When we decided to tweak the methodology of the BT500 this year, it was only the third time in our flagship listing's 24-year history. In 1993, we began with ranking companies on the basis of their market caps as on March 31. In 1997, we made the first change - ranking companies by average market capitalisation between April 1 and March 31. In 2002, we began using average market capitalisation between April 1 and September 30, to give the numbers more currency. And this year, we have reverted to the 12-month ranking, but with a twist - we have taken the period from October 1, 2015 to September 30, 2016. This gives us the dual advantage of having both 12 months' numbers, as well as the most recent numbers from the stock exchanges. However, the deciding metric - market cap - has remained the same.
So, when you see the main tables, along with the October-September market cap, we have also given the average market cap over the past two fiscal years for better understanding. And if you're really kicked by comparisons, go to page 166 where we have a series of tables ranking the companies by assets, income, profits as well as debt. Companies in the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector have not been ranked on these parameters, since their method of capturing and measuring these metrics is markedly different from all other sectors' companies.
