The world’s fastest specimens

Fastest Mobike – Suzuki-Hayabusa Top Speed – 305 kmph.

Fastest Plane – SR-71 Blackbird Top Speed – 3529 kmph.

Fastest Snake – Black Mamba Top Speed – 16 to 19 kmph.

Fastest Computer – Roadrunner Top Speed – 1000 trillion calculations per second.

Fastest Train – TGV (France) Top Speed – 515 kmph.

Fastest Reptile (on land) – Spiny-tailed iguana (Costa Rica) Top Speed – 35 kmph.

Fastest Bird – Peregrine falcon Top Speed – 200 kmph.

Fastest Car – SSC Ultimate Aero TT Top Speed – 412 kmph.

Fastest Animal- Cheetah Top Speed – 115 kmph.

Fastest Man – Usain Bolt (Jamaica) Top Speed – 100 m in 9.72 seconds

World’s 10 biggest shopping malls

1. South China Mall

Located in Dongguan, this mall has leasable space for over 1,500 stores in approximately 6.5 million square-feet of total floor area. It has seven zones modeled on: Amsterdam, Paris, Rome, Venice, Egypt, the Caribbean, and California. Although the mall opened in 2005, it still suffers from lack of retailers. Much of the retail space remains empty. Analysts say that the main reason the mall is so far largely unoccupied is that it is located in the suburbs of Dongguan, which is not well connected by China’s public transport system.

2. Golden Resources Shopping Mall

Located near the Fourth Ring Road in Beijing, China, the Great Mall of China has a total area of 7.3 million square feet (680,000 square meters) spread over six floors. It is 1.5 times the size of the Mall of America. It was completed on October 20, 2004 after 20 months of construction.

3. Central World

This is the largest shopping mall and office complex in Bangkok owned by the Central Group. Spread over 800,000-square-metre, the mall is the largest shopping centre in south-east Asia and is larger than Hong Kong’s Ocean Terminal. Originally called the World Trade Centre, the eight-story mall opened in 1990.

4. The SM Mall of Asia

Also known as MOA, this is the largest shopping mall in the Philippines. Spread over an area of 407,101 square meters, the mall opened on May 21, 2006.The mall is owned and operated by SM Prime Holdings, under the management of Henry Sy, a Chinese-Filipino business tycoon. One of the mall’s main attractions is the first ever IMAX theatre in the country. The mall features the Philippines’s first Olympic-size (61 by 30 meters) ice skating rink.

5. Dream Mall

Located in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, this is the largest shopping mall in Taiwan and the second largest in Southeast Asia after the Mall of Asia in Manila, the Philippines. Spread over an area of 400,001 square meters, the mall was designed by international architecture firm RTKL, based in Baltimore, Maryland and opened on May 12, 2007.The mall contains restaurants, movie theatre, gym, and entertainment facilities, including a Ferris wheel nicknamed Kaohsiung Eye.

6. West Edmonton Mall

Located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada this mall is spread over an area of 3, 50,000 square meters. It has over 800 stores and parking for more than 20,000 vehicles. More than 23,000 people are employed in the mall. The mall receives 28.2 million visitors per year and between 60,000 and 150,000 shoppers daily depending on the day and season. The mall’s amusement park was originally called Fantasyland, until The Walt Disney Company took the mall to court, claiming ownership of the name, which is used in its theme parks such as Disneyland.WEM subsequently renamed the attraction Galaxyland.

7. Cevahir Shopping Centre

Opened on October 15, 2005, it is a modern shopping and entertainment centre located in the Sisli district of Istanbul, Turkey. Spread over an area of 348,000 square meters, Cevahir Mall is the largest shopping centre in Europe, and the seventh largest in the world. The project, originally a trade complex, including retail centers and three skyscrapers with 40 and 48 floors to replace one of the city’s old bus depots, was designed in 1987 by American architects Minoru Yamasaki & Associates. The foundation stone was laid in 1997; however, it took eight years to complete only the shopping section due to numerous delays.

8. SM City North EDSA

This is one of the biggest and first shopping malls in the Philippines and one of the biggest shopping malls in the world spread over an area of 331,861 square meters. This is the first major shopping complex established by Henry Sy and his company SM Prime Holdings, the largest retail corporation in the country. Since its establishment in 1983, it has done several major expansions and renovations, and features a bowling alley, food court, garden, entertainment centre and 12-theatres.

9. SM Megamall

This is a large shopping mall in the Ortigas business district of Metro Manila, the Philippines, owned and operated by SM Prime Holdings. The mall is spread over an area of 331,679 square meters. One of the first ice skating rinks in the country can be found in this mall. For conventions and functions, the mall houses three SM Megatrade Halls on its top floor. The Bridgeway connecting the two main buildings of the mall contains several eateries.

