TCS Q4 net jumps 44% on strong demand

Investor confidence returns on healthy early corporate results

2006-07 was another stand-out year, says CEO Ramadorai.

Attributing its performance to a "good demand environment and a robust global delivery services model", the management of Tata Consultancy Services, India's largest software services company, today announced the company has crossed the $4 billion revenue (Rs 18,685 crore) mark for the year ending March 31, 2007.

The group posted a net profit of Rs 1,195.19 crore (under Indian GAAP) for the quarter ended March 31, 2007, against Rs 1,116 crore for the trailing quarter, a 7.09 per cent increase. The figure was 43.63 per cent higher than last year's corresponding quarter figure of Rs 832.12 crore.

Total income stood at Rs 5,162.09 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2007, against Rs 4,873.44 crore for the trailing quarter, an increase of 5.92 per cent. The figure was 38.50 per cent higher than last year's corresponding quarter figure.

The rupee impact on fourth quarter revenues was 1.87 per cent and it was 0.57 per cent on net profit. The company registered pricing growth of 89 basis points this quarter. Other income of Rs 104.82 crore includes Rs 66.28 crore from the recent sale of its stake in the joint venture with US-based Sitel Corporation.

The basic and diluted earnings per share stood at Rs 12.21, a 7.06 per cent increase over the previous quarter's EPS of Rs 11.41.

The results were declared after the markets closed.

The company posted a net profit of Rs 4,212.63 crore for the year ended March 31, 2007 "� a 42 per cent increase over last fiscal's figure of Rs 2,966.74 crore.

Its total income of Rs 18,685 crore for the year ended March 31, 2007, was a 40.9 per cent increase over last fiscal's figure of Rs 13,263.99 crore. The EPS for the full year stood at Rs 43.05, a 42 per cent rise over last fiscal's figure of Rs 30.32.

There was a gross addition of 32,462 (net 22,750) employees during 2006-07. In Q4, there was a gross addition of 8,613 (net 5,827) employees. TCS continued to maintain the lowest attrition rate of 11.3 per cent in the industry. At the end of Q4 2006-07, the total employee strength of the company was 89,419 professionals.

Commenting on another "stand-out year for TCS", S Ramadorai, CEO and managing director, said: "TCS's robust business model using our full-services play and global network delivery has given us the pole position to capitalise on the strong demand environment that exists globally."

He added: "Our emerging high-growth services are giving the company a superior quality of revenue and a diversified customer base across markets and verticals. The significant number of large wins in FY07 that will ramp up in the next fiscal year makes us confident of continuing sustained, profitable growth."

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NO STOPPING

Quarter ended March 31, 2007

43 new clients added in Q4

5,827 employees added in Q4

Closed two $50m-plus deals and one $35m deal in Q4

Forward cover of $1 billion provided for FY 2008

12-15% salary hikes on India payroll

3-5% hikes in international salaries

Planning development centre in Morocco

Management does not see any slowdown