BCG’s 2018 global challengers—100 rapidly globalizing companies from emerging markets—are getting ahead of the competition by using digital technologies.

1. MAY 2018
Research Highlights
Global Challengers
2018: Digital
Leapfrogs

2. 1
Exhibit 1. Emerging-Market Companies Excel Across
Industry Sectors
Sources: Capital IQ; OECD; BCG analysis.
Note: Revenue growth is the compound annual growth rate for the 10,000 largest companies in each
year. Industry sectors based on Capital IQ's standard sector classifications. Consumer includes both
Consumer
IT Materials
Energy Financials
Real estate
Health care
Telecom
Industrials
Utilities
11%
3% 5%
1%
Overall market
2%
8%
30%
7%
4%
12%
9%
4% 1%
7%
15%
28%
–1%
2%
9%
3%
Revenue growth by industry, 2007–2016

3. 2
Exhibit 2. Consumers in Emerging Markets Are Buying
More Online
0
30
706050403020100
10
20
Growth in online users who buy online, 2009–2016 (%)
US
UK
France
Germany
South Korea
India
China
Brazil
Argentina
Growth in internet penetration, 2009–2016 (%)
Mexico
Japan
Russia
Indonesia
Sources: Forrester Research; eMarketer.
Note: Growth in internet penetration and in online users who buy online are compound annual growth rates.
Emerging markets Developed markets

4. 3
Exhibit 3.
Emerging-
Market
Companies Are
Gaining Share
in Digital-
Related Sectors
2016
32
68
2015
29
71
16
26
74
2013
24
Share of global internet software and service revenue (%)
2008
8
92
2007
7
93
76
2012
84
2011
14
86
20142010
12
88
2009
10
90
Emerging-market companies
Developed-market companies
Sources: Capital IQ; OECD; BCG analysis.
Note: Based on Capital IQ's standard industry classifications; reflects only the 250 largest publicly traded
companies.

5. 4
Exhibit 4. One-Third of the 100 Largest Unicorns Are
from Emerging Markets
Other developed-
market unicorns
18
US unicorns
49
100
Other emerging-
market unicorns
8
Chinese unicorns
25
33%
combined share
of the top 100
unicorns
Sources: CB Insights; BCG analysis.
Total

6. 5
Exhibit 5. The 2018 BCG Global Challengers
Graduates Global Challengers
Alibaba (China)
China
Communications
Construction Co.
(China)
SABIC (Saudi Arabia)
Tencent (China)
AirAsia (Malaysia)
Alfa (Mexico)
Alicorp (Peru)
Almarai (Saudi Arabia)
Alpargatas (Brazil)
Apollo Tyres (India)
Arca Continental (Mexico)
Aspen Pharmacare (South
Africa)
AVIC (China)
Axiata Group Berhad
(Malaysia)
Ayala Corp. (Philippines)
Bajaj Auto (India)
Bharti Airtel (India)
BRF (Brazil)
BYD (China)
Charoen Pokphand Foods
(Thailand)
ChemChina (China)
China National Offshore Oil
Co. (China)
China Railway Construction
Corp. (China)
Cielo (Brazil)
CITIC Group (China)
Concha y Toro (Chile)
Dangote Cement (Nigeria)
Discovery (South Africa)
Dr. Reddy's Laboratories (India)
Elsewedy Electric (Egypt)
Embraer (Brazil)
Emirates Global Aluminium
(United Arab Emirates)
Etihad Airways (United Arab
Emirates)
Etisalat (United Arab Emirates)
EuroChem (Russia)
Falabella (Chile)
FEMSA (Mexico)
Fuyao Glass Industry Group
(China)
Geely (China)
Gerdau (Brazil)
Godrej Consumer Products
(India)
Golden Agri-Resources
(Indonesia)
Goldwind (China)
GRUMA (Mexico)
Grupo Empresarial
Antioqueña (Colombia)
Grupo Gloria (Peru)
Grupo México (Mexico)
Haier (China)
IHH Healthcare (Malaysia)
Indofood (Indonesia)
Indorama Ventures
(Thailand)
Infosys (India)
Iochpe-Maxion (Brazil)
Jain Irrigation Systems
(India)
JinkoSolar (China)
Jollibee Foods (Philippines)
Koç Holding (Turkey)
Larsen & Toubro (India)
LATAM (Chile)
LC Waikiki (Turkey)
Lukoil (Russia)
Lupin (India)
Mahindra & Mahindra (India)
MercadoLibre (Argentina)
Mexichem (Mexico)
Midea Group (China)
Mindray (China)
Motherson Sumi Systems
(India)
MTN (South Africa)
Natura (Brazil)
OCP Group (Morocco)
OPPO Electronics (China)
Pegasus Airlines (Turkey)
PetroChina (China)
Petronas (Malaysia)
PTT (Thailand)
Qatar Airways (Qatar)
Reliance Industries (India)
Sabancı Holding (Turkey)
Safaricom (Kenya)
Sasol (South Africa)
Sinochem (China)
Sinohydro (China)
Sun Pharmaceuticals (India)
Tech Mahindra (India)
Tenaris (Argentina)
ThaiBev (Thailand)
Thai Union Group (Thailand)
Tianqi Lithium Corporation
(China)
Trina Solar (China)
Turkish Airlines (Turkey)
Unionpay (China)
Universal Robina (Philippines)
UPL (India)
Vedanta Resources (India)
Votorantim (Brazil)
Wanxiang (China)
WEG (Brazil)
Weichai Power(China)
Wipro (India)
Xiaomi (China)
Yildız Holding (Turkey)
Zhengzhou Yutong Bus (China)
Zoomlion (China)
Source: BCG analysis.
Note: Companies in green are new additions on this year's list.

7. 6
Exhibit 6. The BCG Global Challengers Have Strongly
Outperformed Other Indices
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
GC 100 Global Peers S&P MSCI EM
Sources: Datastream; BCG analysis.
Note: All indices were weighted by the market capitalization of their constituent stocks. Global challengers’ performance is based on data from 92 publicly
listed global-challenger companies. Global peers are 230 multinational companies that operate in the same industries as the global challengers. TSR is
based on US dollars.
Total shareholder return, 2000–2016 (%)

8. 7
Exhibit 7. In Multiple Industries, Global Challengers
Have Outperformed on Revenue Growth
25
1112
10
18
5
9
6
8
44
1
3
1
4
-3
Technology, media, and
telecommunications
Health careConsumer goodsIndustrial goods
S&P 500
MSCI Emerging Markets
Global Challengers 100
Global peers
Revenue growth, 2011–2016 (%)
Sources: Capital IQ; BCG analysis.
Note: Consumer Goods includes Capital IQ sectors "Consumer Staples" and "Consumer Discretionary." Based on the financial results (compound annual growth rates)
of the 100 BCG Global Challengers, global peers, 500 S&P 500 constituents, and MSCI Emerging Market constituents with available data. Fixed exchange rate used to
remove currency fluctuation effects. Global peers are multinational companies that operate in the same industries as the global challengers.

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