BBJ: How do you assess the current state of Hungary’s banking sector, particularly regarding loan demand and credit risk appetite in 2025?

Éva Hegedüs: The lending capacity of the domestic banking sector remains outstanding; Hungarian banks possess ample liquidity and capital, thus there are no supply-side constraints to lending. Therefore, from the perspective of lending dynamics, the development of the demand side is the determining factor.

At present, a duality is emerging in the credit market: lending to households is strengthening, while the corporate credit market remains stagnant. The growth of household lending is also supported by government-backed loan schemes, a trend expected to strengthen further with the launch of the Otthon Start program in September.

The restraint or stagnation observed in the corporate lending segment in Hungary is the result of the interplay of several factors. Among these, the tensions present in the global economy and the growth potential of the Hungarian economy — including its structural characteristics — play a decisive role.

Some enterprises are capable of growing, exporting, and investing even under these circumstances; they conduct a significant portion of their financing in foreign currency. Naturally, the available government incentive programs — such as the Demján Sándor Program and the Széchenyi Card Program — support businesses in gaining access to funding.

BBJ: With digital transformation in full swing, what new technologies or services has your bank implemented this year to enhance customer experience?

ÉH: I am so proud that Gránit Bank plays a pioneering role in the application of artificial intelligence, in addition to so many of its award-winning digital innovations.

Gránit Guru, our agentic AI-based assistant introduced first on the Hungarian market, is capable of answering any questions of customers related to loans and savings, as well as assisting with loan calculations. To date, Gránit Guru has handled over 50,000 message exchanges and thousands of loan calculations. We have also introduced an AI-powered loan document processing agent to further streamline our lending process.

A special loan tailored for blue-collar workers is now fully accessible through Gránit Bank’s mobile app, enabling a fast, simple, and completely paperless application experience.

We provide our customers with a complex digital loan calculator, which helps them optimize the combination of market-based and subsidized loans to achieve their housing goals with the best conditions.

This year, we also introduced a credit card that can be applied for directly through our mobile app. 

Additionally, contactless payments are now available for users of Garmin and Xiaomi smartwatches.

As you have come to expect from Gránit Bank, we are planning to introduce numerous additional innovations to the market in the upcoming period.

BBJ: ESG is becoming an increasingly central issue—how is your bank adapting its operations, lending, and investment strategies to meet sustainability goals?

ÉH: Since its foundation in 2010, Gránit Bank has embraced a fully digital, branchless business model—an approach that has allowed the bank to maintain carbon neutrality since 2020.

ESG principles have been systematically embedded across Gránit Bank’s internal operations and product portfolio. This commitment is reflected in a range of initiatives—from the preparation of the Bank’s first CSRD-compliant consolidated sustainability report for 2024, to the development of green lending and investment products, and active participation in the Hungarian National Bank’s Green Preferential Capital Requirement Programs.

We also support our customers in becoming more environmentally conscious with the pioneering, mobile-app-integrated Eco-Calculator, and throughout the app, clients can offset the carbon footprint of their purchases by donating to tree planting.