TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Toshiba Corp (>> Toshiba Corp) will start taking bids for Landis+Gyr, its Swiss smart meter unit, as early as June, Kyodo news agency reported on Tuesday.

Hitachi Ltd (>> Hitachi, Ltd.) and other Japanese firms are seen as possible bidders for the unit, Kyodo said, without citing sources.

Reuters last month reported that Toshiba had hired UBS to explore a sale or an initial public offering of the business, potentially valued at over $2 billion.

Toshiba is targeting buyout groups such as Carlyle (>> The Carlyle Group LP), Cinven [CINV.UL], Advent, Blackstone (>> Blackstone Group LP), Bain, Onex (>> ONEX Corporation), Triton, CD&R and even former owner KKR (>> KKR & Co. L.P.), a person close to the matter said.

A Toshiba spokesman did not have an immediate comment on the report.

(Reporting by Makiko Yamazaki; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)