The world of green initiatives is opening up to investors – whether green or sceptic – as banks create climate change-related financial products and indices. Silvia Pavoni reports.

As banks seek growth in segments of the world’s population among whom penetration is low, Kris Gopalakrishnan explains how technology can help them achieve a return on their investments.

India’s economic momentum along with its global ambitions are growing rapidly. But gaping holes in the range of financial products on offer required by firms for efficient capital raising and risk management could hold back further progress. Geraldine Lambe reports.

In light of current difficulties at some of the world’s largest financial institutions, banks and insurers are advised more than ever to ensure their risk management frameworks span the entire firm. Sundeep Tucker summarises discussions at the third of three single view of risk and return round tables hosted by The Banker, this time in Hong Kong.

Oliver Wyman highlights opportunities created by climate change while Celent assesses Chinese and Indian ATM markets.

The six major Japanese bank groups posted a total profit of ¥1513.9bn ($13.2bn) before tax and minority interests for the half year to September 30, 2007, down 33.5% from ¥2274.8bn in the same period in fiscal 2006.

Regulators and governments must not make the mistake of responding in haste to recent crises, such as German bank failures, the Northern Rock debacle and liquidity problems, advises Howard Davies.

The subprime crisis suggests self-regulation of innovative financial products is not enough, writes Ian Mullen.

The unprecedented action by five central banks in response to the credit crunch is only a short-term solution to the problem.

N Ganapathy Subramaniam, president of TCS Financial Solutions, a strategic business unit of TATA Consultancy Services, describes to Alan Duerden the inner workings of an emerging giant in financial technology.