About

The FE best Banks awards have always honoured the country’s best lending institutions. The winners, across categories such as banks, Non Banking Financial Companies, Small Finance Banks and Fintechs, are all selected by an independent jury.

The jury is supported by information collated and checked by EY, which is based on three years of Reserve Bank of India data. In addition to financial metrics, other parameters such corporate governance and are also taken into consideration. Apart from awards for the leaders in the various sectors, the jury also selects the country’s best digital lenders and the best banking products.

The awards have emerged as the highest award of banking excellence in the country.

FE India’s Best Banks Survey

The Financial Express releases the Best Banks survey annually with EY as the knowledge partner.

The methodology adopted is rigorous and based on extensive crunching of RBI data by EY. The survey ranks banks on various parameters including growth, profitability, strength & soundness amongst others. The survey also categorizes banks as public sector, old private sector, new private sector, Fintechs and foreign banks.

Along with rankings the magazine features the profiles of CEOs / MDs of the winning banks. The magazine is published every year in March.

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Glimpses 2026

Winners 2026

Lifetime Achievement

Sanjiv Bajaj

CMD, Bajaj Finserv

Banker of The Year

K. Satyanarayana Raju

Former MD & CEO, Canara Bank

Public Sector Bank

Binod Kumar

Managing Director

Private Sector Bank

Sandeep Batra

Executive Director

Foreign Bank

Rakesh Garg

Chief Executive Officer

Non-Banking Finance Company

Eapen Alexander Muthoot

Executive Director

Savings Product

Pradeep Natarajan

Executive Director

Digital Bank of the year

Srinivas Iyer

Group Head- Digital Business and Transformation

Small Finance Bank

Vivek Tripathi

Executive Director

Fintech - Regulatory Tech

Sabyasachi Goswami

Chief Executive Officer

Fintech - Payments

Sameer Nigam

Founder & CEO

Fintech - Lending

Puneet Agarwal

Managing Director and CEO

Fintech - Insurance

 Jasleen Kohli

Managing Director & CEO

Fintech - Investment

Harsh Jain

Co-Founder & COO

Award Categories

Lifetime Achievement Award

Digital Bank of the Year

Savings Product

Banker Of The Year

Best Non-Banking Finance Company

Best Public Sector Bank

Best Private Sector Bank

Small Finance Bank

Best Foreign Bank

FINTECH - Investment

FINTECH - Lending

FINTECH- Insurance

FINTECH- Regulatory Tech

FINTECH - Payments

Event Partners

At NxtGen , we believe India's digital future must be built on infrastructure that India owns, controls, and trusts. As the country's sovereign AI infrastructure leader, and a recognised Strong Performer in the Forrester Wave: Sovereign Cloud Platforms Q2 2026, we serve India's banks, financial institutions, and government bodies with cloud and AI platforms built for performance, compliance, and sovereignty. As Co-Presenting Partner of the FE India's Best Bank Awards, NxtGen celebrates the institutions driving India's financial transformation. We are proud to stand alongside India's banking and fintech leaders as they shape a more resilient, innovative, and sovereign financial future.

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Established in 1970, World Trade Center Mumbai (WTC Mumbai) is one of India’s leading trade promotion organisations and a member of the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA), New York. As a not-for-profit institution, WTC Mumbai is committed to advancing India’s international trade, investment and industrial growth through knowledge-led initiatives, global collaborations and business connectivity. WTC Mumbai supports its affiliated World Trade Centers across India, including World Trade Center Bhubaneswar, World Trade Center Jaipur and World Trade Center Goa, thereby strengthening regional trade ecosystems and expanding global market linkages for businesses across these key economic hubs. WTC Mumbai is led by its Chairman, Dr. Vijay G Kalantri, a distinguished trade and industry leader with decades of experience in international business, policy advocacy and institutional development. He also serves as a Board Director of the World Trade Centers Association, New York, contributing to the strategic direction of the global WTCA network spanning over 300 World Trade Centers across nearly 100 countries. Under his leadership, WTC Mumbai has strengthened its role as a premier platform for global trade facilitation, policy dialogue and international economic cooperation. Research and Policy Advocacy form the foundation of WTC Mumbai’s work. The organisation undertakes trade and market research, sectoral studies and policy-oriented analysis to generate actionable insights on global trade trends, regulatory frameworks and emerging opportunities, supporting informed decision-making by businesses and stakeholders. Building on this knowledge base, WTC Mumbai drives international trade promotion through focused B2B and B2G engagements, buyer–seller meets, investment dialogues and inbound and outbound business delegations. Its strong linkages with international partners enable meaningful cross-border market access and collaboration. Through its Institute, WTC Mumbai delivers capacity-building and executive education programmes aimed at enhancing global trade competencies, regulatory awareness and industry readiness. Complementing this, sector-focused Centers of Excellence promote thought leadership, innovation and best practices in priority industries by bringing together industry, academia and policymakers. WTC Mumbai further supports entrepreneurship and innovation through its incubator and accelerator programmes, providing startups and growth-stage enterprises with mentorship, investor connect, market access and global exposure. Underpinning all these initiatives is WTC Mumbai’s extensive and diverse network of companies across manufacturing, services, technology, MSMEs, startups, exporters, importers and industry associations. This enables the organisation to facilitate highly focused and outcome-oriented B2B engagements, aligned with the strategic interests of participating companies. WTC Mumbai actively collaborates with international trade and investment agencies, chambers of commerce, industry bodies and government-linked organisations to strengthen bilateral and multilateral economic engagement.

