Asia-Pacific
Banking and finance news from China, Japan, India, Australia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific
UOB Singapore Reports 21% Growth in Sustainable Financing Portfolio to SGD 70.1 Billion in 2025
UOB's 2025 sustainability report shows its sustainable financing portfolio grew 21% year-on-year to SGD 70.1bn, up from SGD 58bn at end-2024.
Taiwan Central Bank Maintains Rates as Inflation Pressures Mount
Taiwan's central bank kept interest rates unchanged Thursday, holding policy steady even as geopolitical tensions and energy price shocks complicate the economic outlook.
HDFC Bank Chairman Chakraborty Resigns Over Values Clash
HDFC Bank's part-time Chairman Atanu Chakraborty has resigned suddenly, citing internal practices at the bank that clashed with his personal values and ethics.
MobiKwik Names Anis Pathan Chief Risk Officer to Bolster Fraud Controls
MobiKwik, the Gurugram-based digital payments and fintech company, has appointed Anis Pathan as its Chief Risk Officer, a move signaling heightened focus on risk governance amid expansion.
BharatPe Taps Himanshu Verma to Head POS Amid Offline Push
Fintech firm BharatPe has appointed Himanshu Verma as Head of its point-of-sale (POS) business as it expands its offline payments business.
BOJ Holds at 0.75% as Oil Price Shock Clouds Outlook
The nine-member board voted eight to one to keep rates at their highest level since September 1995, with hawkish board member Hajime Takata once again dissenting in favour of an immediate increase to 1.0 percent.
Wall Street Dealmakers Flee Asia Banks for Corporate Stability
A wave of senior departures is sweeping through the Asia divisions of Wall Street's biggest investment banks, as dealmakers trade the volatile bonus cycles of global finance for the steadier compensation and career trajectories offered by corporate roles at companies building in-house deal teams.
Mastercard Pioneers Korea's First AI Agent Ride Payment
Mastercard has executed South Korea's inaugural live agentic transaction, with an AI agent booking and paying for a ride from Incheon Airport to Seoul via hoppa using Agent Pay. This breakthrough paves the way for secure AI-driven commerce across issuers, acquirers, and merchants.
Reserve Bank of Australia Raises Cash Rate by 25 Basis Points to 4.10% in Second Consecutive Hike
The Reserve Bank of Australia raised its cash rate by 25 basis points to 4.10% on 17 March 2026, its second consecutive increase, citing Middle East conflict risk to energy inflation.
Kredivo Snaps Up Vietnam's Timo in Digital Banking Push
Indonesian fintech firm Kredivo Group has signed final paperwork to acquire Timo, one of Vietnam's pioneering digital banking platforms, Tech in Asia reported.
Ripple Secures Path to Australian Payments Regulation Through BC Payments Deal
Blockchain infrastructure provider Ripple is acquiring BC Payments Australia to obtain an Australian Financial Services Licence, enabling direct settlement oversight and optimized transaction routing for its global payments platform.
DBS Bank Reports SGD 102 Billion in Sustainable Financing Commitments at End-2025, Up 14% Year on Year
DBS Bank's sustainable financing commitments reached SGD 102 billion at end-2025, a 14% year-on-year rise, with SGD 41 billion of ESG bond issuances facilitated during the year.