Gecis, which will continue to serve GE under a multiyear contract, employs more than 17,000 staff and plans to offer its services to companies in the Americas, Europe, and Asia, where it already has operations.
The sale of 60 percent of Gecis was the biggest deal in India's consolidating $3.6 billion back-office industry when it was announced in November.
GECIS is often cited as the biggest outsourcing success story in India, which has become a magnet for back-office units of global firms keen on reducing overhead costs by tapping the country's huge, low-cost work force.
That industry is growing at 50 percent a year, but GE felt the sale would free up some capital for investment in other areas.
"We saw the opportunity for Gecis to grow, (but) that did not fit with our strategy," said Scott Bayman, president of GE India, in November. Separately, Gecis said Friday it is targeting a 25 percent increase in revenues for 2005. It added that it signed several new contracts in the fourth quarter and has increased hiring.
GE, based in Fairfield, Connecticut, reiterated its previous earnings forecasts in the range of $1.57 to $1.60 per share for 2004 and between 48 cents and 51 cents a share for the fourth quarter, with earnings growth in the fourth quarter of 13 percent to 20 percent.
Wall Street analysts expected fourth-quarter earnings of 50 cents a share and 2004 profit of $1.58 a share, according to Reuters Estimates.