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The two plots below give the following information about six firms A, B, C, D, E, and F for 20192019 and 20232023.

PAT: The firm's profits after taxes in Rs. crores,

ES: The firm's employee strength, that is the number of employees in the firm, and

PRD: The percentage of the firm's PAT that they spend on Research and Development (R&D).

In the plots, the horizontal and vertical coordinates of point representing each firm gives their ES and PAT values respectively. The PRD values of each firm are proportional to the areas around the points representing each firm. The areas are comparable between the two plots, i.e., equal areas in the two plots represent the same PRD values for the two years.

Figure for CAT 2024 DILR question 16 (Data Interpretation)

Which among the firms A, C, E, and F had the maximum PAT per employee in 2023?

Solution

✅ Correct Option: 1
Slide 1/8

Two coordinate plots are given, one for 2019 and one for 2023. In each plot the horizontal coordinate of a firm is its employee strength (ES), the vertical coordinate is its profit after tax (PAT, in Rs. crore), and the area of its marker is proportional to PRD, the percentage of PAT spent on R&D. Equal areas represent equal PRD across the two years.

To answer the questions we need, for each firm, its ES, PAT and PRD in both years, plus a few derived quantities:

  • the PAT growth ratio PAT2023PAT2019\frac{PAT_{2023}}{PAT_{2019}}, which orders the annual rate of growth (ARG),
  • PAT per employee in 2023,
  • R&D spend in 2023 =PAT×PRD100= PAT\times\frac{PRD}{100}, and R&D spend per employee in 2023.

Raw readings (from the two plots):

FirmES '19PAT '19PRD '19ES '23PAT '23PRD '23
A
B
C
D
E
F

Derived values (to be computed):

FirmPAT23/PAT19PAT_{23}/PAT_{19}PAT/ES '23R&D '23R&D/ES '23
A
B
C
D
E
F
FirmES '19PAT '19PRD '19ES '23PAT '23PRD '23
A40204
B35255
C25309
D55356
E20106
F65557
FirmPAT23/PAT19PAT_{23}/PAT_{19}PAT/ES '23R&D '23R&D/ES '23
A
B
C
D
E
F

The 2019 plot is read off (x = ES, y = PAT, marker area = PRD). The values above are the approximate readings; for most questions only the relative positions matter.

Note that E sits lowest on the PAT axis in 2019 (PAT =10=10) and C carries one of the largest markers (PRD =9=9).

FirmES '19PAT '19PRD '19ES '23PAT '23PRD '23
A4020450305
B3525540456
C2530920602
D5535660403
E2010630507
F6555770708
FirmPAT23/PAT19PAT_{23}/PAT_{19}PAT/ES '23R&D '23R&D/ES '23
A
B
C
D
E
F

The 2023 plot is read off the same way. Note C has climbed to a high PAT (6060) while its marker has shrunk to a small PRD (22), and it sits at a low ES (2020).

FirmES '19PAT '19PRD '19ES '23PAT '23PRD '23
A4020450305
B3525540456
C2530920602
D5535660403
E2010630507
F6555770708
FirmPAT23/PAT19PAT_{23}/PAT_{19}PAT/ES '23R&D '23R&D/ES '23
A1.50
B1.80
C2.00
D1.14
E5.00
F1.27

The PAT growth ratios are filled in: 30/2030/20, 45/2545/25, 60/3060/30, 40/3540/35, 50/1050/10, 70/5570/55.


Since ARG is constant and the window 2019 to 2023 is the same 4 years for every firm, PAT2023=PAT2019(1+ARG)4PAT_{2023}=PAT_{2019}(1+ARG)^4. A larger ratio PAT23/PAT19PAT_{23}/PAT_{19} therefore means a larger ARG. E stands out with 5.005.00.

