Vitaly Sergeychuk, VTB: Large businesses are adapting to high rates

      June 4, 2026 17:04 Economy For the third consecutive year, the Russian economy is operating under conditions of high interest rates, which affects companies' investment plans. According to Vitaly Sergeichuk, Deputy President and Chairman of the Board of VTB, large businesses remain interested in development but are becoming more selective in choosing projects for financing. "We see that companies continue to invest, but they approach this more cautiously. There is a selective choice of projects, investment programs are being reduced, and resources are being concentrated on the most significant areas. In these conditions, the tools of state support become particularly important, helping to launch and implement projects that are priorities for the economy," Sergeichuk noted. According to him, Russia has already formed a wide range of investment support mechanisms, including special investment contracts, special economic zones, and other tools. At the same time, the development of domestic technological solutions, especially at the stage of implementation and industrial testing, requires additional attention. "Today, one of the key challenges remains technological development. Russian companies have serious achievements in research and development, but the implementation of new engineering solutions is always associated with increased risks. Additional mechanisms for insuring or guaranteeing such projects could stimulate businesses to invest more actively in domestic technologies and accelerate the modernization of the economy," he emphasized. Technologies are becoming the main direction of investments. Among the sectors and areas requiring the largest volume of investments, VTB highlights technological development and the implementation of modern production solutions. This concerns both the creation and scaling of domestic technologies and the localization of promising international solutions in the Russian market. According to the bank, technological modernization is becoming one of the key factors in increasing the competitiveness of the economy today. "If we talk about the priorities of the investment agenda, technologies are coming to the forefront today. The toolkit for financial support of projects is already quite developed, while technological initiatives, especially new ones that require industrial testing, need additional support. This is the request we are increasingly seeing from our clients," Sergeichuk concluded. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay updated on major events, exclusive materials, and timely information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod". When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+