HDFC Bank, India’s second biggest lender by market value, has opened its first full-fledged overseas commercial branch at a new financial district in Bahrain. 

The bank stated that it has chosen Bahrain due to its excellent location, clean, open and transparent regulations, cost-effectiveness, and good bilateral relations between India and Bahrain. 

HDFC has decided to lift Rs 40 billion debts in order to fund its stake purchase in HDFC Bank.

The debt will be raised within the next 18 months.

After its planned merger with the Centurion Bank of Punjab (CBoP), Housing Development Finance Corporation

Banking sector Major HDFC bank is in talks with Centurion Bank of Punjab.  The news of the possible merger was first reported by Economic Times on 13, Feb, 2008.  If the deal is finalised, HDFC bank will become the third biggest bank with a wide network all across the country.

Centurion Bank of Punjab informed the stock exchange that a meeting of the board of directors of the bank will be held on February 23, 2008 to consider a possible merger with HDFC Bank Ltd.

Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) has sold 8,03,87,686 equity shares of Rs 10/- each of HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company (SLIC) to Standard Life (Mauritius Holdings) Ltd, representing 7.15% of the total issued and paid-up equity for Rs. 200 crore at a pre agreed price.

With this, Standard Life (Mauritius Holdings) will go up to 26%, the maximum permissible by foreign investors under Indian law.

On the other hand, after the current sale, HDFC’s stake will come down from 81% to 74 %.