The problem with India’s state bank mergers.

SBI head outlines path to asset resolution; says sector still shocked by PNB fraud.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Urjit Patel took to the stage at Gujarat National Law University on March 14 to make a simple request...

India threatens cryptocurrency crackdown; Ripple argues it has a remittance model.

CEO has broader ambitions as firm turns 10; impact investing still modest in Asia but growing.

For the banking industry, 2017 was a time of trying finally to resolve issues of the past and avoid new mistakes, yet dig beneath the surface and it was also 12 months of intrigue and, sometimes, farce. Here are Euromoney’s alternative awards for 2017.

Arundhati Bhattacharya left big shoes to fill as chair of State Bank of India, but Rajnish Kumar’s arrival has coincided with a handy recapitalization of public sector banks that will help him achieve his main aim.

India receives global attention for its digital innovation as a tool of financial inclusion, but it couldn’t get off the ground without a unique non-profit institution charged with creating the infrastructure.

News broke last week of an intriguing insolvency petition in India: under the new Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, high-profile disputes are now commonplace, but what’s interesting here is it pits a Chinese policy bank against an Indian private-sector corporation.

Recapitalization bonds will repair balance sheets; next step will be writing off bad loans

India’s biggest fintech has doubled its user base in a year and is on track to have 500 million customers by 2020. It is backed by Ant Financial and Softbank and spurred by state policy on financial inclusion. How far can Paytm go?

Asia’s disparate markets and economies have found common ground in the widespread adoption of digital technology. Starting with consumer clients, expectations are rising up the banking chain and banks need to keep pace.

Few banks in the world have made greater efforts to reach those in poverty than State Bank of India (SBI). As chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya told Euromoney last year: “I have customers in the bank who have to be led by the hand to give their left thumb impression. When you dispense the money, you have to tell them the amount orally, because they can neither read nor write.”

Euromoney’s latest Country Risk Survey shows a gradual rebalancing of risk scores this year, as the aftershocks of the global banking and sovereign debt crises wear off, political risks tied to the European electoral cycle fade, and capital access improves for EMs.

Bedding down a six-sided merger domestically; international activity to be 20% of total book in three years.

Whip-smart M&A boutiques and upstart full-service investment banks are making waves in India, profiting from the retreat of global investment banks. But how much further can they go?

Senior bankers hail acceleration of digitization; impact felt across financial services industry.

Scrapping large-tender notes sparks panic; ‘black economy’ crackdown prompts cash squeeze.

Pity Arvind Subramanian – he has a tough enough job as it is as chief economic adviser to the government of India without further distraction.

ICICI Prudential Life reinvigorates IPOs; slew of smaller listings ready to follow.

Arundhati Bhattacharya is an SBI veteran: she joined in 1977.

Arundhati Bhattacharya already had one of the toughest jobs in India as chairman of State Bank of India. Not only is it the country’s largest financial institution, but it is also woven inextricably into India’s social fabric. She has made her job harder still by proposing a seven-sided bank merger. But as technological innovation increases and as asset quality plunges across public banks, bigger may not necessarily be better.

Technology is finally bringing banking services to the unbanked in both developing and developed markets. While technology companies are driving this transformational shift, it looks increasingly likely that traditional banks will ultimately be service providers. They have everything to gain if they can form partnerships and create a long-term strategy.

From Aadhaar to iSPIRT – your guide to Indian biometrics.

An extraordinary revolution is taking place in digital banking in India. Driven by the state, it is anchored on a billion-strong biometric database to finally bring financial inclusion to a country that needs it more than any other. Banks may face a binary outcome: be quick or be dead.

All eyes are on the expected appointment of a new Reserve Bank of India governor, but nobody is quite clear why there needs to be a new one.

Yes Bank, started just 12 years ago, is one of India’s fastest growing lenders – and the most interesting by far. Its founder and CEO sits down with Euromoney to discuss risk management, cost cutting, divine intervention and why he doesn’t do the ‘wow’ factor.

HDFC launches first corporate masala bond; others may be slow to follow.

Asian banks are increasingly proving themselves to be much more than just volume-hungry lenders.

Best bank in the Middle East Emirates NBD Best investment bank in the Middle East HSBC Best digital bank in the Middle East Emirates NBD Best bank for financing in the Middle East Citi Best bank for advisory in the Middle East Barclays Best bank for markets in the Middle East National Bank of Abu Dhabi Best bank for transaction services in the Middle East Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank Best bank for wealth management in the Middle East Audi Private Bank Best bank for CSR in the Middle East Arab African International Bank Best bank for SMEs Bank of Alexandria Best bank transformation Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait Outstanding contribution to financial services Hisham Ezz Al Arab . Country Awards for Excellence 2016: Middle East Awards for Excellence Middle East press release