HDFC Bank just raised the stakes for the race to become the first Indian company to be valued at $100 billion, as India's largest private sector bank also became its first to cross the five trillion rupees threshold.
As the bank's share rose 2.63% since Wednesday's close, it became the third in the Rs 5 lakh crore club, which so far was a duel between the Mukesh Ambani promoted Reliance Industries (RIL) and the Tata Sons promoted Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).
RIL, which last year reclaimed its top ranking as India's most valuable company, is now on its way to become, possibly, the first Indian company to touch the $100 billion mark. The company's current market value hovers between $92 billion, making it the first Indian company to touch that figure.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) had, for long, been the front-runner to touch the coveted $100 billion mark, being India's most valued company for last 6 years. It had touched a peak market cap of $88 billion three years back, before sliding down. It is currently valued at $87 billion.
The three companies, which couldn't be more divergent, representing financial services, IT and oil refining, are the exclusive members of the Rs 5 lakh crore club, though at Rs 5.80 lakh crore, RIL is edging closer to the Rs 6 lakh crore mark - which has never been attained by any Indian company.