WNS Holdings files for U.S. IPO

WASHINGTON, July 3 (Reuters) WNS Holdings Ltd., which provides offshore business process outsourcing, said on Monday it is planning an initial public offering of 10.4 American depositary shares for between and per ADS.

The Mumbai-based company plans to sell about 4.47 ADSs and selling shareholders plan to sell another 5.96 million shares, according to a preliminary offering document filed with the U.S.

Securities and Exchange Commission.

Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank Securities, Merrill Lynch&Co., Citigroup and UBS Investment Bank will underwrite the IPO, the company said.

One ADS represents one ordinary shares.

The company, which began as an in-house unit of British Airways Plc in 1996, is seeking a New York Stock Exchange listing under the symbol ''WNS''.

According to the regulatory filing, private equity firm Warburg Pincus holds a 64.7 percent stake in WNS and British Airways holds 14.6 percent.

REUTERS CS KN1216