RIL expected to be top gas producer in 3 yrs

RIL expected to be top gas producer in 3 yrs

RIL expected to be top gas producer in 3 yrs BS Reporter / Mumbai April 11, 2009, 0:44 IST Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries (RIL) could overtake state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation and Oil India to account for over 40 per cent of the country’s natural gas production in the next three years, say analysts.

Supply from RIL’s Krishna Godavari basin reserve on the east coast began on April 2. The initial production will be around 14 million standard cubic metres per day (mscmd), which would go to the urea units of fertiliser firms.

If production steps up as anticipated, the present market share of ONGC and OIL will drop from 65 per cent now to around 30 per cent in the next three years. While liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports would come down from the present 25 per cent of all supply to around 15 per cent, says Ajay Arora, Partner, Ernst and Young.

The country’s gas mainly comes from the western offshore fields and the balance from Gujarat and the North-Eastern states.

In December 2006, ONGC announced that it had found an estimated 21 to 22 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of natural gas in the Krishna Godavari basin. The company also announced another find in 2006 in the Mahanadi basin, off the coast of Orissa, with an estimated 3 to 4 tcf reserves in place. In addition, in August 2008, the company made four new finds in a another block in the same basin.

State-owned Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC) holds an estimated 1.8 tcf of natural gas reserves in the Krishna Godavari area, a substantial holding for the company.

However, analysts maintain that these finds by ONGC and GSPC would take time to come on stream, which would be beneficial for RIL. “Most of the gas finds so far have been from the New Exploration Licensing Policy (Nelp) I and III rounds. Thus, ONGC and RIL would emerge as the prominent players in future. However, while RIL could be the leading domestic supplier, it does not mean it has monopoly over pricing. The regulator will take care of the consumer’s interest,” said a senior analyst.

Src:Business-Standard

Tatas, RIL, Infosys among world's 50 most innovative cos

Tatas, RIL, Infosys among world's 50 most innovative cos

NEW YORK: Three Indian entities -- Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries, diversified conglomerate Tata Group and IT bellwether Infosys Technologies -- have entered BusinessWeek magazine's list of world's 50 most innovative companies, topped by iPhone maker Apple.

The league of innovative firms also features NRI Lakshmi Mittal-led world's largest steel producer ArcelorMittal.

Among the 50 companies, Tata Group ranks 13th, Reliance Industries 15th and Infosys 26th.

Tata Group and Reliance Industries have been ranked ahead of American industrial conglomerate General Electric (17), German car manufacturer BMW (20), Japanese auto firm Honda Motor (22) and telecom major AT&T (23), among others.

However, while the Tata Group slipped in ranking from the sixth place in 2008, Reliance Industries has improved its previous year's rank 19. Infosys was not in the list in 2008.

BusinessWeek has placed ArcelorMittal at the 35th spot. Among the top five, Apple is followed by Internet search giant Google at the second position. Both companies have retained their respective ranks from last year.

Japanese auto maker Toyota Motor, software major Microsoft and Japan's Nintendo are at the third, fourth and fifth positions, respectively.

Source:Economictimes ( http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ )

Value stocks of '09

Value stocks of '09

Ashish Kapur, CEO, Invest Shoppe India Ltd

2009 is likely to be a year of consolidation. Things are likely to get worse before getting better. However, these pessimistic times do present an opportunity for long term, patient investors to invest and make extraordinary returns.

Since it is always difficult to time the markets and also because the current recession is a worldwide phenomenon, only genuine long-term investors having a holding period of at least three years should go ahead and start buying shares. Also, due to the volatile nature of the markets and the likely longevity of the present bear market, it will be beneficial to keep trading in your portfolio.

Use upsides to keep booking profits and panics to buy the same stocks again. Some of the stocks where we recommend investors to start accumulating from the present levels are listed below:


Noida Toll Bridge

The traffic on the flyway is expected to increase at a healthy rate, mainly due to the ongoing residential and commercial development in Noida and Greater Noida.

Land bank on the either sides of the bridge is an additional asset. The company expects further 40% growth in its average daily traffic over next two years due to Commonwealth games to be held in Delhi NCR in 2010.

State Bank of India

Investors looking for a large-cap stock which will add value to their portfolio can consider accumulating the State Bank of India stock in declines.

Beaten down valuations, strong financials in an extremely challenging macro environment, with sustainable growth in advances, make the bank stock attractive. Though the bank trades at a premium to all public sector banks, this appears justified given the size of its balance-sheet and the huge market share, despite which it has delivered better financial performance than its peers.

Market share for the bank has improved in recent quarters.

NTPC

With its existing operations, ongoing expansion plans and high profitability, NTPC is favourably placed in the power generation space.

Further, the shortage in power supply, which is expected to remain in the medium to long term, will keep the capacity utilization of power plants at a high level.

