Forbes has released the ‘Forbes Asia’s 200 Best under a Billion’ where eight Indian companies made the cut. Among pharma companies, Ajanta Life Sciences, Suven Life Sciences, Chennai-based Caplin Point Laboratories and Ahmedabad-based ADI Finechem made it to the list this year. Drug and biotechnology companies are well represented in this year’s listing with 14 from this industry featuring on the list.
While Ajanta Life Sciences and Suven Life Sciences are known names in the industry, the other two companies are lesser known entities. Chennai-based Caplin Point Laboratories manufactures a wide range of ointments, creams and other external applications in addition to the regular segments of pharma formulations while Ahmedabad-based ADI Finechem, manufactures specialised products for the neutraceutical industry.
The Forbes Best Under A Billion list highlights 200 top-performing Asia-Pacific companies with less than $1 billion in sales and consistent top- and bottom-line gains. Their stories are testimony to the policies of Governments in this region, focused on promoting the small- and medium-sized enterprise sector to boost economic growth. Combined these 200 SMEs generated $42 billion in sales last year, grew an average 46 per cent the last three years and employ over 255,000 people, according to Forbes.
This year’s list did see quite a few SMEs from India drop off the list, thanks to the deceleration of the Indian economy. The report pegs India’s listing of eight companies as a new low compared to a previous all-time low of 19 last year.
EP News Bureau – Mumbai