Downturn? Insurance spawns a spurt in jobs ; Insurers believe the financial crisis has reduced the cost of manpower and real estate which they are keen to acquire for future growth.

India is in the grip of a slowdown and at a time when virtuallyevery sector is cutting down on hirings, insurance seems to bestanding its ground. What's more, the Mumbai terror attack, and theones before it, will only increase the demand for insurance.SaysRajesh Relan, Managing Director, MetLife Insurance India:We havealways seen in the times of high insecurity, purchase decisions ofprospective customers become faster.Little surprise then, severalprivate players both life insurance and general insuranceare ontrack with their recently rolled-out plans for hiring in the nexttwo-three years.Sample these numbers. Max New York Life Insurance,which currently has around 15,000 …