Andersen Consulting country managing and partner (India and Middle East) Sid Khanna told newspersons on Friday: "We will be coming out with an IPO in about seven to eight months. It will be the single largest IPO of its type. However, we are not planning to raise a huge amount."

On the IPO, Mr Khanna said that while no decision has been taken on the modalities as to where the firm will be listed, there is a likelyhood of it being listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

"Andersen Consulting has a venture capital fund called AC Ventures which had a fund strength of $ 700-800 million which was being upgraded as and when required," Mr Khanna added. The firm is in the process of issuing e-units to its employees whereby the employees have a share in venture fund profits.

Elaborating on the firm's India plans, Mr Khanna said, "We have no major investments in India as of now, despite having lots of requests. We are involved in about 40 e-related projects in India."

The global management and technology consulting organisation will cease to operate under the name `Andersen Consulting' as of midnight on December 31, 2000. It is being renamed `Accenture.'

The name change in is accordance with a ruling by an independent arbitrator appointed by the ICC Court of International Arbitration in Paris. Under the terms of the ruling, Andersen Consulting was excused from any further obligations to Andersen Worldwide and Arthur Andersen, including any obligation to make terminal payments (negating the $14 billion demanded as compensation money) but had to adopt a new name by December 31, 2000.

The new name `Accenture' was coined under a firmwide programme called Brandstorming under which employees from 42 countries submitted 2,677 names for consideration. The entire naming process was completed in a record time of less than three months.

The name was suggested by Kim Petersen, a business consultant working for Andersen Consulting in Norway. According to Andersen Consulting managing partner and chief executive officer Joe W Forehand: "Accenture expresses what we have become as an organisation as well as what we hope to be - a network of businesses that transcends the boundaries of traditional consulting and brings innovations that dramatically improve the way the world works and lives." Mr Khanna elaborated: "We have taken up 33 major strategic investments globally. We aim at being much more than a pure consulting firm." The strength of Andersen Consulting in India is 250 people. This is increasing by 20-25 per cent per year. It is also planning to open an office in South India. As regards the firm's business plans in India, Mr Khanna said: "We are looking at process manufacturing, financial sector and telecom. However, we have no plans as far as the government is concerned."