Life Insurance Corporation of India (abbreviated as LIC) is an Indian statutory insurance and investment corporation. It is under the ownership of Ministry of Finance, Government of India. The Life insurance Corporation of India was established on 1 September 1956, when the Parliament of India passed the Life Insurance of India Act that nationalized the insurance industry in India. Over 245 insurance companies and provident societies were merged to create the state-owned Life Insurance Corporation of India. Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), owned by the Government of India, is a provider of life insurance plans. The company offers endowment plans, money back plans, term assurance plans, pension plans, special plans, unit plans, group schemes, child plans, and health insurance plans. It operates through zonal offices in Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Kanpur, Bhopal and Patna. LIC offers insurance products in India through associates and agents. The company and its associates also have operations in Fiji, Mauritius, the UK, Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia and Kenya. LIC is headquartered in Mumbai, India. Life insurance is very important for protecting human lives against accidents, causalities and other types of risks. Life insurance has been dominated by public sector (LIC) in India; however, with the liberalization of Indian economy, private sector entry in life insurance has got momentum. The public sector Insurance Company, i.e. LIC of India has emphasized on exploiting the potential of rural India as rural life insurance provides immense scope.But still its penetration is very low as compared to that in developed nations.