Asiamoney Best Bank Awards

Digitalization took centre stage during the Covid-19 pandemic as customers turned to virtual banking, exposing technological gaps among some of India’s banks.

Standard Chartered’s 117-year uninterrupted presence in Bangladesh makes for quite a sales pitch. So does being the only multinational, universal bank in an economy tipped to grow 7% in 2022, even as inflation, geopolitical turmoil and further bouts of Covid-19 cloud the outlook.

IndusInd Bank, India’s fifth-largest private-sector lender by assets, has consistently embraced environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies, ensuring they are embedded in every aspect of its business.

Bank of Punjab is a commercial banking power that has acquired a solid reputation for serving clients and making markets in Pakistan, particularly in recent years after Zafar Masud took over as chief executive in early 2020.

Hamkorbank is the digital bank to beat in Uzbekistan, even though its rivals are raising their game in mobile banking in this nation of 34 million.

Banks tempted to protest over a non-bank winning the top digital solutions award can take solace from the way this particular fintech phenomenon is turning the heads of many of the globe’s most important financiers.

HBL is Pakistan’s first commercial bank, having been set up in 1941, before moving its operations to the country in 1947 at the request of newly independent Pakistan’s first leader, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. It is now the nation’s largest private-sector bank, and winner of Asiamoney’s award for the best domestic bank in Pakistan this year.

Greater China powerhouse HSBC wins three of Asiamoney’s awards for Hong Kong this year: best domestic bank, best investment bank and best bank for digital solutions. And for good reason. HSBC proved its mettle across a host of different business lines, despite the triple threat of the pandemic, market volatility and pressure on net interest margins.