10. Berjaya Times Square Kuala Lumpur Shopping Mall

Berjaya Times Square KL is tagged as the ‘world’s largest building ever built in a single phase’, with 7.5 million square feet (700,000 square meter) of built up floor area. The mall within is spread over an area of 320,000 square meters. Currently, the mall has space for more than 1,000 retail shops, 1200 luxury service suites, 65 food outlets and other attractions like Asia’s largest indoor theme park, Cosmo’s World and Malaysia’s first-ever IMAX 2D & 3D theatre. The Kuala Lumpur Monorail’s Imbi station is linked to the building by a footbridge.

India’s top 10 companies

1. Indian Oil Corporation

Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. is currently India’s largest company by sales with a turnover of Rs 201493.85 crore (Rs 2014.93 billion) , the highest-ever for an Indian company. IOC is also ranked in Fortune ‘Global 500′ listing. It is also the 20th largest petroleum company in the world. Established in 1959 as Indian Oil Company Ltd, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd was formed in 1964 with the merger of Indian Refineries Ltd (est. 1958). Indian Oil and its subsidiaries account for 47 per cent petroleum products market share, 40.4 per cent refining capacity and 67 per cent downstream sector pipelines capacity in India. The Indian Oil Group of companies owns and operates 10 of India’s 19 refineries. These include two refineries of subsidiary Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd and one of Bongaigaon Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited.

IOC’s maxim is ‘Bringing Energy to Life’.

2. Reliance Industries

“Between my past, the present and the future, there is one common factor: Relationship and Trust. This is the foundation of our growth.” These are the words of the founder of Reliance, Dhirubhai Ambani. Reliance Industries, is the largest private sector company in India. It is the second biggest company in India. The Reliance Group, founded by Dhirubhai H. Ambani (1932-2002), is today headed by Mukesh Ambani.

A Fortune Global 500 company, the group’s activities include exploration and production of oil and gas, petroleum refining and marketing, petrochemicals (polyester, fibre intermediates, plastics and chemicals), textiles and retail. Reliance is the largest polyester yarn and fibre producer in the world and among the top five to ten producers in the world in major petrochemical products. Major companies are Reliance Industries Limited (including main subsidiaries Reliance Petroleum Limited and Reliance Retail limited) and Reliance Industrial Infrastructure Limited.

Reliance’s maxim is ‘Growth is life’.

3. Bharat Petroleum Corporation

BPCL is India’s third largest company. Listed in the Fortune 500 & Forbes 2000 listings, BPCL calls itself a ‘MNC in PSU garb’. Way back in 1976, the Burmah Shell Group of Companies was taken over by the government of India to form Bharat Refineries Limited. On 1st August 1977, it was renamed Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited. It was also the first refinery to process newly found indigenous crude (Bombay High), in India.

After nationalization in 1976, Bharat Petroleum charted out a rapid growth path. Turnover, profitability and financial reserves have grown significantly over the years. Bharat Petroleum produces a range of products, from petrochemicals and solvents to aircraft fuel and specialty lubricants, besides supplying fuel directly to hundreds of industries, and several international and domestic airlines.

4. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation

Hindustan Petroleum Corporation of India Ltd is a Fortune 500 company. The corporation operates 2 major refineries producing a wide variety of petroleum fuels and specialties, in Mumbai and Vishakhapatnam. HPCL holds an equity stake of 16.95 per cent in Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals. In addition, HPCL is planning to set up a refinery in Punjab.

HPCL also owns and operates the largest lube refinery in India. The history of HPCL dates back to 1952. The company was incorporated in the name of Standard Vacuum Refining Company of India Limited on July 5, 1952. On 31st March 1962, the name was changed to ESSO Standard Refining Company of India Limited. In 1974, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited came into being after the takeover and merger of erstwhile Esso and Lube India Undertaking, Caltex Oil Refining Ltd and Kosan Gas Company. HPCL is thus a result of the merger of four organizations.

HPCL’s maxim is ‘Future full of Energy’.

5. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation

ONGC is the fifth largest company in India. It is also has the distinction of being highest profit making corporation in India. ONGC is a Fortune Global 500 company which contributes 77 per cent of India’s crude oil production and 81 per cent of India’s natural gas production. The company was incorporated on June 23, 1993 is an Indian public sector petroleum company.

It was set up as a commission on August 14, 1956. Indian government holds 74.14 per cent equity stake in this company. ONGC is engaged in exploration and production activities. It is involved in exploring for and exploiting hydrocarbons in 26 sedimentary basins of India. It produces about 30 per cent of India’s crude oil requirement. It owns and operates more than 11,000 kilometers of pipelines in India.

ONGC’s maxim is ‘Making tomorrow brighter’.

6. Steel Authority of India Limited

SAIL is the sixth largest company in India. Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) is the leading steel-making company in India. It is a fully integrated iron and steel maker, producing both basic and special steels for domestic construction, engineering, power, railway, automotive and defence industries and for sale in export markets.

