• 79% of financial leaders from India believe that Generative AI and associated tools are a solution to modernise treasury operations and drive efficiency at scale.
  • 80% of India CFOs & Treasurers believe sustainable trade finance solutions will support green initiatives and compliance with green standards

India : Companies are starting to plan for the long-term effects of a shifting global landscape, even as they brace for continued rates volatility and potential supply chain reconfigurations in the near term.  A new DBS report titled New Realities, New Possibilities surveyed 800 finance leaders, including Chief Financial officers (CFOs) and corporate treasurers, across seven sectors and 14 markets1, showing that businesses are recalibrating their long-term strategies to strengthen financial resilience over the next five years.

To better understand how finance leaders were steering their organisations, amidst immediate-term developments, respondents were surveyed in two batches – before and after US trade tariff announcements in April. Findings showed that leveraging data-driven financial intelligence to strengthen decision-making remained a top priority for companies over the next five years (Figure 1), with respondents drawn to data visualisation and security monitoring tools to enhance treasury and finance functions. These tools help leaders navigate uncertainty more effectively with sharper sense-making and better threat anticipation, enabling more accurate cash flow forecasting and proactive capital strategies.

Notably, liquidity and foreign exchange (FX) management leapt from seventh place to second. This comes as companies start planning to strengthen financial stability amidst higher upfront costs and potential inventory stockpiling associated with increased market volatility. To do so effectively, over one-in-two said they were exploring more innovative solutions including integrated payments, blockchain-powered capabilities and the setting up of regional treasury centres. Strengthening working capital efficiency rounded up the list of top three priorities as companies recognised the need to optimise financial returns while enhancing financial flexibility.

Divyesh Dalal, Managing Director and Head – Global Transaction Services, SME & Financial Institutional Group, DBS Bank India, said: “The new reality is increasingly being defined by uncertainty, and within this context a discernible shift is underway for treasury and finance leaders who are not only strategic enablers for their companies, but also managers of business risk. As the world looks to India to drive future growth, these leaders are assuming enhanced responsibilities as they step up to guide business diversification and linked capital allocation along with building resilient supply chains while keeping their overall institutional ESG principles in mind. This shift has made the role of a trusted banking partner even more critical as companies look for decisioning support to steer transformation and enable long-term resilience. As a leading Asian transaction bank, DBS is glad to play this role and aid organisational growth during one of the biggest trade re-alignments of our time.”

Santanu Mitra, Managing Director & Country Head – Corporate Banking (Large and Midcap), DBS Bank India, added: “Businesses are grappling with the confluence of several larger trends which are accelerating simultaneously – the ubiquity of AI, climate change, geopolitical uncertainty and evolving trade complexities. As financial strategists, the treasury function is proactively looking to modernise as they integrate multiple agendas to unlock smarter, more sustainable growth. DBS works closely with our clients, going beyond banking to support them with advisory and customised solutions, backed by our strong Asian connectivity and advanced digitalisation. This report New Realities, New Possibilities is aimed at providing meaningful, future-focused insights to increase competitiveness in a rapidly changing macroeconomic environment.”