100 Infosys shares for 9.5K in 1993 now worth 4 crore :

BANGALORE: The country's second largest tech player Infosys Technologies has a shareholder base of 4,50,000. The company has paid a cumulative dividend of Rs 11,623 crore to these investors, says the company's annual report for fiscal 2010-11.

The journey that started with a measly capital of Rs 10,000-pooled by spouses of founders-has evolved into a balance sheet of Rs 26,000 crore with $3.8 billion in cash equivalents.

Its shareholders have grown their wealth in multiples. For instance, 100 shares issued in the IPO in 1993 at Rs 9,500 have multiplied into 12,800 shares valued at Rs 4.15 crore as on March 31 this year, indicating a compounded growth rate of 59%.

By March 31 1992, employees owned 13.6% of shares of the company. The employee stock option plan was introduced in 1994 and as of now, the company has given stock options worth Rs 50,000 crore to employees.

"I do not know of any Indian company that has given away as much as Rs 50,000 crore at current stock prices of stock options to employees. Today, every Indian employee at every level who joined us on or before March 2010 is a stockholder of Infosys," wrote Murthy in the annual report.

"Employees are our vital and most valuable assets. We have created a favourable work environment that encourages innovation and meritocracy ," the report says. Infosys added 17,024 (net) and 43,120 (gross) employees in 2010-11 taking their employee strength to 1,30,820. The company today has over 620 clients, 6,500 projects and 64 sales offices and 63 development centers spread across 75 cities in 32 countries.

Infosys also stresses on intensive levels of training for employees. During the financial year the total training provided to employees stood at over 1.5 million person days. The company also launched programmes to enhance the business competency of employees. The company has strengthened its campus connect programme aimed at building industryacademia connect.
~
Source : ET