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The T A Pai Management Institute (TAPMI) , a constituent unit of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), established in 1980 and located in Manipal, Karnataka, is one of India’s premier business schools, accredited by AACSB and AMBA. Known for its academic rigour, leadership development, and strong industry interface. TAPMI offers MBA-Core, MBA-BKFS, MBA-HRM, MBA-Marketing, MBA-AI & DS, and MBA-IB programs at the Manipal campus, along with an MBA in Technology Management at the Bengaluru campus. Its strong academic processes and industry-relevant curriculum consistently translate into excellent placement outcomes. At TAPMI, students benefit from world-class learning resources, modern infrastructure, and transformative developmental opportunities that shape them into capable managers and dynamic leaders. The institute is further strengthened by a robust global alumni network of over 8,000 members, including more than 1,500 professionals serving in CXO-level roles across leading organizations in India and abroad.

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Founded in 1978, Runwal Realty is a major player in Mumbai's real estate scene. They focus on residential, commercial, and retail projects, with a commitment to putting customer needs first throughout the entire development process. This is reflected in their successful track record of over 35+ completed projects. Runwal Realty offers a variety of residential options, including luxury apartments, premium housing, and mixed-use developments. They also boast the largest retail mall chain in Mumbai, managing malls like the renowned R City, Ghatkopar. With 17 ongoing projects and 24 upcoming projects, they continue to develop Mumbai and the surrounding region.

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Nyati Group is one of India’s most preferred real estate brands, with over 29 years of expertise in creating landmark developments that define modern living. Headquartered in Pune, Nyati Group boasts a portfolio of 25+ ongoing projects, has delivered more than 125 projects, covering over 73 million sq. ft. across residential, commercial, IT parks, infrastructure, aviation, educational, healthcare, hospitality, and institutional spaces. With a strong focus on quality, innovation, and timely delivery, Nyati Group has earned the trust of over 15,000 families, who today form part of its ever-growing community and continues its pursuit to be the first choice - today, tomorrow, and forever.

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Founded in 1909, Waman Hari Pethe Jewellers is one of Maharashtra’s most trusted and respected jewellery brands, with a legacy spanning over 117 years. Established by the visionary Pethe family in Mumbai, the brand has built an enduring reputation for exceptional craftsmanship, transparent business practices, and unwavering customer trust.Today, with a strong network of 33 showrooms across Maharashtra, Waman Hari Pethe Jewellers offers an exquisite range of gold, diamond, platinum, silver, and precious gemstone jewellery that beautifully blends tradition with contemporary design. Guided by the philosophy of being “सोनेरी क्षणांचे सोबती” (Companions of Golden Moments), the brand continues to celebrate life’s most cherished occasions with generations of loyal customers.

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Established in 1961, Financial Express is the business daily from the Express Group. In the business media space, the publication stands for credibility and insightful coverage of both national and international economic issues. In short, if you have read it in Financial Express, it is factual. The publication doesn’t just disseminate information, it goes much beyond to explain how it impacts you. The information, analysis and knowledge that Financial Express unfolds in its pages empower the reader with informative reading that makes for leading-edge financial decisions. Explains why, it is a preferred choice of thinkers and business leaders. Thought leadership is what Financial Express is all about.