India’s Top 500 Companies 2019

INDIA’S TOP 500 COMPANIES 2019 3 Dun & Bradstreet India takes pleasure in announcing the launch of the nineteenth edition of its premier publication – ‘ India’s Top 500 Companies ’. This publication has consistently served as a compendiumof information about leading corporates of India across diverse industries. The publication provides comprehensive comparative performance of these top companies for key financial indicators. The macroeconomic concerns that largely prevailed in FY17 about the sluggish investment and moderation in bank credit waned slightly in FY18 and FY19. The Indian economy exhibited resilience, backed by an upturn in investment. Inflation remained confined to RBI’s target range, led by lower food inflation. The credit growth also returned to a double digit level from a historic low of 4.4% in Feb-17. Amidst these positive developments, the economy had to contend with some risks on the domestic and external front. The private consumption demand witnessed some weakness on account of income growth slump, especially in the rural areas. On the external front, the firming up of global crude oil prices, coupled with depreciating rupee in the second half of FY19 led to widening of the current account deficit. The Government of India has taken various initiatives to attain a buoyant economy. Government initiatives such as GST, Make in India, the Consolidated FDI Policy, The RERA Act, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, Skill India, and the Jan Dhan Yojana, among others were introduced to help achieve India’s economic dynamo. India’s Top 500 Companies, the front-runners among Indian corporates, play a significant role in implementing these reforms and policies in India. These companies play a vital role in driving the Indian economy, by virtue of their size and reach. As per the Dun & Bradstreet research, if these Top 500 corporates constituted a country, it would be the 25 th largest economy in the world. Therefore, the critical role played by the Indian corporate sector, especially India’s Top 500 Companies cannot be overlooked. Corporates in India have been the ‘Catalysts’ of India’s growth story through their income generation, investments, adherence to Corporate norms, implementation of digital payments, job creation, development of infrastructure and efforts towards financial inclusion, among others. The underlying strength of Indian economy, supported by government policy reforms and the efforts of India Inc., has helped the economy to mitigate the volatility arising from global risk factors. As the Indian economy continues to evolve, Dun & Bradstreet will continue to provide critical insights about Corporate India’s performance through ‘ India’s Top 500 Companies ’. I look forward to receiving your valuable feedback and suggestions. Pankaj Khanna Head – Learning & Economic Insights Group Dun & Bradstreet India Foreword Dun & Bradstreet