Satyam sees interest from about 8 suitors: sources

"There has been at least 5-8 bids. We expect a much much smaller number to proceed to the next stage of putting in a financial bid," one banker with knowledge of the deal said.

He declined to be named as he is not authorized to speak to the media.

Satyam was plunged into a crisis in January after its founder quit as chairman revealing profits were falsified for years. The company is now overseen by a government appointed board, which has begun the process of inducting a strategic investor.

The last day for registering expression of interest was Thursday, and the bidders will need to show the ability to invest 15 billion rupees ($290 million) by March 20.

Engineering and construction firm Larsen & Toubro , which owns a 12 percent stake in Satyam , diversified Spice Group, IT services firm Tech Mahindra and Nasdaq-listed iGate have all expressed interest.

The bankers declined to reveal the names of the other bidders. Final bids are expected to come in at between 40-50 rupees a share but the price could change depending on the disclosures, they said.

By 0850 GMT, shares in Satyam were down 4 percent at 45.30 rupees valuing the firm at about $600 million.

($1=51.6 rupees)

(Reporting by Narayanan Somasundaram; Editing by Ranjit Gangadharan)