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. 

The bank with a 25-member strong staff, will offer cash management and trade finance solutions for corporate clients beside wealth management services for expatriate Indians. 

According to an estimate, there are about 290,000 expatriate Indians in Bahrain. 

HDFC Bank intends to use Bahrain as its first stepping stone to increase its direct international footprints by opening its first full-fledged overseas branch, to tap the growth potential in the region.

Further, the lender expects that its presence in Bahrain will further consolidate Bahrain’s economic relations with India.

Apart from banking services, the company also interested to provide appropriate wealth management advice to those persons, who have taken a beating in the current global turmoil.

India's leading bank - State Bank of India and the country's second largest private sector bank, ICICI, already have operations in Bahrain.