NEW DELHI: India's Wipro Ltd. has edged past closely-held Tata Consultancy
Services (TCS) in the revenue-based ranking of the nation's information
technology (IT) companies, leading industry magazine Dataquest said.
Dataquest, which tracks the 20 top companies in an annual survey, said in a
statement made available to Reuters on Wednesday that Wipro was only a whisker
above TCS.
"It was a tight battle for the number one slot between Wipro and TCS,
with Wipro ahead by just 20 million rupees," said Dataquest, which
has no relation to its US-based namesake.
Wipro, a diversified firm which makes hardware and consumer goods including
electric bulbs, soap, childcare products besides software, posted revenues of Rs
20.36 billion ($446.3 million) in 1999-2000 (April-March) from its software
services.
TCS, although a huge company in size and revenue, functions as a division of
Tata Sons, the holding company for India's largest industrial conglomerate, the
Tata group.
Dataquest said Wipro and TCS were followed by IBM in India, Tech Pacific and
the Indian unit of Hewlett Packard.
It said India's IT industry grew 38 per cent during the year with overall
turnover crossing Rs 330.52 billion. Its domestic turnover grew 29 per cent to
Rs 170 billion, while the export turnover grew 49 per cent to Rs 160.5 billion..
($1 = 45.62 rupees).
(C) Reuters Limited 2000.