.
MANAGEMENT’S AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE STANDALONE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
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 the state of affairs, net surplus/deficit, profit/loss 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 IRDA Financial Statements Regulations and orders/ directions/circulars issued by the IRDAI in this regard and Accounting Standards specified under section 133 of the Act, 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 management and 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.
AUDITOR’S RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE AUDIT OF THE STANDALONE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
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 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 SAs, we exercise professional judgment and maintain professional skepticism 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 the 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 in the standalone financial statements 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 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.
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.
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.
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 year 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 MATTER
The actuarial valuation of liabilities for life policies in force and policies in respect of which premium has been discontinued but liability exists as at 31 March 2024 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 2024 has been duly certified by the Appointed Actuary and in his 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. Accordingly, 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 in the standalone financial statements of the Company.
Our opinion is not modified in respect of this matter.
REPORT ON OTHER LEGAL AND REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS
1. As required by IRDA Financial Statements Regulations, we have issued a separate certificate dated 23 April 2024 certifying the matters specified in paragraphs 3 and 4 of Schedule C to the IRDA Financial Statements Regulations.
2. As required by the IRDA Financial Statements
Regulations read with Section 143(3) of the Act, we
report, to the extent applicable that:
(i) 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 of accompanying standalone financial statements
(ii) 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;
(iii) As the Company's financial accounting system is centralized, no returns for the purpose of our audit are prepared at the branches and other offices of the Company;
(iv) The standalone balance sheet, the standalone revenue account, the standalone profit and loss account and the standalone receipts and payment account dealt with by this Report are in agreement with the books of account;
(v) 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 2024 has been duly certified by the Appointed Actuary. The Appointed Actuary has also certified that, in his opinion, the assumptions for such valuation are in accordance with the guidelines and norms issued by IRDAI and the Institute of Actuaries of India in concurrence with the Authority;
(vi) In our opinion, the aforesaid standalone financial statements comply with the applicable Accounting Standards specified under Section 133 of the Act, to the extent not inconsistent with the accounting principles prescribed in the IRDA Financial Statements Regulations and orders/ directions/ circulars issued by IRDAI in this regard;
(vii) 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, the IRDA Financial Statements Regulations and orders/ directions/ circulars issued by IRDAI in this regard;
(viii) In our opinion, the accounting policies selected by the Company are appropriate and are in compliance with the Accounting Standards specified under Section 133 of the Act, to the extent they are not inconsistent with the accounting principles as prescribed in the IRDA Financial Statements Regulations and orders/directions/circulars issued by the IRDAI in this regard;
(ix) On the basis of written representations received from the directors as on 31 March 2024 taken on record by the Board of Directors, none of the directors is disqualified as on 31 March 2024 from being appointed as a director in terms of Section 164(2) of the Act;
(x) With respect to the adequacy of the internal financial controls with reference to financial statements of the Company as on 31 March 2024 and the operating effectiveness of such controls, refer to our separate Report in “Annexure A”; and
(xi) 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:
(a) The Company has disclosed the impact of pending litigations as at 31 March 2024 on its financial position in its standalone financial statements - Refer Schedule 16 note 3.2 to the standalone financial statements;
(b) The Company has made provision, 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 note 3.48 to the standalone financial statements;
(c) There has been no delay in transferring amounts, required to be transferred, to the Investor Education and Protection Fund by the Company;
(d) (i) The management has represented that,
to the best of its knowledge and belief, 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 persons or entities, 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 (“Ultimate Beneficiaries”) by or on behalf of the Company; or
• provide any guarantee, security or the like to or on behalf of the Ultimate Beneficiaries (refer schedule 16 note 3.53(a) to the standalone financial statements).
(ii) The management has represented, that, to the best of its knowledge and belief, no funds have been received by the
Company from any persons or entities, 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 (“Ultimate Beneficiaries”) by or on behalf of the Funding Party; or
• provide any guarantee, security or the like from or on behalf of the Ultimate Beneficiaries (refer schedule 16 note 3.53(b) to the standalone financial statements).
(iii) Based on such audit procedures as considered reasonable and appropriate in the circumstances, nothing has come to our notice that has caused us to believe that the representations under sub-clause (d) (i) and (ii) contain any material misstatement
(e) The final dividend paid by the Company during the year, in respect of the same declared for the previous year, is in accordance with Section 123 of the Act to the extent it applies to payment of dividend.
(f) Based on our examination which included test checks, the company has used an accounting software for maintaining its books of account which, along with access management tools, as applicable, have a feature of recording audit trail (edit log) facility and the same has operated throughout the year for all relevant transactions recorded in the software. Further, during the course of our audit we did not come across any instance of audit trail feature being tampered with.
3. 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 Walker Chandiok & Co LLP
Chartered Accountants Chartered Accountants
ICAI Firm Registration No: 101248W/W-100022 ICAI Firm Registration No: 001076N/N500013
Kapil Goenka Sudhir N. Pillai
Partner Partner
Membership No: 118189 Membership No: 105782
UDIN: 24118189BKDBCA4791 UDIN: 24105782BKFIZF6662
Place: Mumbai Place: Mumbai
Date: 23 April 2024 Date: 23 April 2024
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