StanChart launches Indian corporate advisory

Standard Chartered will offer corporate advisory in India after drafting in a series of hires to spearhead the new team. The group will advise on mergers and acquisitions and capital structures.

The advisory team will be headed by V Anantharaman who joins from Deutsche Bank, where he headed the bank's Indian corporate finance group and prior to that co-headed the Asian technology investment banking group in Singapore.

"The creation of a corporate advsory team in India is part of our commitment to provide strategic financial solutions to our key clients," says V Shankar, global head of corporate finance at StanChart.

Pralad Shantigram, a senior vice-president and specialist in telecoms, energy and power from DSP Merrill Lynch, will join the team as managing director. Topsy Matthews, a vice president from PCCW, will join as a director. His experience includes acquisitions, consulting and investment banking.