The insurance sector in India has historically been dominated by LIC, but private insurers have gained market share since 2000 when the sector was opened to privatization. The life insurance industry has grown substantially in the last decade, with the number of policies and amount of premiums increasing significantly. Growth has been driven by rising incomes and awareness as well as government initiatives to expand insurance coverage. However, there remains huge potential for further growth given low insurance penetration rates currently. Major players include both public sector insurers like LIC and private insurers such as HDFC, ICICI and Bajaj. The general insurance sector is also growing with motor insurance making up a large portion of the market.