Emirates NBD completes acquisition of majority stake in RBL Bank
Mumbai, June 18
Emirates NBD and RBL Bank on Thursday announced the successful completion of Emirates NBD's acquisition of a majority stake in the Indian private sector lender through a primary capital infusion of about USD 2.75 billion.
The transaction, first announced in October 2025, was completed after receiving all regulatory approvals and fulfilling closing conditions, the companies said in a joint statement.
Following the preferential allotment of shares and completion of the mandatory open offer, Emirates NBD now holds 60 per cent of the expanded share capital of RBL Bank.
The deal is the largest foreign direct investment in the Indian banking sector, the largest equity fund raise by an Indian bank, and marks the first acquisition of a majority stake in a profitable Indian bank by a foreign bank.
The investment is expected to strengthen RBL Bank's balance sheet, improve capital adequacy and support its long-term growth plans.
Hesham Abdulla Al Qassim, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Emirates NBD, said the transaction reinforces the bank's "long-term commitment to India" and strengthens its ability to support trade, investment and financial flows between India and other markets.
Shayne Nelson, Group CEO of Emirates NBD, said, "This partnership enhances our ability to serve customers across markets, while enabling us to drive growth across corporate, retail and digital banking segments."
Chandan Sinha, Chairman of RBL Bank, noted, "TThe entry of Emirates NBD as our strategic shareholder reflects strong global confidence in our franchise and the broader Indian banking sector."
R Subramaniakumar, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of RBL Bank, said the transaction "significantly strengthens RBL Bank's franchise" and creates a foundation for "scalable and sustainable growth."
The two banks said the partnership combines Emirates NBD's regional banking expertise and international network with RBL Bank's established domestic presence and distribution capabilities across India.
Emirates NBD, one of the leading banking groups in West Asia, North Africa and Turkiye region, currently operates branches in Mumbai, Gurugram and Chennai. RBL Bank serves more than 15 million customers through a network of over 600 branches across India.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Interesting times for Indian banking! But I hope this doesn't lead to job losses or branch closures. Foreign banks often have different work cultures. Let's see how this plays out for the 15 million customers.
This is a huge vote of confidence in India's banking sector! $2.75 billion FDI shows global players see potential here. Hoping this means better interest rates and digital innovations for us common customers. 🚀
Good for the economy, but I'm a bit skeptical. We've seen foreign acquisitions before where local customer concerns took a backseat. Hope RBL Bank's Indian roots and customer-first approach aren't compromised.
Fantastic news! As someone who has banked with RBL for years, I'm excited about the potential for better international services and faster remittances. UAE is a major trade partner, so this alignment makes perfect sense.
While it's a positive step, I hope the RBI has put in proper safeguards. We can't afford a situation where foreign control leads to data privacy issues or profit repatriation at expense of Indian depositors. Just saying.
As a small business owner, I'm cautiously optimistic. Emirates NBD has a strong reputation in trade
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