Dun & Bradstreet India is pleased to present the 2008 edition of its premium publication ‘India’s Top 500 Companies’. This issue marks another successful milestone in providing a ready reference tool comprising valuable insights on India’s top companies.

The 2008 edition continues the customary approach of profiling India’s Top 500 companies. Companies are ranked on the basis of various criteria including total income, net profit, market capitalisation and net worth. This edition also features financial comparison of companies classified under different sectors and ‘Insights’ based upon in-depth analysis of the financial data pertaining to these companies. There is also an additional section on the quarterly performance of companies during the first three quarters of FY09. This new section, along with the Insights section will help readers better understand the business dynamics of these top companies and industries.

In 2008, the Indian economy was faced with major obstacles in the form of huge outflows of foreign funds, volatile capital and foreign exchange markets, a slowing manufacturing sector, decline in exports and a huge fiscal deficit. Consequently, India’s GDP is estimated to slow down to 6.7% in FY10 from the actual GDP growth of 9% recorded during FY08.

On the brighter side though, a robust banking system seems to have prevented a collapse of the Indian economy. Timely intervention by the government through stimulus packages like excise duty and service tax cuts, supported by cuts in CRR and repo rates by the RBI acted as confidence building measures. With inflation beginning its southward journey from a peak of above 12% last year and expected to be close to 0% in the 2009-10 fiscal, economic instability seems to have been reined in for the time being.

The 2008 edition of ‘India’s Top 500 Companies’ has profiled the pre-eminent companies of corporate India that have emerged as leaders in their respective sectors. The listed companies profiled in the publication account for about 84% of BSE’s market capitalisation and the total income of all 500 companies is equivalent to 48% of India’s GDP at market prices in FY08.

I hope you enjoy reading this issue of ‘India’s Top 500 Companies’ and I look forward to your suggestions.

Dr Manoj Vaish
President & CEO - India
Dun & Bradstreet