Standard Chartered Bank has maintained a stable transaction pipeline despite global disruptions caused by the ongoing West Asia conflict. While certain region-specific deals have slowed, broader business operations continue unaffected.
According to P.D. Singh, CEO for India and South Asia at Standard Chartered Bank, many transactions that have nothing to do with West Asia are either still in progress or have already been completed.
Stable Business Pipeline Despite Global Tensions
According to P.D. Singh, chief executive for India and South Asia, Standard Chartered Bank has not experienced any significant impediments to its corporate transaction pipeline despite the war in West Asia, however some transactions specifically related to that region remain on hold.
“The business deal pipeline is still very stable. In an interview, he stated, “We have seen some of these transactions get delayed because of the international developments, which have to do with the international markets and price.”
Transactions Continue Outside West Asia Impact
Singh, who left JPMorgan Chase to join StanChart in April 2025, stated that several transactions that have nothing to do with West Asia were either completed during this time or are still on course.
Due to the suspension of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital but narrow oil route, the war has caused significant supply disruptions globally. Many businesses have postponed fundraising in India and other international markets due to unstable market conditions. On March 25, Mint stated that planned fundraising of approximately ₹18,000 crore was in jeopardy.
🌍 Global Conflict Impact on Banking Deals
- Region Affected: West Asia
- Impact: Delays in region-specific transactions
- Pipeline Status: Stable overall
- Fundraising Risk: ₹18,000 crore deals impacted
- Cause: Supply chain disruption & pricing volatility
- Key Concern: Global market uncertainty
Supply Chain and Market Disruptions
“We aim to understand and work with our clients on the second-order impact as well as the direct impact on the supply chain,” Singh stated. “We also undertake a real-time risk assessment as much as we can and make sure that the client is also aware of it based on the impact on currency, commodity, and their own input pricing changes.”
According to Singh, Standard Chartered participates in numerous loan syndications around the nation. In India, the bank accounts for 44% of all syndicated loans by value. According to him, the corporate segment serves a big number of small firms as well as 80% of the nation’s largest market-cap companies.
Financial Performance and Asset Quality
As of December 31, the bank’s gross advances were ₹1.31 trillion, slightly less than ₹1.33 trillion a year earlier. According to regulatory reports, its asset quality has improved, with gross bad loans at 2% of total loans as of December 31, down from 2.3% a year earlier.
Singh stated that Standard Chartered has been cautious when it comes to the risk-return ratio, but he also mentioned that there are situations in which it is necessary to support clients based on knowledge of the risks and the capacity to assist.
📊 Risk Monitoring & Banking Strategy
- Risk Strategy: No change in lending standards
- Monitoring: Increased frequency
- Focus: High-risk sectors & impacted companies
- Approach: Real-time risk assessment
- Client Support: Based on risk understanding
- Goal: Maintain stability in uncertain markets
Enhanced Risk Monitoring Approach
The bank has “not changed anything, but it is fair to say the monitoring has gone up to a more frequent basis,” Singh responded when asked if he had tightened the risk parameters. “We know the sectors, we know the entities, we know the companies that are more impacted and less impacted and therefore the monitoring on some of those have gone up from a risk perspective for sure.”
He claimed that since the Indian market is competitive, one must keep up with what the market is doing. “We are always in step with what the market is doing, even though you may have internal benchmarks.”
Competitive Indian Banking Landscape
Over the years, international lenders have often lost out to the fiercely competitive Indian banking market. Some are selling assets to focus more intently on the fourth-largest economy, while others have struggled with this issue and left. Standard Chartered Bank sold its ₹4,100 crore personal loan portfolio to local lender Kotak Mahindra Bank in January 2025, months before Singh joined.
According to Singh, the primary approach for retail banking is still multi-product and focuses on wealthy clients, or what the company refers to as “global Indians.”
Focus on Global Indian Clients
“So whether it is children who are studying abroad, individuals who work abroad, people who go on short or permanent assignments and return, or those who have some family that resides overseas permanently,” Singh stated.
Meanwhile, international investors have withdrawn from Indian markets due to an unpredictable global climate. Due to the rupee’s worst year in more than ten years, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has taken unusual action.
Foreign Investor Outflows Explained
According to data from National Securities Depository Ltd. (NSDL), foreign investors sold $19.7 billion worth of Indian stocks in 2025–2026. Singh stated, “It has nothing to do with the macro fundamentals or any enabling policy, etc.”
He claimed that a large portion of it is profit booking because foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) have witnessed a notable boost in their worth since entering India. “Compared to other markets, this (market) can likely recover relatively rapidly once the dust settles. Therefore, all of this could draw people back more than any requirement or policy change.
Frequently Asked Questions
1) Did the war in West Asia interfere with Standard Chartered’s business pipeline?
No, the majority of transactions are still stable; nevertheless, several trades related to West Asia had delays because of the volatility of the global market and pricing uncertainties that affected the timeliness of execution.
2) How has the conflict affected companies?
The conflict resulted in supply chain interruptions as well as indirect repercussions like changes in commodity prices, currency fluctuations, and input cost pressures, necessitating ongoing risk assessment and monitoring by banks.
3) Has Standard Chartered strengthened its guidelines regarding loan risk?
The bank has increased monitoring frequency but has not altered its risk standards, particularly for industries and businesses that are more vulnerable to market volatility and global shocks.
4) Why are businesses postponing their intentions to raise money?
Companies have postponed fundraising decisions in both Indian and foreign markets during this time due to unstable global markets, supply disruptions, and uncertain pricing conditions.
5) Why are foreign investors withdrawing their funds from India?
The primary cause of the outflows is profit booking following significant gains rather than poor fundamentals, and investors may come back once market confidence and global concerns level down.
Conclusion
Standard Chartered’s pipeline is resilient with few outages in spite of worldwide tensions. Increased oversight, steady fundamentals, and short-term investor withdrawals indicate that India’s market is still robust and ready for a possible recovery.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice.
