Mumbai: State Bank of India (SBI), India’s largest commercial bank, and MUFG Bank, Japan’s premier global financial institution, have signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement to deepen bilateral financial collaboration and strengthen the India–Japan economic corridor.
Through this agreement, MUFG Bank and SBI aim to leverage their complementary strengths to facilitate cross-border capital flows, create new financing opportunities, and support sustainable economic growth across two of Asia’s largest economies.
The alliance combines SBI’s extensive domestic reach and leadership in India with MUFG Bank’s global network and cross-border structuring expertise.
The partnership is designed to support Japanese corporates expanding their operations in India while also assisting Indian enterprises seeking international growth opportunities, including entry into Japan and other global markets.
Building on an Expanding Track Record
The strategic partnership builds on a growing history of collaboration between MUFG Bank and SBI. Recently, SBI launched a USD 500 million plus Greenshoe syndicated Gender loan facility to advance women’s economic empowerment.
The facility, arranged by MUFG Bank, is recognized as the largest gender-themed loan issued by a financial institution globally.
Earlier, in 2023, MUFG Bank served as the Lead Social Loan Coordinator and Arranger for SBI’s inaugural USD 1 billion social loan, which became the largest social loan issued by a bank in the Asia-Pacific region.
In addition, MUFG Bank has been working with the SBI CHAKRA Centre of Excellence under SBI’s Project Finance and Structuring function.
This engagement supports the development of financing frameworks for India’s priority sunrise sectors aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
With the signing of the agreement, the MUFG Bank–SBI alliance now has a formalized framework to scale collaboration across priority industries and cross-border investment opportunities.
Key Areas of Collaboration
Under the partnership, SBI and MUFG Bank will explore cooperation in structuring and financing projects across multiple sectors. The collaboration will particularly focus on areas such as:
- Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) financing
- Aviation finance
- Real estate finance
- Trade finance
- Retail banking solutions
- M&A advisory services
Through these initiatives, MUFG Bank and SBI aim to support both Indian and global clients by combining SBI’s deep expertise in the Indian market with MUFG Bank’s international network.
The banks will also work together to facilitate introductions between Indian mid-corporates and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and Japanese corporate clients.
This initiative is expected to unlock new financing opportunities and strengthen transaction-level collaboration between businesses in both countries.
Supporting the India–Japan Strategic Economic Corridor
The partnership between SBI and MUFG Bank aligns with the broader India–Japan “Special Strategic and Global Partnership,” which promotes long-term economic integration between the two countries.
As Japanese investments continue to expand across India’s infrastructure, manufacturing, and emerging sectors, and as Indian companies pursue global expansion, financial institutions like MUFG Bank and SBI are positioned to play a critical role in enabling capital flows and supporting long-term investments.
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Takuya Senoo, Regional Executive for India and Sri Lanka at MUFG Bank, said: “India represents one of the most compelling growth markets globally, and the India–Japan corridor continues to deepen. We are witnessing strong momentum from Japanese companies expanding their presence in India, alongside increasing global ambition from Indian enterprises.
Through our partnership with SBI, MUFG aims to provide integrated cross-border solutions that support both inbound investment into India and outbound expansion by Indian corporates. This collaboration reflects our long-term commitment to strengthening economic ties between Japan and India.”
Kishore Kumar Poludasu, Deputy Managing Director, International Banking Group at State Bank of India, said: “This strategic partnership brings together two institutions of scale and systemic importance in our respective markets.
As trade and investment flows between India and Japan continue to expand, our collaboration with MUFG enhances our ability to provide comprehensive financing and advisory solutions to clients operating across both jurisdictions. We view this as a natural progression of our existing working relationship and a platform for deeper engagement across priority sectors.”
MUFG Bank and SBI Strengthening Long-Term Economic Cooperation
The partnership reflects the shared commitment of SBI and MUFG Bank to support India’s economic growth story and contribute to the long-term vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
By combining SBI’s domestic banking strength with MUFG Bank’s global financial footprint, the alliance is expected to serve as a key bridge for investment flows and industrial collaboration between India and Japan.
