In Indian banking general knowledge, which bank obtained approval from the Reserve Bank of India RBI to open representative offices in Kuwait and Singapore?

Introduction / Context:
Indian bank exams and finance interviews often include questions about important regulatory approvals and overseas expansion of Indian banks. This question asks which bank obtained Reserve Bank of India approval to open representative offices in Kuwait and Singapore. Such approvals reflect the growing international presence of Indian banks and their focus on serving non resident Indians and cross border trade. Knowing specific examples like this helps candidates connect textbook knowledge with real developments in the banking sector.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question is about RBI approval for representative offices in Kuwait and Singapore.
• The options list four well known Indian banks: State Bank of India, Federal Bank, HDFC Bank, and ICICI Bank.
• Representative offices are usually non banking offices that focus on liaison, marketing, and customer service rather than full banking operations.
• We assume standard exam based information on overseas expansion of Indian banks.

Concept / Approach:
When RBI grants a bank permission to open representative offices abroad, it often appears in financial news and is later used in competitive exam questions. Federal Bank, a private sector bank with a strong base in Kerala and a large non resident Indian customer base, obtained RBI approval to open representative offices in Kuwait and Singapore. The aim was to serve NRI customers in the Gulf and Southeast Asia and to increase remittance flows. The other listed banks also have overseas operations but are not associated with this specific pair of representative offices in Kuwait and Singapore in standard exam questions.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall which Indian banks are usually mentioned in exam questions for overseas representative offices in Kuwait and Singapore.Step 2: Remember that Federal Bank has positioned itself as a preferred bank for non resident Indians and has opened or planned offices in places like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Singapore.Step 3: Compare each option. State Bank of India, HDFC Bank, and ICICI Bank have many international branches and subsidiaries, but the exam oriented fact about Kuwait and Singapore representative offices is linked with Federal Bank.Step 4: Therefore, option B Federal Bank matches the known information.Step 5: Confirm that no other option fits the specific combination of Kuwait and Singapore representative offices in typical banking general awareness material.

Verification / Alternative check:
As an alternative check, think of how Federal Bank builds its brand around NRI banking and remittances. News articles about Federal Bank often mention approvals to open representative offices in Gulf countries and Singapore to support expatriate Indians. In contrast, State Bank of India, HDFC Bank, and ICICI Bank generally appear in news for full service branches or subsidiaries in major global financial centres, not specifically for this combination of Kuwait and Singapore representative offices. This pattern supports choosing Federal Bank as the correct answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A, State Bank of India, is incorrect because although SBI has a large global footprint, the exam oriented fact about Kuwait and Singapore representative offices belongs to Federal Bank. Option C, HDFC Bank, and option D, ICICI Bank, are also large private sector banks with international operations, but they are not associated in standard question banks with RBI approval for representative offices in both Kuwait and Singapore together. Selecting these options would confuse general international presence with this specific regulatory approval.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to pick the largest and most famous bank, such as State Bank of India, whenever an overseas expansion question appears, without recalling the specific combination of country names. Another pitfall is to guess based on personal experience with a bank rather than exam facts. To avoid this, read banking news summaries carefully and link each key fact to the correct institution, such as associating Federal Bank with NRI friendly representative offices in Gulf countries and Singapore.

Final Answer:
The bank that obtained RBI approval to open representative offices in Kuwait and Singapore is Federal Bank.