Pakistan and its bankers have enjoyed a purple patch since 2013, when the IMF rescued the country from a near-death experience. There are encouraging signs of a sustainable period of growth, much of it being driven by investor demand. But, with elections looming, can the country continue to build on its hard-won gains?

November 8, 2016, will go down in history as the day Donald Trump, a real estate mogul and reality TV host, was elected the 45th president of the United States and leader of the free world – but, in India, it marks a perhaps equally surreal event: demonetization. Can the scrapping of bank notes used in the bulk of the nation’s cash transactions finally catapult this long-time financial laggard into the 21st century?

It’s the unspoken secret of Bangladesh’s banking world. The true figures for bad loans make a juicy read for investors but are an embarrassment for many of the country’s banks. Do the authorities have the appetite to deal with the problem, now the central bank has revealed all?

China and Pakistan like to describe their relationship as sweeter than honey and stronger than steel. As a huge China-backed project to overhaul Pakistan’s creaking infrastructure takes shape, Pakistani bankers are steeling themselves to discover just how sweet that Chinese investment might be.

Private equity firms are bringing new money, international expertise and fresh ideas to Colombo, hoping to rejuvenate Sri Lanka’s investment scene.

If this was supposed to be the century of the woman, no one thought to tell the international banking community. One country alone has closed the gender gap, and it happens to be Asia’s fastest-growing large economy. Step forward India, where the top ranks of finance are filled with high-flying women.

The OECD’s arguments in favour of a higher credit rating are endorsed by experts taking part in Euromoney’s country risk survey.