Top 10 Best Public Limited Companies in India in the Year 2023

India has the fastest growing economy, and the government of India has many owned companies which help to make the Indian GDP stronger is estimated to have around 11.4% capitalization which is the third most significant contribution to the economy of India according to the Business Standards. 

India has embraced the mixed economic system which is the most significant reason for the growth of the Indian economy. The government has owned some of the most revenue-making key industries and most of these companies were listed on the 2019 Global fortune market.

These public limited companies are making billions of dollars in revenue and in this article, we will take their brief introduction and list them based on their past year revenues, profits they make, their employment rate, and more factors.

What Are Public Sector Companies?

Public sector companies are government-owned corporations (GOCs) or state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Simply, these companies are held by the government and are available for the public to buy shares.

Public sector companies, established by the government and funded by taxpayers’ money, provide essential services such as education, healthcare, transportation, energy, and telecommunications. 

Which Are the Best Top 10 Public Limited Companies in India?

The top 10 best public limited companies in India are:

1. Indian Oil Corporation Ltd
2. State Bank of India
3. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd 
4. Oil and Natural gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC)
5. Bharat  Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL)
6. Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL)
7. Coal India Ltd
8. NTPC Ltd
9. Punjab National Bank
10. Steel Authority of India Ltd

These companies are owned by the government of India and are the top companies among the other public limited companies in India. These companies are also called Public Sector Undertakings (PSU). Let us explore more about these companies briefly.

1. Indian Oil Corporation Ltd

Indian Oil Corporation Ltd was established in 1959, Its headquarter is located in New Delhi, Delhi, and falls under the ministry of petroleum and natural gas of the government of India. This company’s core business involves refining petroleum products, as well as transporting and marketing them. 

In addition, the company offers services related to petroleum, petrochemicals, and natural gas. According to Wikipedia, the company has a total workforce of 33,498 employees. With a revenue of Rs. 4,82,292 Crores and a growth rate of 11.7%, the company is currently the largest public sector enterprise in India.

2. State Bank of India

State Bank of India was established in 1921, Its headquarter is located in Mumbai, Maharashtra. This multinational public limited bank ranked 49th on the list of the world’s largest banks, and in the year 2022, it was included on the Fortune Global 500 list as the world’s largest corporation. They made a revenue of Rs. 4.07 Lakh Crores in the year 2022.

It was the only bank that was listed in the list of Fortune Global 500. With a total workforce of 2,44,250, this company ranks as the fifth largest employer among Indian corporations. According to Wikipedia, it is the seventh company in India to cross the Rs. 5 trillion market capitalization. 

3. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd

Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd was established in 1974, by the merging of 2 different petroleum companies. This company falls under the ministry of government enterprises with a total revenue of Rs. 3.52 lakh Crores in the year 2022 and is listed on the Forbes 2000 companies and is ranked 367th on the Fortune Global 500 list. 

This company has a total workforce of 10,352 employees and holds 25% of the market share in the Indian petroleum market. According to the India Times, this company is among the largest public corporations in India, based on its revenue, and boasts a growth rate of 49.37%, which is the highest among its peers.

4. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (Ongc)

Oil and Natural gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) was founded in 1956, and Its headquarter is located in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. They offer services related to petroleum, oil & natural gas, and petrochemicals and have a total workforce of 27,165 employees. They have been recorded to produce 1.2 million barrels of oil per day.

They have made a total revenue of Rs. 5.39 Lakh Crores in the year 2022 according to Wikipedia undertaken by the Indian ministry of oil and natural gas, the government of India. It has a growth rate of 19.9% than the past years and is one of India’s leading public sector companies.

5. Bharat  Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL)

Bharat  Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), established in 1952, was acquired by the Government of India in 1976 and is currently owned by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. It operates its business in Mumbai and Kochi. 

This company has a total workforce of 9500 employees, and has made Rs. 4.33 Lakh Crores in total revenue in the year 2022 that makes it in the top 10 public limited companies with a growth rate of 120.3% which is the largest growth among other listed companies, and their services are related to petroleum, petrochemicals, and natural gas.

6. Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL)

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) was established in 1956, Its headquarters are in New Delhi, Delhi. This company falls under the Ministry of Heavy Industries, the government of India. It is one of the largest companies in India to produce power generation equipment with a total workforce of 32,131 employees. 