Infosys

The best known IT stock from India.

Well reputed as a quality solution provider, has very long established relationships with a number of leading banks and corporates in the US and other places, impeccable record of transparency and good corporate governance and strong balance sheet are some of the features why we feel Infosys is a must in every investor’s portfolio.

Larsen & Toubro

India’s infrastructure story is best captured by L&T.

Strong management, healthy order book position, diversification across product categories and geographies are some of the strong points of this bellwether engineering company.

more @

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/quickiearticleshow/3908411.cms

India’s 10 best employers

India’s 10 best employers

ECONOMICTIMES.COM

Hindustan Zinc, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, ITC-Welcomegroup, and LG Electronics India are among India’s 25 best employers, according to a recent study by Hewitt Associates. Hewitt, in its sixth 'Best Employer in India Study 2009' in partnership with magazine Outlook Business, has enlisted these companies, led by HCL Technologies, which provide the best working environment for employees.

The study states that despite wide variance in industries and company profiles, the firms share some common winning traits such as alignment of people practices to the overall business strategy of the firm and an environment which creates a positive employment experience even in challenging times.

Here we take a look at the nation’s 10 best employers:

HCL Technologies is a leading global IT services company. Since its inception into the global landscape after its IPO in 1999, the company focuses on 'transformational outsourcing', and offers integrated portfolio of services including software-led IT solutions, remote infrastructure management, engineering and R&D services and BPO.

HCL Technologies, along with its subsidiaries, had consolidated revenues of $ 2.0 billion (Rs 8,974 crore), as on December 31, 2008.

• India's 25 best employers

Name: HCL Technologies

Rank: 1

Market cap: Rs 7,465.86 crore (Rs 74.66 billion)

Chairman and chief strategy officer: Shiv Nadar

What it does: HCL Technologies is a leading global IT services company. It offers an integrated portfolio of services, including software-led IT solutions, remote infrastructure management, engineering and R&D services and BPO.

Name: Hindustan Zinc Limited

Rank: 2

Market cap: Rs 20,406.75 crore (Rs 204.07 billion)

Chairman: Agnivesh Agrawal

What it does: Hindustan Zinc is a vertically integrated company with mining and smelting operations located mainly in Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the world's largest integrated zinc and lead producers.

Name: Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces

Rank: 3

Market cap: Rs 312.25 crore (Rs 3.12 billion)

Managing director and CEO: Raymond Bickson

What it does: Recognised as one of Asia's largest and finest hotel company, Taj Hotels Resort and Palaces comprises more than 60 hotels in 45 locations across India with an additional 15 international hotels in the Malaysia, United Kingdom, United States of America, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Africa, the Middle East and Australia.

Last year, the group's heritage hotel in Mumbai faced a terrible terrorist attack. During this crisis, its staff won accolades for putting their guests' safety and comfort first, at times even at the cost of their own lives.

Name: Cisco Systems

Rank: 4

Revenue, as of 2008 : $39 billion

Chairman and CEO: John T Chambers

What it does: Cisco hardware, software and service offerings are used to create Internet solutions that make networks possible. It was founded in 1984 by a small group of computer scientists from Stanford University.

Since the company's inception, Cisco engineers have been leaders in the development of Internet Protocol-based networking technologies. Today, it has more than 67,647 employees worldwide.

Name: ITC -- Welcomgroup

Rank: 5

Worth: Rs 2,300 crore (Rs 23 billion)

CEO: Nakul Anand

What it does: ITC entered the hotels business in 1975 with the acquisition of a hotel in Chennai, which was rechristened ITC Chola. Today, ITC-Welcomgroup has over 90 hotels in 77 destinations.

Despite the downturn, the company isn't lowering growth projections or reducing its workforce. In fact, it plans to double the number of rooms in its luxury hotels to 5,000 in the next three years.

More @ http://specials.rediff.com/money/2009/apr/08sd6-indias-top-25-best-employers.htm

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/quickiearticleshow/4383308.cms

SOurce: ET,Rediff

47 Indian cos among Forbes Global 2000 List

47 Indian cos among Forbes Global 2000 List

NEW YORK: As many as 47 Indian companies, led by corporate behemoth Reliance Industries and the country's biggest lender, State Bank of India,

10 most admired cos

have made it to the list of world's biggest 2,000 companies by US magazine Forbes.

However, five Indian companies -- scam-hit IT firm Satyam Computer, realty firm Unitech, Suzlon Energy and two Anil Ambani group firms Reliance Power and Reliance Capital -- have been dropped out of the Forbes 'Global 2000 List' this year.

Four Indian companies, Hero Honda Motors, Sun Pharma, Indian Bank and Jindal Steel and Power Ltd are the new entrants to the list.

