Rina Bijur, who was reported in February to be leaving Citi to work with non-resident Indian clients at Standard Chartered, has joined the UK-listed bank, WealthBriefing can exclusively report.

Ms Bijur's new role is that of team leader for the global Indian client relationship management. She took up her post on 15 May.

Her appointment comes at a time when wealth management businesses are increasingly targeting the NRI market, seen as an important market due to the recent growth of the Indian economy. After sharp falls in 2008, the Indian stock market has rallied strongly this year, fuelled this week by optimism about the clear-cut result in the national Indian elections.

Standard Chartered is in expansionary mood: it is to increase its relationship management headcount by almost a quarter, hiring another 100 relationship managers globally within the next year as part of expansion plans in its key markets in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

The private bank, which currently has 350 relationship managers globally, said its recruitment drive was driven by a continuing increase in client demand for its private banking services.

Marianne Hay, meanwhile, is another defector from Citi to Standard Chartered. A former chief executive of Citi Global Wealth Management, she will head Standard Chartered's private banking business in Europe, Americas, Middle East and North Africa.