Now, Kidnapping Insurance

Today’s Business Times, Singapore (page requires subscription) carries an interesting story that companies in India are taking out kidnapping insurance for their top employees located in high-growth hubs such as Hyderabad, Bangalore and Delhi suburbs Gurgaon and Noida. As for the nature of the policies taken, the newspaper reports:

“The kidnapping-terror policies cover ransom, hiring charges of negotiators and trauma counselling. The insured amounts can range from US$1 million to US$5 million, with premiums typically 1-3 per cent. In the US, such premiums gross over US$300 million.”

This comes in the wake of several kidnappings (high-profile or otherwise) in the recent past that have targeted top-level corporate executives and their families.