<p>Further, according to the latest data released by the Reserve Bank, only one new foreign lender -- First Rand Bank of South Africa -- entered India.<br /><br />At the end of 2009-10, a total of 235 out of the 306 branches of overseas lenders operating in the Indian market were in the metropolitan cities.<br /><br />Another 60 branches were in other urban localities, while six and five branches were in semi-urban and rural areas, respectively.<br /><br />At the end of 2008-09, metropolitan cities had accounted for 233 of the then existing 293 branches of foreign banks in India, followed by 52 in other urban centres, and four each in semi-urban and rural areas.<br /><br />As such, during the last fiscal the highest growth rate of foreign banks' branches was witnessed in urban centres.<br /><br />Most of the overseas banks did not open any new branches during the fiscal under review.<br /><br />Besides the one branch opened by newcomer First Rand, only five others, including the big four -- Standard Chartered Bank, Citibank, HSBC and Royal Bank of Scotland -- bucked the trend and went on to open new branches in the country.<br /><br />Standard Chartered, the foreign bank with the biggest presence in the country, increased its number of branches to 94 at the end of 2009-10 from 90 in the end of the previous fiscal.<br /><br />HSBC's number of branches in India went up to 50 in the last fiscal from 47 in 2008-09, while Citibank's branches numbered 43 as on March 31, 2010, as against 41 in the year-ago period.<br /><br />RBS opened one new office in the last fiscal taking its total branches in India to 31 from 30.<br />The only other overseas lender to increase presence in the country last fiscal was Barclays Bank. Its total branches increased to seven at the end of 2009-10 from five in the previous financial year.</p>
<p>Further, according to the latest data released by the Reserve Bank, only one new foreign lender -- First Rand Bank of South Africa -- entered India.<br /><br />At the end of 2009-10, a total of 235 out of the 306 branches of overseas lenders operating in the Indian market were in the metropolitan cities.<br /><br />Another 60 branches were in other urban localities, while six and five branches were in semi-urban and rural areas, respectively.<br /><br />At the end of 2008-09, metropolitan cities had accounted for 233 of the then existing 293 branches of foreign banks in India, followed by 52 in other urban centres, and four each in semi-urban and rural areas.<br /><br />As such, during the last fiscal the highest growth rate of foreign banks' branches was witnessed in urban centres.<br /><br />Most of the overseas banks did not open any new branches during the fiscal under review.<br /><br />Besides the one branch opened by newcomer First Rand, only five others, including the big four -- Standard Chartered Bank, Citibank, HSBC and Royal Bank of Scotland -- bucked the trend and went on to open new branches in the country.<br /><br />Standard Chartered, the foreign bank with the biggest presence in the country, increased its number of branches to 94 at the end of 2009-10 from 90 in the end of the previous fiscal.<br /><br />HSBC's number of branches in India went up to 50 in the last fiscal from 47 in 2008-09, while Citibank's branches numbered 43 as on March 31, 2010, as against 41 in the year-ago period.<br /><br />RBS opened one new office in the last fiscal taking its total branches in India to 31 from 30.<br />The only other overseas lender to increase presence in the country last fiscal was Barclays Bank. Its total branches increased to seven at the end of 2009-10 from five in the previous financial year.</p>