India's Best Banks 2014

India's banking landscape is set to change with the impending entry of many lenders. Business Today's 2014 listing of the country's best banks celebrates those who look most ready to face the challenges.

BEST LARGE BANK (OVERALL): HDFC BANK
"We are building a digital bank that should probably be faster in finding out our customer needs and also provide products including those not manufactured by us (like mutual funds, insurance, etc)," says MD and CEO Aditya Puri.

BEST MID-SIZED BANK: INDUSIND BANK
"It's difficult to draw customers if you are a mid-sized bank, with a low profile and not a big brand. We have used technology to create differentiated banking products. I call it responsive innovation," says MD and CEO Ramesh Sobti.

BEST MID-SIZED BANK (GROWTH): RBS
"We want to be a mass banking institution rather than an urban-centric bank. At the rate we are growing, we will not be a small bank in the future. We will have a significant pan-India presence," says MD and CEO Vishwavir Ahuja.

MOST CONSISTENT BANK/BEST LARGE BANK (ASSET QUALITY): YES BANK
"We want to become a brand with not just the largest market share but also mind share. Today, our market share is approximately one per cent of Indian banking. Our target would be to get to at least 3.5 per cent market share by 2020," says MD & CEO Rana Kapoor.

BEST SMALL BANK (PRODUCTIVITY AND EFFICIENCY): JP MORGAN INDIA
"The last 18 months has been a pretty volatile period for Indian banking. While the last few months have seen very positive sentiments on the market side, we are still not seeing enough of a credit pick-up and the 12 months before that really was a slowdown both in credit and markets," says CEO Kalpana Morparia.

BEST LARGE BANK (PRODUCTIVITY AND EFFICIENCY): UCO BANK
"Enhanced use of technology and trimmer payroll numbers are reasons for our improved performance. Our focus shifted to the retail segment, with wholesale credit pared down to less than 40 per cent from about 75 per cent... Fund costs have come down. Our operating profits have also improved to almost Rs 5,000 crore," says CMD Arun Kaul.

BEST MID-SIZED BANK (QUALITY OF ASSETS): RBS INDIA
"We do not believe there are good sectors and bad sectors necessarily. I think in each sector there are winners and people who will be consolidating or growing and there will be others," says CEO Brijesh Mehra.

BEST SMALL BANK (GROWTH): BARCLAYS INDIA
"We're very clear that our current strategy is working and that we would like to continue to focus and grow in the areas that we're currently in. The bank has no desire to expand out of the current areas that it is in, which are corporate and investment banking, cash equities and wealth," says CEO Jaideep Khanna.

BEST SMALL BANK (QUALITY OF ASSETS): BANK OF AMERICA
"We have a robust mechanism of choosing our clients... Our idea is to grow with the client and do more and more with the same client. As you do more and more, two things happen. First, your advisory fee pool goes up. Second, you are able to perceive the risks a lot more," says Country Head Kaku Nakhate.