UPDATE 1-INTERVIEW-India L&T Infotech says business improving

* Sees business improving from second half of FY10

* To restart IPO process shelved earlier

* To hire 800-1000 people by end-March 2010 (Adds details, quotes)

By Bharghavi Nagaraju

MUMBAI, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Business is picking up for India's L&T Infotech in the second half of the 2009/10 fiscal year and should improve further next year, the chief executive of the outsourcing firm said in an interview on Wednesday.

The unit of leading engineering and construction firm Larsen & Toubro (LART.BO: Quote, Profile, Research) would start hiring again, looking to raise current staffing of nearly 10,000 by up to 10 percent before the end of the fiscal year next March, Sudip Banerjee said.

"It is too early to call a victory, but obviously the signs are much better now than they were three months ago," Banerjee told Reuters.

"We have certainly got many more billed in the last 2-3 months and customers are also asking us to gear up for more. So the next three months are also looking promising."

"(The) current year has been really a very difficult year, particularly the first half," he said. "I think the second half of the current year itself will be better than the first half. Hopefully we will see a turnaround next year starting April."