Singapore's DBS Bank to expand operations in India

Singapore’s DBS Bank has set up a factoring office in India as part of its plan to expand its global transaction services business regionally, The Straits Times reported today.

DBS obtained its membership of the Factors Chain International (FCI) in January, allowing it to widen factoring solutions it can offer in India. It has also introduced export factoring in its Indonesian operation since last month.

Export factoring was likely to increase alongside with the strong Asian trade growth, projected to account for 60% of the global trade flow by 2020, said head of DBS’ global transaction services, Tom McCabe.

Factoring volume in Asia rose 219% from 2004 to 2010, valued at S$637 billion, according to FCI, the world’s largest factoring network. Likewise, factoring volume in Singapore grew by 123% to S$10.4 billion over the same period.

It focuses on cash management and trade funding for companies, allowing them to sell their invoices to financial institutions and get up to 90% of the invoiced money in advance.

The buyers of invoices collect the money later on behalf of the businesses and charges interest on the advanced money given under the factoring system.