RIL, TCS race to $100 billion

It's a neck and neck race to become the first Indian company to be worth $100 billion between RIL and TCS, which are the only two companies in the Rs 6 lakh crore club. Who between Mukesh Ambani, CMD of RIL and Rajesh Gopinathan, CMD of TCS will wear the crown and how soon?

RIL came back strongly last year, becoming the first Indian company to be worth Rs 6 lakh crore, dethroning TCS, which for the previous six years was the front runner to become the first Indian company to cross $100 billion in market value. It had overtaken RIL as India's most valuable company in 2011.

TCS however, has closed the gap between its and RIL's market value - at end of the trading session on Monday, TCS was slightly ahead at Rs 611,634.03 crore against RIL's Rs 610,463.17 crore. That's $96.03 billion for TCS versus $95.84 billion for RIL.

Since TCS listed in 2004, it has delivered a higher return for its shareholders, compared to RIL. An investment of Rs 1000 in TCS, done at the time of its listing in 2004, is today worth Rs 12,492, while a similar amount invested in RIL at the same time, is worth Rs 10,357 today.

Both RIL and TCS derive over half of their sales from exports, but where RIL earns just 17 paise more from its overseas sales, for every rupee earned in India, TCS earns nearly Rs 15 from overseas for every rupee it earns from India.