Asiamoney Best Bank Awards

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.

MCB Bank, one of Pakistan’s oldest financial names, has travelled a rather circuitous path to become a corporate banking mainstay. It was founded in 1947 as a private-sector institution, then nationalized in 1974 and privatized in 1991. Shoaib Mumtaz, who was appointed chief executive at the end of 2021, has been with the bank since he joined a year after its privatization.

In early 2017, when Dimantha Seneviratne took the reins as chief executive of NDB Bank, he unveiled the bank’s 'Transformation 2020' strategy to strengthen its corporate banking business. The plan, in consultation with the International Finance Corporation, aimed to improve policies toward small and medium-sized enterprises and the microfinance sector, and support businesses led by women.

Bank of China (Hong Kong)’s focus on corporate social responsibility dates back to 2010 when it set up an official CSR committee and put together a CSR policy. There has been no turning back since. The Hong Kong arm of one of China’s biggest banks has only strengthened its commitment to CSR over the years, and showcased its abilities during the pandemic.

In the decade since DBS’s Taiwan subsidiary was established, the Singaporean bank’s franchise in the market has gone from strength to strength. Last year, the bank reported NT$11.7 billion ($393 million) in revenue, 2% higher year on year, with net profit after and before tax both rising 10% annually.

Sri Lanka has had a rough 12 months, buffeted by a combination of the Covid-19 pandemic, economic shocks and political turmoil. But People’s Bank managed to navigate the choppy waters well, winning Asiamoney’s award for best domestic bank in the country for 2022.

Sri Lanka has had a rough 12 months, buffeted by a combination of the Covid-19 pandemic, economic shocks and political turmoil. But People’s Bank managed to navigate the choppy waters well, winning Asiamoney’s award for best domestic bank in the country for 2022.

Depending on how you look at it, opening shop in Uzbekistan in 2019 was either poorly timed or a stroke of genius. Kazakhstan’s Halyk Bank is doing a solid job of proving that its decision to set up Tenge Bank in Uzbekistan, now in its fourth year, was the smart thing to do as it increases its footprint in local investment circles.

HDFC Bank is India’s largest private-sector lender by assets. It has the scale, processes, expertise and vision to meet the needs of its 70 million-plus customers. Those strengths came in handy when the pandemic roiled markets.