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What are the real names of these 25 cos? Find out...

Last updated on: January 4, 2013 15:11 IST
A view of the Champs Elysees Avenue and the Arc de Triomphe monument in Paris.

Although many companies use their full names, there are some that are more well-known by their acronyms than by their full names.

Let's take a look at 25 such companies and find out what their acronyms stand for.

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What are the real names of these 25 cos? Find out...

Last updated on: January 4, 2013 15:11 IST
DHL Boeing cargo aircraft at Ljubljana's airport Brnik in Slovenia.

DHL

Full name: DHL is based on the last names of the three founders, Adrian Dalsey, Larry Hillblom and Robert Lynn.

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What are the real names of these 25 cos? Find out...

Last updated on: January 4, 2013 15:11 IST
A view of IBM headquarters at la Defense in Paris.

IBM

Full name: International Business Machines Corporation.

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What are the real names of these 25 cos? Find out...

Last updated on: January 4, 2013 15:11 IST
TLC's original name was The Learning Channel.

TLC

Full name: The Learning Channel.

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What are the real names of these 25 cos? Find out...

Last updated on: January 4, 2013 15:11 IST
Main entrance of the Fiat's headquarters in Turin, Italy.

FIAT

Full name: Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino.

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What are the real names of these 25 cos? Find out...

Last updated on: January 4, 2013 15:11 IST
People walk past a HMV store branch in London.

HMV

Full name: His Master's Voice.

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What are the real names of these 25 cos? Find out...

Last updated on: January 4, 2013 15:11 IST
N Chandrasekaran, CEO, Tata Consultancy Services, in Mumbai.

TCS

Full name: Tata Consultancy Services.

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What are the real names of these 25 cos? Find out...

Last updated on: January 4, 2013 15:11 IST
People are pictured beside screens at the booth of German company SAP in Hanover, Germany.

SAP

Full name: System Analysis and Program Development.

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What are the real names of these 25 cos? Find out...

Last updated on: January 4, 2013 15:11 IST
A worker moves a trolley loaded with packed processed cheese in Khatraj village.

Amul

Full name: Anand Milk Union Limited.

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What are the real names of these 25 cos? Find out...

Last updated on: January 4, 2013 15:11 IST
Shoppers push trolleys into Ikea's self service area at the Wembley branch in west London.

Ikea

Full name: Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd. The company's name is an acronym comprising the initials of the founder's name (Ingvar Kamprad), the farm where he grew up (Elmtaryd) and his hometown (Agunnaryd, in Smaland, South Sweden).

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What are the real names of these 25 cos? Find out...

Last updated on: January 4, 2013 15:11 IST
A shop attendant arranges HTC phones in a mobile phone store in Taipei, Taiwan.

HTC

Full name: High Tech Computer Corporation.

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What are the real names of these 25 cos? Find out...

Last updated on: January 4, 2013 15:11 IST
JBL is based on the founder's name.

JBL

Full name: JBL is based on the founder's name, James Bullough Lansing.

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What are the real names of these 25 cos? Find out...

Last updated on: January 4, 2013 15:11 IST
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company was its former name.

3M

Full name: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company was its former name.

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What are the real names of these 25 cos? Find out...

Last updated on: January 4, 2013 15:11 IST
It stands for Hennes & Mauritz.

H&M

Full name: Hennes & Mauritz.

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What are the real names of these 25 cos? Find out...

Last updated on: January 4, 2013 15:11 IST
White Apple iPhone 4 and iPad 2 are advertised in the window of an AT&T cellular store in Los Angeles.

AT&T

Full name: American Telephone and Telegraph Company.

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What are the real names of these 25 cos? Find out...

Last updated on: January 4, 2013 15:11 IST
Employees of ING group take a break in front of their office in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

ING

Full name: International Netherlands Group.

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What are the real names of these 25 cos? Find out...

Last updated on: January 4, 2013 15:11 IST
BMW i8 Concept Spyder hybrid in New York.

BMW

Full name: Bayerische Motoren Werke.

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What are the real names of these 25 cos? Find out...

Last updated on: January 4, 2013 15:11 IST
A Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet in Shanghai.

KFC

Full name: Kentucky Fried Chicken.

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What are the real names of these 25 cos? Find out...

Last updated on: January 4, 2013 15:11 IST
A model with a BPL mobile phone in Calcutta.

BPL

Full name: British Physical Laboratories.

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What are the real names of these 25 cos? Find out...

Last updated on: January 4, 2013 15:11 IST
A cyclist rides his bike past the entrance of the BASF plant in Schweizerhalle near Basel, Switzerland.

BASF

Full name: Baden Aniline and Soda Factory.

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What are the real names of these 25 cos? Find out...

Last updated on: January 4, 2013 15:11 IST
BEML's full name is Bharat Earth Movers Limited.

BEML

Full name: Bharat Earth Movers Limited.

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What are the real names of these 25 cos? Find out...

Last updated on: January 4, 2013 15:11 IST
BHEL stands for Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited.

BHEL

Full name: Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited.

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What are the real names of these 25 cos? Find out...

Last updated on: January 4, 2013 15:11 IST
An automated teller machine facility of ICICI bank in Kochi.

ICICI

Full name: Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India Bank was its original name.

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What are the real names of these 25 cos? Find out...

Last updated on: January 4, 2013 15:11 IST
An HDFC bank branch in Srinagar.

HDFC

Full name: Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited.

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What are the real names of these 25 cos? Find out...

Last updated on: January 4, 2013 15:11 IST
ESPN Zone restaurant in Times Square, New York.

ESPN

Full name: Entertainment and Sports Programming Network.

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What are the real names of these 25 cos? Find out...

Last updated on: January 4, 2013 15:11 IST
HCL's laptop in New Delhi.

HCL

Full name: Hindustan Computer Limited.