Insurer Markel International has appointed Deepika Mathur to head its India business, as it enters the domestic market.

Capacity will be provided by Markel’s Syndicate 3000 at Lloyd’s and written through the Lloyds India platform in Mumbai.

The insurer will focus on treaty and faculty reinsurance in a range of areas, including trade credit, marine and energy.

Mathur joins from HDFC Ergo, a joint venture insurance company with Indian and German ownership. Here, she managed casualty and financial lines and helped launched the company’s trade credit class. Prior to that, she spent four years as head of financial products with Marsh in India.

President of Markel, William Stovin, says: “We have been interested in the Indian market for some time but have been waiting to find the right person to head up the business. Deepika is exactly the sort of person we were looking for. She combines a high level of technical ability with proven management and active business development experience. With a 20-year career in the market, in both underwriting and broking, she has a very strong network of local contacts, which will be valuable in supporting the growth of our business. Markel gets into new markets by hiring exceptional local talent and Deepika is just such a hire.”