Standard Chartered Bank is ?actively evaluating? the acquisition of the Indian assets of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc, the biggest bank owned by the UK government, but is yet to take a decision on the deal.

?We are actively evaluating it. We had spoken about it a few weeks back. but no decision has been taken yet,? Standard Chartered Bank chief executive for India and South Asia Neeraj Swaroop said.

Without divulging more, Swaroop said the bank ?remains in conversation? on the proposal.

RBS is reducing its presence from the 54 countries where it does business after it posted the biggest loss in UK last year and received funding from the government.

RBS reported a ?15 million pre-tax profit on a statutory basis, but a ?1billion loss after tax, thanks, in part, to ?7.5billion of bad debts.

The acquisition of RBS? Indian units falls in line with Standard Chartered?s expansion footprint in the region.

In the first week of August this year, RBS announced the sale of parts of its Asian operations to Australia & New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ). It was said RBS? retail and commercial operations in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Indonesia were being bought by ANZ along with other businesses in the Philippines and Vietnam.

According to sources, ANZ paid ?325 million for the businesses, less than had been expected, after raising funds in March to bolster its balance sheet as well as fund the deal.

RBS also said it ?remains in advanced discussions with bidders for the remaining assets it has decided to sell in Asia and will make further announcements?.

Following the announcement, Standard Chartered expressed its interest in buying RBS?

Indian and Chinese businesses. Initially, HSBC Bank had also showed their eagerness to buy RBS assets.

On interest rates, Swaroop said the scenario looked stable and expected an upward movement in rates in the next three to six months.

?Standard Chartered Banks? non-performing assets (NPAs) were fairly under control and debt restructuring undertaken by lenders lately was genuine. NPAs are fairly under control.

I think whatever restructuring has taken place is genuine,? Swaroop said.