Citi India CEO & Banking Head K Balasubramanian said the global bank plans to deepen its focus on India's institutional banking business, citing strong corporate balance sheets, growing financing needs and significant opportunities arising from India's expanding role in the global economy.
Speaking to NDTV Profit, Balasubramanian said the bank remains “super focused” on its institutional business and is well-positioned to support clients across working capital requirements, digitisation initiatives and trade finance.
“We see tremendous business opportunity with Indian institutional clients,” he said, adding that Citi's presence across 95 countries gives it a unique advantage in serving Indian companies as they expand globally.
The bank intends to “double down” on investments in its India institutional franchise, which primarily serves companies with annual turnover exceeding $100 million.
No Signs of Stress
Despite ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia and volatility in global markets, Balasubramanian said Citi's corporate portfolio has not shown signs of deterioration. “Our portfolio is not showing any stress due to the West Asia conflict,” he said.
He added that corporate balance sheets remain healthy and the bank does not currently see stress emerging in any client segment. The comments come at a time when rising oil prices and geopolitical uncertainty have raised concerns about the potential impact on Indian corporates, particularly those exposed to imports, energy costs and global supply chains.
Balasubramanian also highlighted the need for progress on foreign institutional investor taxation, saying the market would benefit from greater clarity and policy movement on the issue.
On monetary policy, he said he expects the Reserve Bank of India to maintain the status quo on benchmark interest rates in its upcoming policy review.
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