Dun & Bradstreet India is pleased to present the second edition of India’s Leading Infrastructure Companies 2008. The publication is an attempt to highlight some of the key achievements and issues related to the infrastructure sector in the country and create a valuable ready reference tool on India’s leading infrastructure companies.

India’s Leading Infrastructure Companies 2008 provides information pertaining to some of the major sub segments of the country’s infrastructure sector viz. power, telecom, ports and construction.

The Indian economy has witnessed an unprecedented growth rate of over 9% from FY06 to FY08, and continues to display reasonably strong fundamentals in the current year. To continue growing, India needs to invest heavily in its infrastructure. The role of infrastructure in the economy cannot be overstated, and while the sector registered an average growth rate of 6.4% p.a. during FY03-FY08, there is still a lot that needs to be done. Providing adequate infrastructure facilities to keep up with the growing pace of economic development is now among the top most priorities of the government. For the past few years, it has been investing heavily in infrastructure.

India has the second largest road network in the world, spanning across 3.3 million kilometres, but intercity and interstate connectivity still leaves a lot to be desired. The government has invested in this area with major projects like the golden quadrilateral and four-laning of the major highways in the country. In the power sector too, the Indian government has planned additional installed capacity of 78,700 MW by the end of the Eleventh Five year plan. Over the years, telecom has grown from strength to strength on the back of increasing competition in the sector and proactive policy decisions. The sector has seen total revenues increase by 22.6% in FY08. With 3G auctions around the corner, we can expect higher investments and also higher revenues in the coming months.

However, despite the strides that India has taken in the last few years, it is evident that the current levels of investments in infrastructure are not sufficient to bridge the gap between demand and supply. Historically, investments in infrastructure development have been mainly through Central and State Governments and therefore, private sector participation was negligible till a few years back. Efforts are now being made to increase the participation of private sector players to plug financial and technical deficits and to ensure a faster rate of delivery of infrastructure projects. Conducive policies with a greater level of transparency are being implemented to boost private investors’ confidence. A significant increase in project execution through Public- Private-Partnerships, commonly known as the PPP model, is an indication of the interest shown by private players in building national infrastructure.

India’s Leading Infrastructure Companies 2008 showcases the performance and investment plans of some of India’s leading infrastructure companies. It also covers numerous development initiatives and proposed investments by the government in various segments of infrastructure facilities in the country over the next five years.

I hope you enjoy reading India’s Leading Infrastructure Companies 2008 and look forward to receiving your suggestions.

Dr Manoj Vaish
President & CEO - India
Dun & Bradstreet