How Advanced Treasury Solutions Are Powering Strategic Growth Across APAC
Corporate treasurers are turning to technology to enable the payments and cash management they need to support the strategic expansion of their businesses across APAC, the Middle East and beyond.
Asia Pacific (APAC) offers a shining growth opportunity, but one that is more complex by economic uncertainty, differing regulatory policies and multiple time zones. To build a pan-regional growth platform, corporate treasurers are addressing these challenges with technology.
India and China, the region’s major markets, have long drawn the focus of growing APAC corporations seeking to strategically expand their global footprint, but the opportunity extends much farther. It includes the high-growth emerging markets of Southeast Asia, an economically diversifying Middle East and the resource-rich Latin America (LatAm).[1] Mounting interest has led to the creation of regional treasury centers to optimize operations, manage risk and drive growth, according to Manish Patel, Head of Asia Pacific Global Corporate Sales at J.P. Morgan Payments.
“In the Middle East, especially, we’re seeing increased activity—particularly from several Asian countries, including China and India,” he says. “Korea and Japan are also identifying the Middle East as a key strategic focus. This interest extends beyond cash management; many companies are now establishing regional treasury centers there. These trade corridors are being leveraged to expand product reach and strengthen market presence.”
Growing Pains
Expanding across APAC and beyond, however, brings its own set of challenges. Asia, the Middle East and LatAm are all home to unique markets with their own regulatory frameworks, currencies and demand-supply dynamics.
They must also address the nuances of cross-border transactions and currency flows, including managing and hedging FX risks stemming from the volatility in currency markets.
“Each territory presents unique challenges from a treasurer’s perspective, adding further complexity to global operations as trade extends beyond Asia,” notes Patel. “So, they are increasingly adopting digital payment solutions and real-time data analytics to enhance decision-making and streamline their processes. And this is where J.P. Morgan Payments stands out—using our extensive global reach to support clients at scale—wherever they operate.”
Leveraging Technology
Among the most sought-after requirements are real-time payments and the automation of cash management. Analytics that provide real-time visibility into cash flows and enhance a treasury department’s predictive capabilities are also in high demand.
Across industries, from e-commerce and biotech to fintech and renewable energy, companies are investing in cutting-edge technology and expecting their banking partners to do the same. That demand extends to harnessing Application Programming Interfaces (API) and blockchain-based solutions that enable faster, better integrated, real-time operations.
Patel points to some of the innovations developed by J.P. Morgan Payments. Its Access® platform, for example, uses artificial intelligence (AI) to leverage transaction data to inform short- to mid-term cash flow forecasting.[2] The J.P. Morgan Wallet™ supports e-commerce businesses by enabling real-time payments at scale, empowering merchants within Asia's booming online marketplaces, whose growth in turn is being driven by the growth of digital payments.[3][4]
Kinexys by J.P. Morgan, the firm’s blockchain business unit, helps move funds across the globe by enabling faster cross-border payments and tokenized investments.[5] It handles an average daily transaction volume of more than US$2 billion and has facilitated transactions worth over US$1.5 trillion since its launch in 2021.[6][7]
“Traditional local clearing systems often have time constraints, but Kinexys overcomes these limitations by using blockchain technology to enable streamlined, round-the-clock money movement both within the region and globally,” notes Patel.
By innovating across the board, J.P. Morgan Payments is able to offer treasurers a platform solution that integrates cash management, FX risk management and trade financing flows. Patel offers an example of how such versatile support is helping a multinational client in the consumer goods sector expand across Southeast Asia.
“It has enabled the client to build a foundation to scale efficiently as they enter other markets,” explains Patel.
J.P. Morgan Payments also offers various solutions to retail corporations serving the Australian market, including providing them with payment terminals[8] and real-time payment processing capabilities through the country's New Payments Platform (NPP) and Electronic Funds Transfer at Point of Sale (EFTPOS) networks.[9] This allows retailers to directly connect to payments networks, get paid quickly and enjoy the efficiencies of bundled services, such as transaction processing, cash management and lending, from a single bank.[10]
Emerging Trends
There are other developments and innovations around the corner with the potential to further transform the treasury landscape in the coming months and years. These include the growing adoption of digital currencies and the inexorable shift toward real-time payments, which will be accompanied by the need for real-time reconciliation and enhanced visibility across the value chain.
As companies across Asia Pacific navigate a challenging business environment while identifying and capitalizing on strategic growth opportunities around the world, a certain agility and nimbleness are crucial, according to Patel. Success will be determined by their ability to leverage technology not only to enhance operational efficiencies, but also to build and maintain strong relationships in the markets where clients operate.
Playing a pivotal role in this process will be the corporate treasury, as it digitally transforms operations to become more efficient and better aligned to the organizational goal of smart, strategic and sustainable growth.
“Successful clients focus on optimizing operations, proactively managing risk and aligning financial strategies with broader corporate objectives. We’ve seen the greatest success where treasury functions are tightly integrated with company-wide goals,” says Patel. “When that alignment is strong, particularly around growth strategies like geographic expansion, market entry and overall footprint planning, the odds of success are significantly higher.”
