Acquisition

Standard Chartered PLC
23 August 2007

Standard Chartered to acquire a 49 per cent stake in UTI Securities Limited


Standard Chartered announces that it has today entered into a strategic
partnership ('the Transaction') with Securities Trading Corporation of India
Limited ('STCI') to acquire a 49 per cent stake in UTI Securities Limited
('UTISEL'), a leading Indian brokerage house, for approximately USD36 million
cash. As at 31 March 2007, the gross assets that are the subject of the
Transaction were USD19 million and UTISEL's total gross assets were USD38
million.



Under the agreement, STCI and Standard Chartered have provided for necessary
options to raise Standard Chartered's stake in stages to 100 per cent by 2010,
subject to necessary regulatory approvals.



The acquisition, which is subject to certain conditions, including regulatory
approvals, is expected to be completed by October 2007.



UTISEL is an established financial services firm in India offering broking,
wealth management and investment banking services with a presence spread across
60 cities in India.



The entry into securities broking will enable Standard Chartered to broaden its
product offering in Wealth Management and Private Banking within India, and the
non-resident Indian (NRI) product portfolio in its footprint countries.


ENDS

For further details please contact:


Standard Chartered
Stephen Atkinson, Head of Investor Relations
Tel: [phone]
[e-mail]



Tim Baxter, Head of External Communications
Tel: [phone]
[e-mail]







Notes to Editors



Standard Chartered - leading the way in Asia, Africa and the Middle East


Standard Chartered PLC is listed on both the London Stock Exchange and the Hong
Kong Stock Exchange and is consistently ranked in the top 25 among FTSE-100
companies by market capitalisation.



Standard Chartered has a history of over 150 years in banking and operates in
many of the world's fastest-growing markets with an extensive global network of
over 1,400 branches (including subsidiaries, associates and joint ventures) in
over 50 countries in the Asia Pacific Region, South Asia, the Middle East,
Africa, the United Kingdom and the Americas.



As one of the world's most international banks, Standard Chartered employs over
60,000 people, representing over 100 nationalities, worldwide. This diversity
lies at the heart of the Bank's values and supports the Bank's growth as the
world increasingly becomes one market.



With strong organic growth supported by strategic alliances and acquisitions and
driven by its strengths in the balance and diversity of its business, products,
geography and people, Standard Chartered is well positioned in the emerging
trade corridors of Asia, Africa and the Middle East.



Standard Chartered derives over 90 per cent of profits from Asia, Africa and the
Middle East. Serving both Consumer and Wholesale Banking customers worldwide,
the Bank combines deep local knowledge with global capability to offer a wide
range of innovative products and services as well as award-winning solutions.



Trusted across its network for its standard of governance and corporate
responsibility, Standard Chartered takes a long term view of the consequences of
its actions to ensure that the Bank builds a sustainable business through social
inclusion, environmental protection and good governance.



Standard Chartered is also committed to all its stakeholders by living its
values in its approach towards managing its people, exceeding expectations of
its customers, making a difference in communities and working with regulators.



Securities Trading Corporation of India



Securities Trading Corporation of India, the first Primary Dealer to be set up
in India, is one of the leading bond houses in the country. STCI has recently
demerged its primary dealer business into a wholly owned subsidiary, STCI
Primary Dealer Ltd. The primary dealer subsidiary's core activities comprise
participation, underwriting, market making and trading in Government Securities.
Apart from the above, the subsidiary is an active participant in the inter-bank
call money markets and Repo market and the corporate bond market. With a strong
networth of Rs 9 Billion, STCI plans to actively participate in the Non-Banking
Financial services segment in the country. The Company has recently started
providing portfolio management services, trading in the equities market on
proprietary account and distributing Mutual Fund products.



UTI Securities Limited



UTI Securities, set up in 1994, has grown from an institutional brokerage house
to a full-fledged financial intermediary having nationwide presence in major
cities with branches and franchisees to service a wide range of clients. The
company has significant presence in institutional and retail broking, online
trading (www.usectrade.com), depository services, portfolio management services,
equities research, merchant banking, fixed income securities, and distribution
of financial products, among others.




                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange