Notably, the order inflow in 2005-9 rose at an average rate of 48% per year. With this perspective, analysts estimate the company's sales and profits to grow by over 28% in the next two years.Д«y the end of March 2010, the company had an order backlog of Rs 5,150 crore. A report by Angel Broking estimates that the business for EPC companies will be worth about Rs 51,600 crore in the next five years. As the government stresses on infrastructure and private investment in the sector rises, EPC companies, especially McNally Bharat Engineering, are expected to earn big money. The Kolkata-based company is one of the leading engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) Smallcap turnkey solutions provider for power, steel and infrastructure companies. Twenty-four funds invested Rs 120 crore in this stock. Leading the pack is McNally Bharat Engineering, which attracted the attention of maximum fund managers. Others that made the cut are Voltamp Transformers, Hindustan Dorr-Oliver, KSB Pumps and Gujarat Alkalies (see Most Wanted Small-Caps).ДЄs the followers of the stock market will realise, all these companies are well-known in their niche markets and there is no surprise entry. The most prominent companies in the list include McNally Bharat Engineering, ICRA, a ratings agency, PSL, India's largest manufacturer of long pipes, and Page Industries, the exclusive licensee of Jockey in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. About 20% of this amount was invested in what we call the 10 most wanted smallcaps. Till, they had deployed a staggering Rs 4,317 crore in this segment. As with other categories, we went scouting for the top 10 small-cap picks by mutual funds. Exactly one year ago, in June 2009, the number stood at 2%. In June 2010, 3.2% of the mutual fund industry's assets were deployed in the BSE Smallcap Index stocks. This explains why mutual funds have been aggressively adding to their pile of small-cap stocks.

The good news is that with the Indian economy on a roll-the International Monetary Fund forecasts a GDP growth of 9.4% in 2010-small companies are expected to return to their high-income days. They have a limited presence, but play an important role in adding zing to the fund portfolios. This is why small-caps never constitute the core of mutual fund holdings. When the economy expands, they gain the most, but when the markets slide, they are the worst sufferers. With a market capatilisation of less than Rs 967 crore, small-caps are the most dynamic set of stocks. Unfortunately, bingeing on them means taking on a huge risk.

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