CEO: StanChart doesn’t want single-product customers

STANDARD CHARTERED BANK is rewriting its India strategy, with a clear focus on cross-border banking, wealth management and multi-product retail relationships, as it targets double-digit corporate growth and deeper integration into India’s evolving financial ecosystem.

- FE BUREAU

“Indian corporates have been waiting for right valuations to go offshore. With more sensible pricing now, we are seeing outbound M&A activity pick up,’ said PD Singh, CEO, India & South Asia at Standard Chartered Bank, citing the bank’s advisory role in seven landmark M&A deals worth $6 billion in H1FY26, including Titan’s acquisition of Damas Jewellery in the West Asia. The bank is also investing in corridor-native strategies, helping clients move into new geographies with regulatory and banking support.“I have coined the term corridor natives; companies expanding into new markets need deep advisory, and that’s where we step in,’ Singh said.

India’s wealth boom is central to Standard Chartered’s global ambitions. Singh confirmed that India will play an important part in the bank’s target of $200 billion in net new money globally by 2029. “We are hiring wealth managers, but it’s not just about headcount, it’s about cultural fit and long-term engagement,” he said. The bank is building priority centres within branches, with seven already live this year, and plans to take the count to 21 by year-end.