Sydney, May 18: Australian bank WESTPAC has dispatched a strike team to India as part of an offshoring reconnaissance mission a week after the bank''s chief, Gail Kelly, drew widespread praise for suspending the practice of sending jobs overseas.

The Australian understands the bank''s top technology executives have travelled around India over the past two weeks to meet with about eight outsourcing companies.

Two outsourcers will be selected to perform a range of work and are set to benefit as WESTPAC spends hundreds of millions of dollars over the next couple of years to update core banking systems and integrate complex technology functions as part of the 12 billion dollar acquisition of St George bank.

Several sources confirmed the WESTPAC contingent met with technology firms Accenture, IBM, EDS, Wipro Technologies, Tata Consultancy Services and INFOSYS, as well as one or two others.

A fortnight ago Ms Kelly announced she had put the brakes on WESTPAC''S offshoring of Australian-based jobs, a decision prompted by the recession and expectations that unemployment could rise next year to 8.5 per cent.

WESTPAC declined to comment on the visit to India or the bank''s future offshoring plans. (ANI)