For first time, Mumbai to host Asian Bankers Association summit

For the first time, the nation's financial capital will host the 34th annual conference of the Asian Bankers Association (ABA) this week.

The two-day conference will be held in the megapolis from November 16 and will be hosted by State Bank, with the theme of 'Asia's turn to transform', SBI said.

The event is expected to see the presence of over 160 domestic as well as international bankers and Reserve Bank deputy governor Viral V Acharya will deliver the special opening address on the second day, a SBI spokesperson told PTI.

Founded in 1981, the ABA serves as a forum for advancing the cause of the banking industry and promote regional economic cooperation across the continent.

With around 80 members from 25 countries, the association holds conferences on issues of concern to the banking sector, policy advocacy discussions, and training programmes.

The this year's summit will discuss the impact of the ongoing global downturn on the outlook of the Asian economies; economic consequences of the Brexit in March 2019 on Asia, the America-first policy of the Trump administration; implications of fintech on banks, among others.

Some of the key foreign speakers at the event include ADB's Noritaka Akamatsu, Chikahisa Sumi of IMF and Cheng Cheng-Mount of Financial Supervisory Commission of Taiwan.

State Bank chairman Rajnish Kumar and Kotak Bank's Uday Kotak will also address the meet.