NEW DELHI: Only a handful of media companies like Zee Telefilms, Deccan Chronicle and Television Eighteen Ltd find a place in a survey of top 500 Indian companies conducted by Economic Times newspaper.

With a market cap of Rs. 9.3 billion in June 2006, Zee Telefilms has been ranked 142nd in ET500 in August 2006, up from an earlier survey in February when it had been placed at 281st position.

Incidentally, Zee tops the media heap amongst the best in India where the top two slots are occupied by infotech companies, Tata Consultancy Services and Infosys Technologies.

Regional media powerhouse, Deccan Chronicle Holdings, finds a place at No. 167 with a market capitalization of Rs. 1.4 billion.

Television Eighteen, owners of TV channels like CNBC TV18 and CNN IBN, has slipped to No. 330 in ranking in August from an earlier position of 318.

According to ET500, TV18’s market cap in June stood at slightly over Rs. 1 billion.
The other two media organizations finding place in the top 500 Indian companies are Adlabs (rank: 342) and TV and movie production house Balaji Telefilms (rank: 355).

Balaji too slipped in ranking from No. 336 in an earlier ET500 list.

Economic Times used several parameters, including market capitalization of a company, to compile the ET500 list.

The eight parameters considered included absolute change in market cap over the past one year, sales, absolute change in sales over the past year, net profit, absolute change in net profit over the past year, price to earnings (P/E) multiple and return on net worth.

The market cap of companies during the period June 16-30, 2006 has been considered, while sales and profit numbers are for 12 months ended March 2006.
(Rs. 47=1US$)