OREANDA-NEWS. November 21, 2012. HDFC Bank, the second-largest private sector bank in the country, has made senior level appointments in its investment banking division. Ajay Gupta, Akshay Dixit and Dr Abhishek Sharma have been hired to lead the infrastructure finance, financial services, healthcare and pharmaceutical verticals respectively. The infusion of senior talent is aimed at further developing the investment banking operations at HDFC Bank by adding strategic depth across these key business verticals.

Mr. Gupta joins the team from GE Capital and will be responsible for infrastructure finance. A former civil servant, Mr. Gupta's prior work experience also comprises a stint in the corporate and investment banking division at Wachovia Bank, where he set up their infrastructure finance business in India. He is a mechanical engineer from IIT Roorkee and also holds an M. Tech from IIT Delhi and an MBA in Finance & Strategy from Vanderbilt University, USA.

Mr. Dixit comes on board as head, financial services in the corporate finance vertical of the investment banking division. He has previously spent seven years at MAPE Advisory Group where he headed the financial services, M&A and private equity funding advisory practice. He is a Chartered Accountant with an M.Com from Mumbai University and has completed all three levels of his CFA examinations. Dr. Abhishek Sharma has been appointed as head of life sciences. Prior to this, Dr. Sharma, who holds an MBBS degree, has worked with MAPE Advisory Group where he completed several multi-million dollar M&A and private equity deals in the healthcare sector. He has also completed his MBA degree from IIM-Indore.

Rakesh Singh, Head, Investment Banking at HDFC Bank said, "The appointments have been made keeping in mind the larger objective of growing our investment banking business. As we continue to strategically develop our capabilities and add depth to our team, the extensive relationships and industry knowledge which the three bring will only enhance our ability to offer the best to our customers across sectors. We wish them good luck."