Nine Indian firms among top 250 global energy list

As many as nine Indian companies, including Reliance Industries, ONGC and
NTPC, have been named among the top 250 global energy firms' rankings
compiled by global energy and metals information provider Platts.

According to the 2009 rankings compiled by Platts, a division of The
McGraw-Hill Companies, Mukesh Ambani promoted Reliance Industries has been
ranked at the 25th place in the global list followed by Oil and Natural Gas
Corporation (ONGC) at the 26th spot.

The global list is topped by US-based ExxonMobil Corp, followed by Chevron
Corp (second). Royal Dutch Shell (third), UK's BP (fourth) and French oil
firm Total SA (fifth). Other Indian energy firms on the global list are -
IndianOil (33), NTPC (73) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation (97), Hindustan
Petroleum Corp (147), GAIL (Indian (148), Reliance Infrastructure (239) and
PowerGrid Corporation of India (244).

Moreover, India has also raced past China in this year's energy rankings
with five Indian corporations featuring in the top 15 Asian companies
whereas, China had three. Besides, the top 250 global energy rankings
include 55 Asian companies down from 59 in 2008.

"2009 was the year for India. While the developed world tightened its purse
strings and almost ground to a halt, India's petroleum sector came out to
play ignoring recession and preparing for the years ahead," Platts Asia News
Director in Singapore Vandana Hari said.

PGCIL and Reliance Infrastructure were the newcomers in the list this year
and were also featured in the fastest growing global energy companies for
2009.

"This is also where India's path diverged from that of its formidable Asian
competitor China. India's ability to manage international perceptions
through the transition phase is a key in its aspiration to bring larger
areas of its sedimentary basins under exploration," Hari added.

The Platts Top 250 Global Energy Company Rankings measures financial
performance by examining each company's assets, revenue, profits and return
on invested capital.

The number of Asian companies on the Top 250 list has remained fairly
consistent over the past five years. The Asian companies on the list
represent all" sectors except storage and transportation, with nearly half
(27) coming from utilities sector and 14 from refining and marketing.

Further, four Indian firms -Reliance Infrastructure, Reliance Industries,
PGCIL and Bharat Petroleum Corp have also been named in a separate list of
fastest-growing Asian companies.

P&B Daily, New Delhi, 18 November 2009