India's 20 highest dividend paying companies

Many Indian companies are in an enviable position today. They have prospered in terms of revenues, profits and net assets.

The total revenue of the Fortune India 500 companies stands at Rs 38,16,239.40 crore (Rs 38162.394 billion). That's more than 60 per cent of India's GDP.

As companies make robust gains, they hand out a share of their profits to shareholders.

When a company makes a huge profit, it is either invested back into the business or paid to the shareholders as a dividend.

Click NEXT to find out India's top 20 dividend payers . . .

1. ONGC

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, a Fortune Global 500 company, is one of the highest profit-making corporations in India.

The company's net profit rose by 6 per cent to Rs 5,388.77 crore (Rs 53.88 billion) in the quarter ended 30 September 2010, its highest quarterly profit in two years.

Dividend paid in 2009-10: Rs 7,058 crore (Rs 70.58 billion).

Last dividend in December 2010: 320%

(The ranking are based on a study by Economic Times of dividend paid by companies in 2009-10)

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2. Tata Consultancy Services

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) posted 29.93 per cent jump in consolidated net profit at Rs 2,369.83 crore (Rs 23.69 billion) for the third quarter ended December 31, 2010. The company has also announced 200 per cent dividend.

Dividend paid: Rs 3,914 crore (Rs 39.14 billion)

Last dividend in January 2011: 200%

3. ITC 

ITC reported a 23.5 per cent increase in profits in the second quarter of 2010 to Rs 1,246.74 crore (Rs 12.46 billion), compared to Rs 1,009.91 crore (Rs 10.09 billion) in the year-ago period.

Dividend paid: Rs 3,818 crore (Rs 38.18 billion)

Last dividend in May 2010: 1,000%

4. IOC

Indian Oil Corporation has been ranked as India's biggest company in terms of revenues, net profit and assets.

IOC reported a 17-fold jump in net profit for the quarter ended 30 September 2010.

The net profit in July-September stood at Rs 5,293.95 crore (Rs 52.93 billion) compared to Rs 284.36 crore (Rs 2.84 billion)in the same period last fiscal.

Dividend paid: Rs 3,181 crore (Rs 31.81 billion)

Last dividend in May 2010: 130%

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5. NTPC

NTPC was ranked 317th in the '2009, Forbes Global 2000' ranking of the world's biggest companies. NTPC reported a 5.6 per cent growth in net profit at Rs 8,657 crore for the fiscal ending March 31, 2010. The company, which added 1,560 MW of power generation capacity during 2009-10, plans to add 4,150 MW in 2010-11.

Dividend paid: Rs 3,149 crore (Rs 31.49 billion)

Last dividend in May 2010: 8%

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6. Hero Honda

In 2009-10, Hero Honda sold more than a million units of two wheelers in every quarter. It has the lion's share in the in the two-wheeler market space. In 2010, the Munjals terminated its 26-year-old joint venture (JV) with Japanese auto major Honda Motor Corporation.

The Munjals-promoted Hero Group will buy out Honda's entire 26 per cent stake in Hero Honda to own a 52 per cent stake in the company.

Dividend paid: Rs 2,197 crore (Rs 21.97 billion)

Last dividend in April 2010: 1,500%

7. Reliance Industries

Reliance, a Fortune 500 company reported a 28 percent rise in net profit for the second quarter ended 30 September 2010 at Rs 4,923 crore (Rs 49.23 billion) as against Rs 3,852 crore (Rs 38.52 billion) earned during same period in the last fiscal.

Dividend paid: Rs 2,085 crore (Rs 20.85 billion)

Last dividend in April 2010: 70%

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8. State Bank of India

India's biggest bank, SBI is optimistic of posting a net profit of over Rs 10,000 crore (Rs 100 billion) this fiscal.

The bank recorded a 0.4 per cent rise in net profit at Rs 9,166.05 crore (Rs 91.66 billion) last fiscal.

Dividend paid: Rs 1,905 crore (Rs 19.05 billion)

Last dividend in May 2010: 200%

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9. Infosys Technologies Infosys Technologies saw a 14.17 per cent growth in consolidated net profit at Rs 1,780 crore (Rs 17.80 billion) for the third quarter ended December 31, 2010.

Dividend paid: Rs 1,434 crore (Rs 14.34 billion).

Last dividend in September 2010: 800%

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10. Hindustan Unilever

FMCG major Hindustan Unilever saw its net profit rise by 32.11 per cent to Rs 566.12 crore (Rs 5.66 billion) in the quarter ended September 2010 as against Rs 428.53 crore (Rs 4.28 billion) during the previous quarter ended September 2009.

