BRICS Summit 2026: Sberbank CEO Herman Gref sees big infra opportunities in India

BRICS Summit: Russia's largest bank, Sberbank, sees significant opportunities in India across financial services, technology, infrastructure and trade, with the lender looking to deepen its role in supporting businesses from both countries.

Sberbank CEO Herman Gref told Business Today that the bank's top priority is to build first-class infrastructure for Russian and Indian corporations as well as individuals, while also creating new avenues for investment and trade between the two countries.

Gref's comments came ahead of the high-profile BRICS Summit, which is set to take place at Bharat Mandapam from September 12-13.

MUST READ | BRICS 2026: Can the bloc really do something for peace in the era of war?

Sberbank eyes bigger role in India-Russia trade

Sberbank has already expanded its presence in India and is playing a key role in facilitating financial transactions between Indian and Russian businesses. Gref said the bank could serve more than 15% of bilateral trade between the two countries this year.

"If a few years before it was a lot of difficulties, now the transactions, the financial transactions between the countries, we can do in few minutes. And if you look at our branch here, it's the biggest financial institution for the Russian-Indian business relations, and this year I hope that we will serve more than 15% of the Russian-Indian trade."

Gref said the current period presents a major opportunity to deepen commercial ties between the two countries, particularly by bringing business leaders together around the BRICS Summit.

ALSO READ | BRICS finance track pushes cross-border payments, local currency settlements

The Sberbank CEO noted that this is "a very important period of time" for both the countries not just because of the summit but also because it is a huge opportunity to bring business leaders together.

He also highlighted the progress India and Russia have made in developing financial infrastructure to support bilateral trade. According to Gref, the two countries were among the first to establish "very convenient infrastructure" for financial services between them.

Sberbank plans technology push

Beyond banking, Sberbank is looking to use its technology capabilities to support companies operating across the two markets. Gref said the bank wants to build a comprehensive platform for businesses in India and Russia, combining financial and technological services.

"It's not only the financial institution but also the largest technological company in our country, and we would like to bring more technological things for the convenience of the businesses from the both sides."

DON'T MISS | ‘Forget BRICS, look towards the US and Europe’: Surjit Bhalla questions how the bloc has benefitted India

Infrastructure, Indian exports on Sberbank's India checklist

Infrastructure is among the key areas where Sberbank sees opportunities, with Gref saying the bank's priority is to create first-class infrastructure for corporations and individuals in both countries.

Sberbank has also begun facilitating investment flows in the other direction. Gref said the bank launched an instrument this year allowing Russian individual investors to invest in the Indian stock market.

"This year we built the first instrument for the Russian individual investors to invest in the Indian stock market, and it was successful. It is the first experience and we would like to understand the results by the end of the year, but I think it's a good opportunity," he noted.

DO CHECKOUT | BRICS Summit 2026: A quick guide to the most powerful leaders in town

The bank is also looking to boost Indian exports to Russia by identifying products and services that can find a market there and helping Indian companies expand into Russia.

"We concentrate ourselves to find the right goods, right services in the Indian market and bring the companies who create these services and goods to the Russian market. I think it's a lot of opportunities in the different areas, and we would like to support these companies in the Russian market," Gref noted.

He added that Sberbank's third priority is to build the bridge and extend financial support for Russian companies who will invest and organise the business into the Indian market over the next 2-3 years.

On the possibility of Indian companies forming a technological partnership with Sberbank, Gref said, "If you speak about our priorities as financial institutions here, we are not only the financial organization, we are also huge ecosystem in Russia, and we try to follow our business lines also in Indian investment."

He said that the financial institution needs Indian partners to bring its transactional services from the Russian market to the country. Gref added that Sberbank will try to bring its online healthcare service and educational services to the Indian market.

Watch full video here