Nov 16 (Reuters) - Royal Mail owner International Distributions Services said on Thursday it expects to pay a modest dividend from its unit GLS this year and its adjusted operating performance would be around the breakeven point this fiscal year.

IDS, which owns Royal Mail in the UK and international parcels network GLS, reported a group adjusted operating loss of 169 million pounds ($209.41 million) for the six months ended Sept. 24, compared with 57 million pounds a year earlier.

Royal Mail had suffered several setbacks in the past year from strikes by postal workers, a cyber security incident, to an Ofcom fine for missed delivery targets and the loss of its 360-year monopoly to deliver parcels from post office branches.

IDS had previously expected to return to profit at the group level this fiscal year ending March, while the Royal Mail unit was expected to become profitable only next fiscal year.

IDS's group revenue eked out a 0.4% rise in the first half, as a 5.9% growth at GLS was offset by weakness at Royal Mail, which saw parcel revenues fall 6.2%. ($1 = 0.8070 pounds) (Reporting by Yadarisa Shabong in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Sohini Goswami)