Mainland China, which has topped the list since 2008, held steady with 16 entries,unchanged from last year. Of these, 10 firms are returnees including Lenovo Group. Thecompany commands the biggest share of the PC market in China, and makes the list for the fourth time after dropping out last year. Also returning to the list are two other Chinese technology companies: Digital China Holdings and Tencent Holdings.

India also had 16 entries on the list, compared with 13 last year and only three whenthe inaugural Fab 50 List was published in 2005. A lot of Indian companies display staying power with 11 firms returning to the list. Perennial top performer Infosys Technologies joinsthe roster for the sixth straight year. Making their appearance for the fifth consecutive timeare Bharat Heavy Electricals, HDFC Bank and Larsen & Toubro. Other Indian returneesinclude ITC and Axis Bank.

The Fab 50 List appears in the latest issue of Forbes Asia. The 50 firms were picked from a shortlist of 936 that had revenues or market capitalization of at least US$3 billion as at September 1, 2010, and a five-year record for revenue, operating earnings and return oncapital. Other criteria included recent financial result, share price movement and outlook.

This year, Hong Kong and Taiwan tied for third place with four companies each.Hong Kong’s Li & Fung is the other firm apart from Infosys that has made the Fab 50 in all six years since the list began. Taiwan’s Acer, the world’s No. 2 PC maker, has made the list every year except in 2006.

Coming in fifth is South Korea with three entries: Glovis, NHN and Samsung Engineering. Following behind are Australia and Japan with two entries each while Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand rounded off the list with one entry each. The number ofJapanese firms making the cut has declined over the years since the list started in 2005. Japantopped the inaugural list with 13 firms but since then its entries have dwindled along with the country’s economic stagnation.

This year’s Fab 50 List includes 18 new faces. Dongfang Electric, one of six newChinese companies on the list, makes power-generation equipment and has produced more boilers, turbines and generators than any other company in the world. Its president Wen Shugang tells Forbes Asia how his Sichuan-based company survived the devastatingearthquake in 2008 in the latest issue of the magazine.

Another notable new entry is Thai coal miner Banpu, which has been steadilyexpanding overseas for 12 years. Its revenue grew 20% last year to $1.7 billion, and profits jumped 61% to $427 million.

The Fab 50 companies will be honored at an award ceremony and dinner in Bangkok, Thailand on December 8 2010.

The full Fab 50 List can be found in the tenth anniversary issue of Forbes Asia, whichis available on newsstands now.For more information, visit www.forbes.com/fab50.

FORBES ASIA FAB 50 LIST
(IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)

China
Agile Property Holdings
Changsha Zoomlion Heavy Industry
China Mengniu Dairy
Digital China Holdings
Dongfang Electric
GD Midea Holding
Gree Electric Appliances
Hengan International Group
Lenovo Group SAIC Motor
Sany Heavy Industry
Shandong Gold Mining
Suning Appliance
Tencent Holdings
Tingyi Holding
Want Want China Holdings

India
Adani Enterprises
Axis Bank
Bharat Heavy Electricals
Dr. Reddy's Laboratories
HCL Technologies
HDFC Bank
Hindalco Industries
Infosys Technologies
ITC Jindal Steel & Power
JSW Steel
Kotak Mahindra Bank
Larsen & Toubro
Mahindra & Mahindra
Sterlite Industries
Tata Consultancy Services

Hong Kong
Belle International Holdings
Li & Fung
Nine Dragons Paper Holdings
Noble Group

Taiwan
Acer
China Life Insurance
HTC
Mediatek

South Korea
Glovis
NHN
Samsung Engineering

Australia
Rio Tinto
Wesfarmers

Japan
Nintendo
Rakuten

Indonesia
Bank Central Asia

Singapore
Olam International