Mukesh Ambani-promoted RIL, State Bank of India, and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation are among the top 200 companies ranked 121st, 150th and 152nd, respectively, on the list.



ll the three top Indian firms have improved their ranks considerably from their last year's positions, wherein RIL had been 193rd, SBI at 219th spot, while ONGC was ranked 198th.

Overall, the list is topped by industrial conglomerate General Electric, followed by Dutch oil and gas major Royal Dutch Shell, Japan's Toyota Motor, ExxonMobil and UK's BP in that order.

The rankings have been compiled on the basis of a composite score of sales, profit, assets and market capitalisation.

However, British banking giant HSBC Holdings has dropped to the sixth place this year from its numero uno position in the last year's list.

The other top Indian firms on the list include Indian Oil (207th), NTPC (317th), ICICI Bank (329th), Tata Steel (463rd) and Bharti Airtel (508th).

The Indian presence is almost evenly divided among the private and state-run companies. While none of the Indian companies has managed to find a place among the top 100 firms this year as well, the elite club includes a firm run by person of Indian origin.

Lakshmi Mittal-headed steel behemoth ArcelorMittal is at 41st position. However, Vikram Pandit-run banking giant Citigroup has dropped to 472nd rank this year.

Further, Indra Nooyi-run beverage major PepsiCo has been ranked 115th, India-origin Francisco D'Souza-headed Cognizant Technology Solutions at 1389th place. Motorola, headed by Sanjay Jha, is at 658th place.

According to Forbes, the Global 2,000 companies have combined revenue of 32 trillion dollars, 1.6 trillion dollars in profit, 125 trillion dollars in assets and 20 trillion dollars in market capitalisation.

Other Indian companies on the list include SAIL (582), Reliance Communication (689), Larsen & Toubro (773), BPCL(795), BHEL(796), HDFC (808), TCS(834), Hindalco Industries (848), HDFC Bank (864), DLF (883), Infosys( 891), Punjab National bank (946), ITC (987), Wipro (989), Bank of India (997), HPCL (1,002), GAIL (1,037) and NMDC (1,057).

The list also has Canara Bank (1,059), PGCIL(1,085), Tata Motors (1,157), Bank of Baroda (1,184), Power Finance (1,324), Axis Bank (1,332), Union Bank of India (1,350), Grasim Industries (1,380), Indian Overseas Bank (1,462), Sun Pharma (1,522), M&M (1,529), Allahabad Bank (1,629), Indian Bank (1,659), Syndicate Bank (1,663), I,DBI Bank (1698), Central Bank of India (1,724), JSPL (1,793), NALCO (1,794), OBC (1,869), UCO Bank (1,872) and Hero Honda (1,939)

• Tata Chemicals, United Spirits the new Indian MNCs
• Six Tata Group firms in BCG's 100 new global challengers' list

Source:Economic Times.com

Top Indian Banks

Top Indian Banks | Top 20 Global Banks

In a year when the global financial landscape changed irretrievably, with many big daddies of financial markets either going bust or getting bailed-out, Indian banks surprisingly came out strongly in the latest Top 500 Global Financial Brands 2009.

The Indian tally in the Global 500 has more than tripled to 19 in 2008, up from 6 in 2007. The biggest gainer from India is HDFC Bank.

Interestingly, all 13 new entrants in the league table from the country are government run.

For three months ending December 2008, 19 Indian banks/financial institution in the Global 500 2009 reported an average 35% growth in interest income and a higher 42% jump in net profit.

Here are banks and financial institutions that made it to the list.

State Bank of India

Comment Mail to friend

Rank 2008: 69

Rank 2007: 60

Brand Value 2008 ($ million): 1,448

Brand Value 2007 ($ million): 2,852

FY-2009 Q3 Results Y-o-Y

Dec-07 Interest Income (in crore): 12,666.82

Dec-07 Net Profit (in crore): 1,808.64

Dec-08 Interest Income (in crore): 18,030.34

Dec-08 Net Profit (in crore): 2,478.42

%change (2008/2007) Interest Income: 42%

%change (2008/2007) Net Profit: 37%

Quickies

ICICI Bank

Comment Mail to friend Rank 2008: 108 Rank 2007: 64 Brand Value 2008 ($ million): 939 Brand Value 2007 ($ million): 2,603 FY-2009 Q3 Results Y-o-Y Dec-07 Interest Income (in crore): 7,911.77 Dec-07 Net Profit (in crore): 1,230.21 Dec-08 Interest Income (in crore): 7,836.08 Dec-08 Net Profit (in crore): 1,272.15 %change (2008/2007) Interest Income: -1% %change (2008/2007) Net Profit: 3%

