Africa’s largest non-life insurer, Santam Group, has appointed Hemant Gulati as Country Head and Principal Officer of its India-based operation at the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), India’s first operational greenfield smart city and International Financial Services Centre, subject to regulatory approval.
In his new role, Gulati will lead Santam’s GIFT City operations, focusing on strengthening the specialty insurance and reinsurance platform, deepening global partnerships, and driving sustainable, long-term growth.
The insurer was granted a licence to establish a branch office at the GIFT City at the beginning of 2026. These operations enable Santam to build upon its existing foothold in the Indian market, drive international expansion, and broaden its international treaty and facultative reinsurance footprint.
Gulati is an Indian insurance industry veteran, and joins from UNISON Insurance Broking Services, where he was Senior Executive Vice President & Business Head – Reinsurance (GIFT City).
He began his career in claims and loss adjusting with Mumbai-based Puri Crawford Surveyors & Loss Adjusters, where he gained early exposure to large industrial and engineering losses.
Since then, Gulati has expanded his capabilities across risk engineering, underwriting advisory, and corporate client servicing, developing a well-rounded perspective on managing complex risk for large businesses.
Gareth Beaver, Chief Executive Officer, Santam Specialist Solutions, said, “Gulati is an experienced professional with an understanding of the Indian and international markets. Hemant brings close to two decades of experience across insurance and reinsurance, with deep expertise in building reinsurance portfolios, structuring complex risk transfer solutions, and driving strategic growth across domestic and international markets.”
He continued, “He has led facultative and treaty operations, built reinsurance capacity arrangements, and expanded business relationships across more than 30 countries – demonstrating a strong track record of building and scaling international reinsurance platforms. We are excited at his appointment and look forward to his leadership in growing our India business.”
Gulati added, “I look forward to contributing his experience to Santam’s international treaty and facultative reinsurance capabilities. I am excited to join Santam Ltd as Principal Officer & Country Head – India at GIFT City. India is a dynamic and fast-growing market, and I look forward to building strong partnerships, driving growth, and contributing to Santam’s journey in the region. Proud to start this exciting new chapter as a Santammer.”
