Kale Consultants plans to focus on acquiring companies in Australia and the USA and offering solutions on Internet and Intranet-based products from its newly developed software development centre at Pune in Maharashtra.

The company's turnover has grown from Rs 20 lakh in 1986 to Rs 22 crore in fiscal 1999 while the profit has jumped from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5.2 crore during the same period.

Kale Consultants chairman NH Kale told The Financial Express that the company plans to offer 25 per cent of its equity shares to the public at a premium. At present, promoters and associates are holding 54.5 per cent stake in the company followed by ICICI Ventures 30 per cent while 12 per cent is being held by the employees' trust andthe rest by others. Post issue, the promoters' stake will go down to 42 per cent.

The proceeds of the proposed issue will be used in acquiring software companies in Australia and the USA and strengtheing the company's infrastructure in India.

Kale declined to divulge details on the company's acquistion plans in Australia and the USA. However, he indicated that the company have already had with a few outfits abroad which are also in the field of banking and airline products.

He ruled out the possibility of Kale Consultants becoming Internet Service Provider but said that it would provide solutions to the Internet and Intranet products.