Brazil's Safra, Hinduja group eye KBC private bank-rpt

PARIS, March 16 (Reuters) - Brazilian banking group Safra and Indian family-owned investment firm Hinduja are in the running to buy KBC's (KBC.BR) private banking unit KBL European Private Bankers, La Tribune newspaper reported on Tuesday.

They are competing against Italy's Exor (EXOR_p.MI), private-equity firm KKR and Swiss bank Julius Baer (BAER.VX), La Tribune reported, citing unnamed sources.

KBL declined to comment on the report.

Each of the five candidates has offered to pay more than 1.5 billion euros ($2.06 billion) for the unit, which has 47 billion euros in assets under management, the report said.

Several major banks including Credit Agricole (CAGR.PA), Societe Generale (SOGN.PA), Barclays (BARC.L) and Banco Santander (SAN.MC) have dropped out of the bidding process, added the report. ($1=.7274 Euro) (Editing by Hans Peters)