Prudential Plc names Amit Dave as CEO, Abhishek Saraf as COO

Mumbai: Prudential Plc has appointed Amit Dave as chief executive officer and managing director of Prudential Health India, and Abhishek Saraf as chief operating officer, as the UK-based insurer moves closer to launching its health insurance joint venture with HCL Group.

The appointments, subject to regulatory approval, come at a key juncture with the venture-a standalone health insurer, approaching the regulator for clearances. Dave replaces Amar Joshi, who is stepping down. Dave was most recently president and chief distribution officer at Tata AIA Life Insurance and has over two decades of experience across distribution, partnerships and product strategy. He will report to Naveen Tahilyani, Prudential’s regional CEO for India and other markets.

Saraf, who will report to Dave, has spent more than 25 years within Prudential and was most recently group chief actuary. He will oversee execution across core functions including finance, risk, compliance and product.

The leadership changes come as Prudential and HCL Group make progress on regulatory approvals for their proposed health insurance venture, structured as a 70:30 partnership. Prudential will hold the majority stake, with HCL owning the remaining 30% through promoter entity Vama Sundari Investments.

The venture had been delayed for over a year due to approval requirements under India’s Press Note 3 rules and complexities around downstream ownership. The rules mandate government approval for investments from countries sharing land borders with India.

Recent easing of these norms is helping move such transactions forward. Prudential, which announced the tie-up with Vama Sundari Investments in March 2025, is expected to approach the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India for final clearance, as reported.