In the year 2022, the engineering and manufacturing company generated a total revenue of Rs. 21,210 Crores, representing a growth rate of 22.14%. The company provides a comprehensive range of products, comprising gas and steam turbines, boilers, heat exchangers, switchgear, pumps, sensors, power generation electronics, and electric motors.

7. Coal India Ltd

Coal India Ltd was established in 1956, by the government of India to have its own coal production company and is headquartered in Kolkata. It is one of the largest coal-producing companies in the world, and the seventh-largest employment company to have a total workforce of 2,72,000 employees in India. 

They made a total revenue of Rs. 1.14 Lakh Crores in the year 2022, with a growth rate of 21.1%, they have the largest coal contribution in India around 80% which makes it the largest coal supplier company of India.

8. NTPC Ltd

NTPC Ltd (National Thermal Power Corporation Limited) was established on 7 November 1975, its headquarter is located in New Delhi, Delhi. This company falls under the Ministry of Power, the Government of India offers services like power generation and distribution of electricity. It is the largest company to produce 71,594 MW of electricity in India.

This company produces 25 billion units of electricity per day and has a contribution of 25% to the Indian market. They have made a total revenue of  Rs. 1.33 Lakh Crores in the year 2022 with a growth rate of 16.83% stated by the India times with a total workforce of 15,786 employees. 

9. Punjab National Bank

Punjab National Bank was established in 1984, its headquarter is located in New Delhi, Delhi. It is one of the largest banks in India with over 180 million customers and has 12,248 branches with 13,500+ ATMs. They offer a wide range of banking services like credit cards, debit cards, consumer and corporate banking, investment banking, and finance-related services.

Their total revenue is recorded at over Rs. 88,339 Crores with a growth rate of 14% according to the India times, It has a total workforce of 1,03,144 employees. This bank also provides international services and has 7 branches in the United Kingdom. 

10. Steel Authority of India Ltd

Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) was established on 19 January 1954 and is headquartered in New Delhi, Delhi. They offer a wide range of steel products including wire products, and long and flat steel products, and they also produce wheels and axles for the Indian Railways and fall under the Ministry of Steel, the Government of India.

This is India’s largest steel production company with a total production of 16.30 million metric tons per year and is estimated to grow its production to 50 million metric tons per year. In the year 2022, this company generated total revenue of 1.03 Lakh Crores, with an impressive growth rate of 49.11%. The company has a total workforce of 60,766 employees.

FAQs

1. Who Owns the Public Limited Companies?

Most of the Public Limited Companies are owned by the governments and the common people can buy shares in these companies. In India, Public Limited companies are listed on the BSE and NSE stock exchanges, and many of them are profitable, experiencing substantial growth rates.

2. Which Are the Top 3 Public Limited Companies in India?

The Top 3 Public Limited companies in India are:

• Indian Oil Corporation Ltd

• State Bank of India
• Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd 

These are India’s top 3 Public Limited companies based on the company’s revenue, profits, growth rate, and employment figures from the previous year.

3. Which is the Best Public Limited Company in India?

Based on the profits, growth rate, and employment figures from the previous year, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd has shown to be a highly successful and influential player in the Indian market. This company offers services related to petroleum, petrochemicals, and natural gas. According to Wikipedia, the company has a total workforce of 33,498 employees. As of the latest available financial data, this company holds the distinction of being the largest public sector enterprise in India, with a revenue of Rs. 4,82,292 Crores and a growth rate of 11.7%.

4. Can We Invest in Public Limited Companies?

Yes, Public Limited companies are designed to enable public investment, so every common person has the right to invest in them. They provide an opportunity for individuals to invest in the company’s shares and thereby share in the profits and growth of the company. This also helps to promote public participation and ownership in the economy.

5. Can a Public Limited Company Turn Into a Private Limited Company?

Yes, a Public Limited Company can turn into a Private Limited Company only if the majority of the stockholders in a Public Limited Company are from a Private organization. With the approval of the Memorandum, these companies can be turned into Private limited companies. 

Conclusion:

The following is a list of India’s top 10 public limited companies, which rank third in terms of their contribution to the Indian economy. These companies were initially funded by taxpayer money, and have now become some of the most profitable organizations in India, while also providing significant employment opportunities. 

Many of these companies are included on the Fortune Global 500 and Forbes 2000 lists, which showcase the world’s largest and most profitable revenue-generating firms. The rankings are based on the company’s revenue, profits, growth rate, and employment figures from the previous year.