Mumbai, May 09: IT major- TATA consultancy services (TCS) has appointed US-headquartered public relations agency Fleishman Hillard to handle its international PR operations. "We needed a global agency to look after our international committments and had called for a request for proposal from which Fleishman Hillard was shorlisted," TCS sources said. “The appointment is basically to increase our visibility in the international market and is independent of the initial public offer(IPO)," they said. TCS is planning for an IPO in the next couple of months. However, a definite date is yet to be finalized. The company is believed to be in discussions with merchant bankers and a red herring prospectus is expected to be filed "soon" for one of the largest ever IPO’s in excess of RS 4,000 crore. The PR firm, which was signed up recently, would work closely with TCS business development manangers in US, UK and Asia-pacific countries, he said, adding that the agency has already put up a global team for the IT major. TCS has also appointed Victor Chayet as Corporate Communications head, who would be functioning out of the US. Vaishanavi Corporate Communications Pvt. Ltd. would continue to handle TCS PR operations in India, they added. Bureau Report