The sales and services for the quarter at Rs 1470.27 crore show an increase of 16 per cent over the corresponding period of Rs 1264.31 crore and earned a higher gross profit of Rs 145.18 crore (Rs 139.31 crore).

L&T said considering the healthy order backlog, it would achieve good performance during 1998-99. The order booking for the first quarter of the current year at Rs 2,111 crore is higher by 37 per cent compared to the corresponding quarter of last year.