Experian said it had started the process of divesting its email/cross-channel marketing business - the largest part of its marketing services unit - after a strategic review showed "fewer" synergies between the business and the rest of its portfolio.

The FTSE-100 company, which is best known for running consumer credit checks for banks, landlords and retailers, said profit before tax rose 14 percent to $520 million (419 million pounds) in the six months ended Sept 30.

Experian said it had started the year well with organic revenue growth of 5 percent, in line with its target range, as its credit services and decision analytics units performed well and its smaller marketing services unit showed improvement.

(Reporting by Esha Vaish and Noor Zainab Hussain in Bengaluru; Editing by Sunil Nair)