BNP Paribas, the French private bank, has expanded its offshore wealth management franchise in India with a new senior appointment.

Ravinder Singh re-joins BNP Paribas Wealth Management India as senior director in early August, bringing with him more than 15 years of experience in the wealth management industry in North India. He steps in from Barclays Wealth where he was director and head of North India.

Before Barclays, he spent eight years with BNP Paribas in India, servicing clients in North India. He also previously worked for HSBC and Citi.

In his new role, Singh reports to Samir Bimal, global head of India onshore business and managing director and CEO of BNP Paribas Investment India, the wealth management entity of the firm in the country. 

Since 2012, BNP Paribas Wealth Management India has reinforced its focus on the needs of business families by enhancing wealth advisory, lending and advisory capabilities. The coverage team has also been strengthened with the hire of Brijesh Majali in Mumbai in March and Dilpreet Sahi in New Delhi in April.

"Despite the challenging environment, our commitment to grow our wealth management franchise in India remains strong. Our coverage team dedicated to Indian clients has doubled since January 2013, and we are still planning for further recruitments with senior profiles both in India onshore and non-resident Indian markets," said Stephane Honig, head of Indian markets. 

BNP Paribas has been offering private banking services in India since 2000, but has been offering financial services in the country since 1860. It has a nationwide presence in eight cities.