State-owned IDBI Bank has joined other domestic and international banks to bid for the Indian retail operations of erstwhile ABN Amro, now owned by the financially battered UK-based Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). Apart from ABN Amro?s retail operations, IDBI Bank, according to sources, is considering acquiring two other private sector banks, Karur Vysya Bank and Karnataka Bank. These two banks have, however, refused to confirm any such developments.

A source at IDBI Bank told FE, on condition of anonymity, that the bank has zeroed in on three banks for acquisition and a final decision in this regard may be taken soon.

ABN Amro has 31 branches across the country and employs around 2,500 employees in the retail and commercial business. Overall, the bank employs 10,000 people in India across all its businesses.

Meanwhile, Standard Chartered Plc, Australia New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ANZ) and HSBC Holdings Plc may submit offers for RBS Group?s Asian assets to bolster their operations in the region, three people familiar with the talks said.

The three banks are reviewing sale documents prepared by RBS?s adviser Morgan Stanley and have until next month to submit an initial offer, said the people, who declined to be identified because the talks are private.

The assets are based in more than a dozen countries including India and Vietnam, and may fetch between $1.5 billion and $2 billion, the people said.

RBS may accept bids for assets in individual countries, though it would prefer a single buyer, the people noted.

ANZ CEO Mike Smith, who joined the bank after heading HSBC?s Asian operations, plans to double profit by 2012 through acquisitions in Asia.

?ANZ has a strategy to create a ?super-regional? bank focused on the Asia Pacific region,? said Paul Edwards, a spokesman for Melbourne-based ANZ. ?As part of this, we explore strategic opportunities from time to time.?

HSBC, Europe?s biggest bank, may fund acquisitions in Asia and other emerging markets with part of the 12.5 billion pounds it?s raising in a rights offering. Chairman Stephen Green said this month the bank will pursue growth ?opportunities? including takeovers.

Standard Chartered chief executive officer Peter Sands said on March 17 the bank may consider purchases in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The bank raised 1.8 billion pounds in a December rights offering.