IF YOU WERE asked to name the IT hub of India, the obvious and most spontaneous reply is likely to be Bangalore. So deeply is the Indian IT associated with Bangalore that getting 'Bangalored' is the phrase Americans use to describe jobs lost to India. However, ET Intelligence Group's (ETIG) analysis of data pertaining to the total turnover of the listed IT companies reveals that contrary to popular belief, India's Silicon Valley is facing a tough challenge from the city of dreams - Mumbai. In fact, the cities are almost neck and neck when it comes to grabbing a slice of the IT turnover pie.

Bangalore, which houses the headquarters of some of the biggest names in the business such as Infosys, Wipro, MphasiS and iGate to name a few, accounts for 31% of the total turnover of the IT industry. Mumbai is not too far behind, accounting for 29% of the turnover of the industry, and can boast of playing host to India's biggest IT company TCS, apart from other up and coming IT players such as Patni Computers, i-flex solutions, Mastek and Rolta. It is obvious that perception sometimes overshadows reality and what is popular belief may not necessarily be true. In order to bust such popular myths and reveal an accurate geographical spread of industries across India, ETIG has captured the footprint of major industries in the six biggest cities of the country, namely - Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

HYDERABAD

Ayurveda and Unani systems of medicine have been an integral part of Hyderabad since its foundation in the late 16th century. So, it's no surprise that the city is now the pharma capital of the country. The city of Charminar boasts of some of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in India - Dr Reddy's Labs, Aurobindo Pharma, Matrix Labs and Divi's Labs. These companies account for over a quarter of the total revenues generated by all the pharma companies which have made it to ET500 this year. Other than pharmaceuticals, the city is home to industries like IT, fertilisers and mining. It has the headquarters of some of the biggest players in these sectors, namely, Satyam Computer Services, Coromandel Fertilisers and National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC).

DELHI/NCR

India's capital is growing to become a hub of construction and real estate activities. Nine out of 18 listed companies in this sector are based in Delhi and NCR (National Capital Region). NCR-headquartered companies account for over half of the total turnover of construction and real estate companies included in ET500. Some of the prominent companies include DLF, Punj Lloyd, Unitech, Parsvnath Developers, BL Kashyap & Sons and others. India's capital city and its satellite towns are also home to the country's largest concentration of auto ancillaries companies. The city is host to 10 of the 18 largest auto ancillary companies in India, including Amtek Auto, Amtek India, Rico Auto Industries and Omax Auto. This is primarily because NCR is home to India's largest car and two-wheeler maker - Maruti Suzuki and Hero Honda, respectively.

CHENNAI

If the cement sector has a significant role to play in any city after Mumbai, it is Chennai. With listed companies like India Cement, Madras Cement and Chettinad Cement contributing around 10% to the total turnover of the cement sector, Chennai is gradually becoming an attractive destination for this sector. Again, if the South is a destined IT hub, thanks to the likes of Bangalore and Hyderabad, Chennai is not too far behind. The city has the headquarters of four IT companies, which account for over 12% to the total turnover from the IT sector.

KOLKATA

While Jamshedpur is more closely associated with Tata Steel than Kolkata, India's global steel giant is headquartered in Kolkata. Metal companies have a strong footprint in Kolkata, with companies like Usha Martin, Ramsarup Industries, Adhunik Metaliks, Tata Metaliks, Shri Ramrupai and Balaji Steels operating out of the city. Also, it must be remembered that in a few years, assuming that the industry-friendly policies of the state continue, the city may well recapture part of its old glory.

MUMBAI

India's financial capital is a major attraction for most industries. But if one were to name one sector that defines Mumbai, it is 'banking and financial services'. Mumbai houses 13 of the 36 largest publicly traded banks of the country. It is also host to five of the 14 listed non-banking financial services firms in India. And why not? Where else in India will one find the constellation of regulators (RBI and Sebi), two major stock exchanges, the largest centre of foreign trade and a ready pool of financial manpower. The city is also home to two of India's largest business houses and leads other cities in terms of corporate headquarters. Other industries contributing a high turnover to Mumbai are consumer durables, shipping, cement, telecom, non-ferrous metals, transport & paints.

BANGALORE

Bangalore continues to rock for the IT sector. But the 'city of gardens' is also a gracious host to companies in diamonds, auto ancillaries, capital goods & banking sectors. Given its public sector/heavy engineering-orientation in the '70s, it's not surprising that Bangalore is home to five of India's major capital goods manufacturers - ABB, BEL, BEML, Ingersoll-Rand & Kirloskar Electric. It's the 4th largest contributor to turnover of the capital goods industry. The momentum gained by Rajesh Exports has added jewels to this city, which contributes 44% to the total revenues generated by India's diamond business, next only to Mumbai and ahead of Surat.

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