"The super-mall services will be available at all our branches, including the soon-to-be opened Ahmedabad branch. StanChart has also applied for regulatory approval for introducing broking services from all our branches. This will be done through tie-ups with two or three regionally strong brokers, who will be located on our branch premises," StanChart's head of consumer banking (India), Harpal Duggal said.

"The investment super mall will take the bank's services beyond the `jaded' retail banking services, into the realm of capital markets. This is to attract the new-breed of retail investors who are making a shift from savings and other bank deposits to a more profitable capital markets exposure. It is currently offering three products: finance against shares at an interest rate of around 17.5 per cent, investment services (which actually is an 11-month old service) and the dematerialisation service," Duggal said.

StanChart's services will soon be available on-line too. The bank also plans to introduce equity advisory services through an alliance partner and take exposure in the initial public offer financing business in the near future.

"The investment services enable our customers to maximise their returns through informed investment decisions. This service will guide them in developing a financial plan suited to their risk-reward profile apart from offering personalised attention of StanChart's team of investment counsellors. Demat services aim to help the customer maintain and transact on his portfolio in a safe and secure manner; in fact all share certificates brought to us before April 30, 2000 by our existing or any new client will be dematerialised free of cost. The third service, finance against shares, is to allow our customers to leverage their portfolio in order to seize opportunities in the market place," StanChart's head of banking products and marketing, Ajay Kanwal said. It also offers a ready overdraft facility to its customers against their demat shares at a preferntial rate of interest.