Quickies

HDFC Bank

Comment Mail to friend Rank 2008: 151 Rank 2007: 236 Brand Value 2008 ($ million): 611 Brand Value 2007 ($ million): 368 FY-2009 Q3 Results Y-o-Y Dec-07 Interest Income (in crore): 2,726.9 Dec-07 Net Profit (in crore): 429.36 Dec-08 Interest Income (in crore): 4,468.5 Dec-08 Net Profit (in crore): 621.74 %change (2008/2007) Interest Income: 64% %change (2008/2007) Net Profit: 45%

Punjab National Bank

Comment Mail to friend

Rank 2008: 190 (New Entrant)

Brand Value 2008 ($ million): 384

Brand Value 2007 ($ million): N/A

FY-2009 Q3 Results Y-o-Y

Dec-07 Interest Income (in crore): 3,636.1

Dec-07 Net Profit (in crore): 541.4

Dec-08 Interest Income (in crore): 5,294.7

Dec-08 Net Profit (in crore): 1,005.8

%change (2008/2007) Interest Income: 46%

%change (2008/2007) Net Profit: 86%

Bank of India

Comment Mail to friend

Rank 2008: 226 (New Entrant)

Brand Value 2008 ($ million): 273

Brand Value 2007 ($ million): N/A

FY-2009 Q3 Results Y-o-Y

Dec-07 Interest Income (in crore): 3,151.11

Dec-07 Net Profit (in crore): 511.89

Dec-08 Interest Income (in crore): 4343.17

Dec-08 Net Profit (in crore): 872.17

%change (2008/2007) Interest Income: 38%

%change (2008/2007) Net Profit: 70%

More@http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/quickiearticleshow/4057887.cms

India Inc's most powerful CEOs

India Inc's most powerful CEOs

ET Bureau

The wait is finally over for the corner-room denizens of Corporate India. That most definitive of power listings, The Economic Times Corporate Dossier' India Inc's Most Powerful CEOs', is here and it reinforces what we have said all along: Power is not just about controlling assets or generating profits—it's about inspiring positive change.

All through 2008-09, the dramatic story of the Nano captured the public imagination and Ratan Tata, the driving force behind the little car, demonstrated tremendous fortitude through all the trials and travails he faced.

Mr Tata deservedly ascends to the top spot in the power rankings this year, displacing Mukesh Ambani of Reliance Industries, who is now in the second position.

Quickies

1) Ratan Tata(Tata Group)

Comment Mail to friend Previous rank: 2 Theatre of Operations: Everwhere except Singur Bragging rights: Just launched the world's cheapest car Started his career with: National Radio And Electronics Company (Nalco) It's in his genes: The head of the $62 billion House of Tatas has capitalised on the group's reputation for honesty and integrity and turned 'Tata' into a royalty-earning brand name that's used by the 100-plus companies within the fold Leadership style: Aloof and understated Allies: His favourite companions are his German Shepherds Famous Quote: "A promise is a promise" Big ambitions: Turn the Nano into a best-seller in Europe and the USA Little known indulgence: Piloting his business jet Future woes: The debts accrued in the Jaguar and Land Rover acquisitions Home away from home: Alibagh, where he's designed and built a bungalow

2) Mukesh Ambani (Reliance Industries)

Comment Mail to friend

Previous rank: 1

Theatre of Operations: The seas off Andhra Pradesh to the coast of Gujarat

Bragging rights: Asia's richest man

It's in his genes: Thinks big, like his father, the late Dhirubhai

Leadership style: Relationship-based , entrepreneurial

Family relations: Husband to Nita, father to Akash, Anant and Isha

Famous Quote: "I have to eat my dal, roti, chawal. I have not developed a taste for other food."

Thorn In His Side: Continuing dispute with enstranged brother Anil over natural gas supplies from the Krishna-Godavari basin

Big ambitions: To build global-scale decentralised manafacturing in India, Gandhi-style

Big indulgence: Antila, the 27 storey home he's building on Altamount Road, Mumbai, at an estimated cost of $1 billion

Home away from home: South Africa, once the IPL matches start

Quickies

3) NR Narayana Murthy (Infosys Technologies)

Comment Mail to friend Previous rank: 3 Bragging rights: Set to become Amar Chitra Katha's first living comic book hero Started his career with: Patni Computers It's in his genes: A believer in simple living and higher thinking, he is the billionaire-next-door in Bangalore, like Warren Buffet in Omaha Leadership style: Statesman-like . Has handed over executive responsibilities to the younger set at Infosys and now likes to be called ‘chief mentor’ Family relations: Husband to Sudha Murthy, now a famous author, father to Akshata and Rohan Famous Quote: "Our market cap is $15 bn when our employees walk into the office every morning and it's zero when they walk out in the evening" Big ambitions: Seen as a future President of India Little indulgences: Creating luxurious, world class campuses for his company's employees Future woes: The global recession is likely to affect the software industry the mostest

More @ India Inc's most powerful CEOs

Source:ET