FirmES '19PAT '19PRD '19ES '23PAT '23PRD '23
A4020450305
B3525540456
C2530920602
D5535660403
E2010630507
F6555770708
FirmPAT23/PAT19PAT_{23}/PAT_{19}PAT/ES '23R&D '23R&D/ES '23
A1.500.60
B1.801.13
C2.003.00
D1.140.67
E5.001.67
F1.271.00

PAT per employee in 2023 is filled in as PAT23/ES23PAT_{23}/ES_{23}: 30/5030/50, 45/4045/40, 60/2060/20, 40/6040/60, 50/3050/30, 70/7070/70. C is clearly the highest at 3.003.00 because of its high PAT on a small workforce.

FirmES '19PAT '19PRD '19ES '23PAT '23PRD '23
A4020450305
B3525540456
C2530920602
D5535660403
E2010630507
F6555770708
FirmPAT23/PAT19PAT_{23}/PAT_{19}PAT/ES '23R&D '23R&D/ES '23
A1.500.601.5
B1.801.132.7
C2.003.001.2
D1.140.671.2
E5.001.673.5
F1.271.005.6

R&D spend in 2023 is computed as PAT23×PRD23100PAT_{23}\times\frac{PRD_{23}}{100}: e.g. C =60×0.02=1.2=60\times0.02=1.2, D =40×0.03=1.2=40\times0.03=1.2, E =50×0.07=3.5=50\times0.07=3.5, F =70×0.08=5.6=70\times0.08=5.6.

FirmES '19PAT '19PRD '19ES '23PAT '23PRD '23
A4020450305
B3525540456
C2530920602
D5535660403
E2010630507
F6555770708
FirmPAT23/PAT19PAT_{23}/PAT_{19}PAT/ES '23R&D '23R&D/ES '23
A1.500.601.50.030
B1.801.132.70.068
C2.003.001.20.060
D1.140.671.20.020
E5.001.673.50.117
F1.271.005.60.080

R&D per employee in 2023 is R&D '23 divided by ES '23: C =1.2/20=0.060=1.2/20=0.060, D =1.2/60=0.020=1.2/60=0.020, E =3.5/30=0.117=3.5/30=0.117, F =5.6/70=0.080=5.6/70=0.080. D is the smallest because the same R&D amount as C is spread over a much larger workforce.

FirmES '19PAT '19PRD '19ES '23PAT '23PRD '23
A4020450305
B3525540456
C2530920602
D5535660403
E2010630507
F6555770708
FirmPAT23/PAT19PAT_{23}/PAT_{19}PAT/ES '23R&D '23R&D/ES '23
A1.500.601.50.030
B1.801.132.70.068
C2.003.001.20.060
D1.140.671.20.020
E5.001.673.50.117
F1.271.005.60.080

Last, the 2018 figure needed for C. Using its ARG, (1+r)4=60/30=2(1+r)^4 = 60/30 = 2, so 1+r=21/4≈1.1891+r = 2^{1/4}\approx1.189.

Going one year before 2019: PAT2018=PAT20191+r=301.189≈25.2PAT_{2018}=\frac{PAT_{2019}}{1+r}=\frac{30}{1.189}\approx25.2.

The only PRD reading available near 2018 is the 2019 marker, 9%9\%, so R&D2018≈25.2×0.09≈2.27R\&D_{2018}\approx25.2\times0.09\approx2.27.


All raw readings and derived quantities are now populated. The values are graph readings, so small rounding differences are expected; the comparative orderings are robust: ARG ordering led by E, PAT/employee in 2023 led by C, and R&D/employee in 2023 lowest for D.


PAT per employee in 2023 is PAT2023ES2023\frac{PAT_{2023}}{ES_{2023}}. For the four firms asked:

  • A: 30/50=0.6030/50 = 0.60
  • C: 60/20=3.0060/20 = 3.00
  • E: 50/30≈1.6750/30 \approx 1.67
  • F: 70/70=1.0070/70 = 1.00

C combines a high PAT with the smallest workforce, giving by far the largest value, 3.003.00. Hence the maximum PAT per employee is Firm C, option 1.

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