Dividend paid: Rs 1,418 crore (Rs 14.18 bilion)

Last dividend in October 2010: 300%

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11. SAIL

During April-Dec 2010 quarter, SAIL's gross turnover rose to Rs 33,905.04 crore (Rs 339.05 billion), up by 10 per cent from the Rs 30,928.82 crore (Rs 309.28 billion) for Apr-Dec 2009 period.

The third-quarter net profit stood at Rs 1,107.47 crore (Rs 11.07 billion).

Dividend paid: Rs 1,363 crore (Rs 13.63 billion).

Last dividend in December 2010: 12%

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12. ICICI Bank

ICICI Bank, India's second-largest bank had total assets of Rs 3,634 billion ($81 billion) as on March 31, 2010.

The bank's net profit rose by 18.8 per cent to Rs 1,236 crore (Rs 12.36 billion) for the quarter ended September 30, 2010.

Dividend paid: Rs 1,338 crore (Rs 13.38 billion).

Last dividend in April 2010: 120%

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13. BHEL

A highly successful PSU, BHEL has been earning profits since 1971-72 and paying dividends since 1976-77.

Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) reported a 33 percent rise in net profit for the second quarter ended 30 September at Rs 1,142.28 crore (Rs 11.42 billion).

Dividend paid: Rs 1,156 crore (Rs 11.56 billion).

Last dividend in May 2010: 123%

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14. HDFC

Housing Development Finance Corp (HDFC) posted a 32.71 per cent rise in net profit in the December quarter.

HDFC's net profit rose to Rs 890.88 crore (Rs 8.9 billion) in the quarter ended December from Rs 671.25 crore (Rs 6.71 billion) during the same period a year earlier.

Dividend paid: Rs 1,034 crore (Rs 10.34 billion)

Last dividend in May 2010: 360%

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15. GAIL

GAIL (India) reported a 13 per cent increase in net profit for the third quarter of the current fiscal at Rs 968 crore (Rs 9.68 billion) as against Rs 860 crore (Rs 8.6 billion) in the corresponding quarter last fiscal. GAIL reported a 35 per cent increase in turnover to Rs 8,365 crore (Rs 83.65 billion) during the quarter.

Dividend paid: Rs 951 crore (Rs 9.51 billion)

Last dividend in November 2010: 20%

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16. Wipro

IT major Wipro on Friday reported 9.75 per cent increase in consolidated net profit at Rs 1,284.9 crore (Rs 12.84 billion) for the second quarter ended September 30.

On standalone basis, Wipro posted dip in net profit at Rs 1,172.1 crore (Rs 11.72 billion) for the second quarter ended September 30. It had a net profit of Rs 1,232.1 crore (Rs 12.32 billion) in Q2 FY'10.

Dividend paid: Rs 881 crore (Rs 8.81 billion).

Last dividend in April 2010: 300%

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17. Tata Motors

Tata Motors, India's largest auto maker by sales, posted a 100-fold jump in net profit.

Its profit rose to Rs 2,222.99 crore (Rs 22.22 billion) for the quarter ended September 30 compared with Rs 21.78 crore (Rs 217.8 million) in the corresponding quarter a year ago.

Dividend paid: Rs 859 crore (Rs 8.59 billion)

Last dividend in May 2010: 150%

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18. Oil India

Oil India (OIL) saw a 26.78 per cent jump in net profit for the second quarter of the current fiscal.

The company's net profit stood at Rs 916.03 crore (Rs 9.16 billion), against Rs 722.56 crore (Rs 7.22 billion) in the same quarter last fiscal.

Dividend paid: Rs 818 crore (Rs 8.18 billion).

Last dividend in December 2010: 180%

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19. Larsen & Toubro

Engineering and construction major Larsen & Toubro posted a 10.77 per cent rise in net profit at Rs 8,40.5 crore (Rs 8,405 million) for the quarter ended December 31, 2010 as compared to Rs 758.8 crore (Rs 7.588 billion) for the quarter ended December 31, 2009.

Dividend paid: Rs 753 crore (Rs 7.53 billion).

Last dividend in May 2010: 625%

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20. Tata Steel

Tata Steel's net profit rose by128.71 per cent to Rs 2,065.13 crore (Rs 20.65 billion) in the quarter ended September 2010 as against Rs 902.94 crore (Rs 9.02 billion) during the previous quarter ended September 2009.

Dividend paid: Rs 709 crore (Rs 7.09 billion).

Last dividend in May 2010: 80%