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This article was first published 13 years ago

World's 10 most influential companies

Last updated on: October 12, 2011 12:09 IST

Image: Here are 10 companies whose influence reaches far across the world.
There are some companies that not only play not only a big role in their own industry, but also reshape the corporate world.

Here are 10 companies whose influence reaches far across the world.

Apart from the world's 10 most influential companies, let us also have a look at the masters of their domain -- companies that completely dominate their market.

Click NEXT to see the 10 most influential companies in the world ...

World's 10 most influential companies

Image: Apple is based in California.

1. Apple

Location: Cupertino, California

Industry: Information Technology

Apple is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers.

The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad.

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World's 10 most influential companies

Image: Unilever owns more than 400 brands.

2. Unilever

Location: London

Industry: Consumer Products

Unilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products.

Unilever owns more than 400 brands as a result of acquisitions, however, the company focuses on what are called the 'billion-dollar brands', 13 brands, each of which achieve annual sales in excess of 1 billion euros.

Unilever's top 25 brands account for more than 70 per cent of sales.

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World's 10 most influential companies

Image: It is a major provider of financial services.

3. JPMorgan Chase

Location: New York

Industry: Banking

JPMorgan Chase is an American multinational banking corporation of securities, investments and retail.

It is a major provider of financial services, with assets of $2 trillion.

...

World's 10 most influential companies

Image: Walmart is an American multinational.

4. Walmart

Location: Bentonville, Arkansas

Industry: Retailing

Wal-Mart Stores, branded as Walmart since 2008, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores.

In 2009, it generated 51 per cent of its $258 billion sales in the US from grocery business.

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World's 10 most influential companies

Image: It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate.

5. News Corporation

Location: New York

Industry: Media

News Corporation is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third-largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster.

The company's chairman and chief executive is Rupert Murdoch.

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World's 10 most influential companies

Image: In 2010, it employed 317,734 people worldwide.

6. Toyota

Location: Aichi, Japan

Industry: Automobiles

Toyota is a multinational automaker headquartered in Toyota, Aichi, Japan.

In 2010, it employed 317,734 people worldwide, and was the world's largest automobile manufacturer by production.

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World's 10 most influential companies

Image: Saudi Aramco is most probably the world's most valuable privately-held company.

7. Saudi Aramco

Location: Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

Industry: Energy/oil

Saudi Aramco, officially the Saudi Arabian Oil Company, is the state-owned national oil company of Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Aramco is most probably the world's most valuable privately-held company, with estimates of its value in 2010 ranging from $2.2 trillion to $7 trillion.

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World's 10 most influential companies

Image: It is the leading producer of genetically engineered seed.

8. Monsanto

Location: St Louis, United States

Industry: Food Products

Monsanto is a US-based multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation. It is the world's leading producer of the herbicide glyphosate, marketed as 'Roundup'.

It is also the leading producer of genetically engineered seed; it provides the technology in 90 per cent of the genetically engineered seeds used in the US market.

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World's 10 most influential companies

Image: Huawei is based in China.

9. Huawei

Location: Shenzhen, China

Industry: Information Technology

Huawei is a multinational networking and telecommunications equipment and services company headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.

It is the largest China-based networking and telecommunications equipment supplier and the second-largest supplier of mobile telecommunications infrastructure equipment in the world (after Ericsson).

...

World's 10 most influential companies

Image: Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services.

10. Google

Location: Mountain View, California

Industry: Information Technology

Google is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies.

Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords programme.

Click NEXT to see the companies that dominate their markets...

World's 10 most influential companies

Image: It has more than 80,000 employees.

3M

Location: St Paul, Minnesota

Industry: Consumer Goods

3M is an American multinational conglomerate corporation based in Maplewood, Minnesota, United States.

With over 80,000 employees, they produce more than 55,000 products, including: adhesives, abrasives, laminates, passive fire protection, dental products, electronic materials, medical products, car care products (such as sun films, polish, wax, car shampoo, treatment for the exterior, interior and the under chassis rust protection), electronic circuits and optical films.

...

World's 10 most influential companies

Image: Autodesk became known for AutoCAD.

Autodesk

Location: San Rafael, California

Industry: Computer Software

Autodesk is an American multinational corporation that focuses on 3D design software for use in architecture, engineering and building construction, manufacturing and media and entertainment.

Autodesk became best known for its flagship computer-aided design software AutoCAD.

In addition to AutoCAD, Autodesk develops digital prototyping solutions to visualize, simulate, and analyze real-world performance using a digital model during the design process.

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World's 10 most influential companies

Image: It is the most valuable mobile telecom company.

China Mobile

Location: Hong Kong, China

Industry: Telecom

China Mobile is a Chinese state-owned telecommunication company that provides mobile voice and multimedia services through its nationwide mobile telecommunications network, the largest of its kind in the world.

It is the most valuable mobile telecommunications company in the world.

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World's 10 most influential companies

Image: It is active in over 100 countries.

Nielsen

Location: New York, NY

Industry: Marketing Research

Nielsen is a global marketing and advertising research company headquartered in New York City.

It is active in over 100 countries, and employs some 32,000 people worldwide. Total revenues amounted to $4.8 billion in 2009.

...

World's 10 most influential companies

Image: It is the world's largest zipper manufacturer.

YKK

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Industry: Manufacturing

The YKK is a Japanese group of manufacturing companies. As the world's largest zipper manufacturer, YKK is most famous for making zippers; however, it also manufactures other fastening products, architectural products, as well as industrial machinery.

The initials YKK stand for Yoshida Manufacturing Corporation.