Twenty-nine India-based companies have been listed among the best 100 IT service providers in a new survey, carried out with a view to assist business heads of major outsourcers identify reliable, innovative and tech savvy partners.

The toppers from each of the 10 categories that were identified included four companies each from India and the US and one company each from China and Mexico, said the survey by CyberMedia and Global Services Magazine.

They included India's Tata Consultancy Services [Get Quote], HCL Technologies [Get Quote], Genpact, WNS Global Services, America's EDS, Sitel, EPAM Systems and Computer Sciences Corporation, Mexico's Softtek and China's Neusoft, a release by Global Services Magazine said.

"The presence of four companies each from China and Malaysia, and three each from Russia and Brazil serves as a gentle reminder that these countries are emerging as viable outsourcing destinations," it said.

The year 2007 reported a total of 436 M&A deals in the services industry. Nearly one-third of the Global Services survey respondents said that they merged with or acquired one or more providers. Of these, 11 per cent confirmed acquisition of a consulting firm. The Indian service providers who derive between two-third to three-fourth of their revenues from the US are back to the drawing board to consider non-US avenues.

While many IT-services companies were looking towards Europe and Japan as potential markets, others have strengthened plans for servicing the maturing domestic Indian market, it said. India has emerged as the hub for global delivery with 57 per cent of the employees engaged in delivery centers located in India, followed by 18 per cent in the US.

Among the top ten winners would be the USD 4.3 billion software provider Tata Consultancy Services leading the list of best performing IT services companies. The best performing infrastructure service provider has gone to HCL Technologies, one of the earliest providers of Remote Infrastructure Management. The best performing BPO provider has gone to Genpact, which boasts over 30 delivery centers in the US, Mexico, India, China, Philippines, Romania and Hungary.

"With nearly one fourth of WNS Global Services' 17,000-employees working with FAO customers, it is not surprising to see this company top the best performing FAO providers list," the statement notes.

The title for the best performing Human Resources Outsourcing company goes to EDS, which was also listed among the top 10 best performing infrastructure service providers.

Infosys [Get Quote] Tech was listed among the top 10 in five categories.

The other companies to feature among the top firms across multiple categories include India's HCL Technologies with four and America's 24/7 Customer and Neoris, India's Genpact, EXL Services, Tata Consultancy Services and WNS Global Services and Philippines' SPi Technologies listed among top 10 in three categories.

Global Services has pointed out that the top 100 list and the ranks in the 10 categories are based on a scientific methodology, starting with the responses being clubbed under four broad buckets: Size (revenue, employee strength, geographies covered, etc.); customers; skills and others (attrition, training, etc.)

"The 2008 Global Services 100 represents the world's best providers of technology, customer service and business process services," said Pradeep Gupta Chairman of CyberMedia, publishers of the Global Services Magazine.