Room to grow

What is the distance between a boardroom and a press conference room? If that sounds like an odd question, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) discovered that it could make a Rs 3,446-crore difference. At least, that is the figure by which the public sector company's turnover appeared to have inflated in the journey between the two rooms. Presenting the results to journalists after the board meeting, Chairman and Managing Director Sudhir Vasudeva said, "We have recorded the highest-ever turnover of Rs 1,65,849 crore; up 9.8 per cent." Then he paused and asked his officials, "How can this be Rs 1,65,849 crore? In the board meeting, the figure was something else." The company officials quickly chipped in with the exact figures. "It was a mistake, the figure is Rs 1,62,403 crore," Vasudeva went on to clarify.