SAIL is ranked amongst the top ten public sector companies in India in terms of turnover. SAIL manufactures and sells a broad range of steel products. The government of India owns about 86 per cent of SAIL’s equity and retains voting control of the Company.

 SAIL produces iron and steel at five integrated plants and three special steel plants, located principally in the eastern and central regions of India and situated close to domestic sources of raw materials, including the company’s iron ore, limestone and dolomite mines. The company has the distinction of being India’s largest producer of iron ore and of having the country’s second largest mines network. This gives SAIL a competitive edge in terms of captive availability of iron ore, limestone, and dolomite which are inputs for steel making.

7. NTPC

NTPC is the 7 the company in India. NTPC Ltd is the largest power generating company in India. A public sector company, it was incorporated in 1975 to accelerate power development in the country as a wholly owned company of the government of India. At present, the government of India holds 89.5 per cent of the total equity shares of the company and the balance 10.5 per cent is held by FIIs, Domestic Banks, Public and others.

In a span of 32 years, NTPC has emerged as a truly national power company; with power generating facilities in all the major regions of the country.NTPC was incorporated in 1975. In the last 31 years, it has grown into the largest power utility of India. NTPC is the sixth largest thermal power generator in the world.

NTPC’s maxim is ‘Powering people’s progress’.

8. Tata Motors

Tata Motors is the 8th largest company in India. Tata Motors recently created history in India Inc history acquiring luxury auto brands — Jaguar and Land Rover — from Ford Motor for $2.3 billion dollars. The company is also the world’s fifth largest medium and heavy commercial vehicle manufacturer, and the world’s second largest medium and heavy bus manufacturer.

Tata Motors has gained worldwide recognition under the leadership of its managing director Ravi Kant. Established in 1945, Tata Motors today has 4 million vehicles on Indian roads, since the first rolled out in 1954. The company’s manufacturing base is spread across India – Jamshedpur (Jharkhand) in the east, Pune (Maharashtra) in the west, and in the north in Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) and Pantnagar (Uttarakhand). A new plant is being set up in Singur near Kolkata in West Bengal to manufacture the world’s cheapest car, the Rs 1 lakh Nano.

Tata Motors is the first company from India’s engineering sector to be listed in the New York Stock Exchange. In 2004, it acquired the Daewoo Commercial Vehicles Company, Korea’s second largest truck maker. Tata Motors and Fiat Auto formed an industrial joint venture at Ranjangaon (near Pune in Maharashtra, India) to produce both Fiat and Tata cars and Fiat power trains for the Indian and overseas markets.

9. Tata Steel

Tata Steel is the ninth largest company in India with a sales turnover of Rs  25117.78 crore. Established in 1907, Tata Steel is the world’s 6th largest steel company with an existing annual crude steel capacity of 28 million tons. It has operations in 24 countries and commercial presence in over 50 countries. Founded by Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, Tata Steel completed 100 glorious years of existence on August 26, 2007. The first private sector steel plant which started with a production capacity of 1, 00,000 tons has today transformed into a global giant.

The company also has three Greenfield steel projects in the states of Jharkhand, Orissa and Chhattisgarh and proposed steel making facilities in Vietnam and Bangladesh. Through investments in Corus, Millennium Steel (renamed Tata Steel Thailand) and NatSteel Asia, Singapore, the Tata Steel has created a manufacturing and marketing network in Europe, South East Asia and the Pacific-rim countries.

Tata Steel’s vision is to be the global steel industry benchmark for value Creation and corporate citizenship. Tata Steel is one of the few steel companies in the world that is Economic Value Added (EVA) positive. It was ranked the ‘World’s Best Steel Maker’, for the third time by World Steel Dynamics in its annual listing in February, 2006. Tata Steel has been conferred the Prime Minister of India’s Trophy for the ‘Best Integrated Steel Plant’ five times.

10. Sterilite Industries

Sterlite Industries, a part of Vedanta Resources, a London-listed metals and mining major, is India’s tenth largest company in terms of sales. Sterilite Industries had a sales turnover of Rs 24,376.83 crore (Rs 243.76 billion) in 2007. Sterlite Industries (India) Limited was acquired in 1986, bringing together several metal related activities managed by the Agarwal family. Sterlite was listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange in 1988 and on the National Stock Exchange in 2004.

Vedanta was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2003. Vedanta has two copper businesses, the first based in India and the second at Konkola Copper Mines in Zambia, which was acquired in November 2004. The copper business in India is held within Sterlite Industries (India) Ltd. There is some captive copper mining, but the business is principally in smelting and refining. Sterilte has plants in Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu and Silvassa. Sterlite owns two copper mines in Australia. In 2005-06, Sterlite had a domestic market share of some 43% of copper sales.