VOL. 1 ISSUE 9 DECEMBER 2009 First India-Sharjah Business

PUBLICATION OF THE CONSULATE GENERAL OF INDIA IN DUBAI

◆◆ Amitabh Bachchan honouredat DIFF

◆◆ Utsavam ’09 showcases traditional art forms

◆◆ India’s tech industry booms

First India-SharjahBusiness andCultural Forum

VOL. 1 ISSUE 9 DECEMBER 2009

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INDIA MATTERSDECEMBER 2009

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FROM THE CONSUL GENERAL’S DESKThe year 2009 ended on a high note with the first ever ‘India-Sharjah Business and Cultural Forum’, organised by

the Consulate General of India in Dubai in association with the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the

Indian Association and the Indian Business and Professional Council of Sharjah, turning out to be a resounding success.

The event provided a platform for strengthening cultural communication and mutual relations between India and

Sharjah. Prominent trade and industry chambers from India, including the Confederation of Indian Industry, the

Federation of Indian Export Organisations and the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India were rep-

resented at the event in which prominent Emirati businessmen, officials of the Government of Sharjah and leaders of

the Indian community participated.

The event featured presentations on trade and investment opportunities and also saw the signing of a memorandum

of understanding between the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Infopark Kochi for setting up a science

and technology innovation centre. The centre is envisaged as a platform to provide Sharjah-based businesses access to

top-end talent and knowledge-based resources in Kerala, across companies and universities, catering to a wide array of

conventional and emerging technologies.

The forum also showcased India’s rich culture and heritage through dance performances by Dr. Mallika Sarabhai and

her troupe DARPANA. An art exhibition was unveiled showcasing a series of paintings titled ‘100 Years of Indian

Cinema’ by India’s legendary artist M.F. Husain.

Meanwhile, the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) 2009 honoured Indian film star Amitabh Bachchan with a

Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution to cinema. While Rocket Singh – Salesman of the Year had

its world premiere and opening gala at DIFF, several other popular Hindi films were also showcased at the event.

Forum to boost India-Sharjah trade

The telecom industry in India saw anawesome run in 2009 with the subscriberbase touching 550 million.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

2009 a spectacular yearfor telecom industry

INDIA-UAE

Sunehri Aashayeinshows held in Dubai

8INDIA-UAE

Punjab Chief Minister invitesUAE investors to his state

10

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Gold emerges as a safehaven for investors

19

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20TRAVEL: GULMARG

An India-Sharjah Business and Cultural Forum, the first of its kind, was heldin Sharjah to further boost the age-old trade and cultural relations betweenIndia and the Emirate of Sharjah.

contents

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India Mattersis a monthly publication of theConsulate General of India

(CGI) in Dubai. All rightsreserved. No part of this journal

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Editorial correspondence and manuscripts can be addressed to

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Content and design by IANS(www.ianspublishing.com)

on behalf of Consulate General of India in Dubai.

The phenomenal rise in gold prices hasbeen a by-product of the global recessionas investors are looking for safe productsin which to place their funds.

Consul General Venu Rajamony’s ode to histhree-year tenure in Dubai, India and the UAE: InCelebration of a Legendary Friendship, is a 260-pagecoffee table book that chronicles the age-old anddynamic India-UAE alliance with insights into thehistorical, political, cultural and business aspects ofboth countries.

The ICLF is a treasure trove of facts, figures andstories of the ancient, yet modern and dynamic tiesthat India and the UAE share. This unique coffeetable book takes you on a journey through time,where glittering vistas of ancient and contemporarynarratives, rare photographs as well as facts and fig-ures are juxtaposed to provide the reader with acomprehensive glimpse of this strong association.

With inspiring messages from UAE Rulers andinterviews of senior ministers and leaders of the UAEbusiness community, ICLF is the most definitive andcurrent narrative of the India-UAE equation.

The book is produced and published by IndianExpressions Management Consultancy in associa-tion with Motivate Publishing.

The book is due for release shortly.

Book by Consul General to be released soon

ness and investment options mutuallyavailable in both the countries, theMinister invited India to take advantage ofthe huge success of the UAE’s diversifica-tion efforts.

“Our non-oil industries accounted forAED461 billion of our 2008 GDP, com-prising around 60 percent of the nationaleconomic output. We increased our 2009budget by more than 20 percent to fundinfrastructure improvements that supportthese and other growth sectors, and shallcontinue to pursue the expansion of oureconomic activities next year,” the Ministeradded.

She said that the current economic real-ities are opening up unique opportunitiesfor allies such as Sharjah and India tobroaden their trade and economic cooper-ation.

“India, acknowledged as the second-fastest growing major economy in theworld last year, is an excellent partner forgrowth. Since ancient times it has relied ontrade and commerce as the backbone of itseconomy. Today, the country is the world’sfastest-growing telecommunication mar-ket, the world’s biggest consumer of gold

The Consulate General of Indiain Dubai, in association withthe Sharjah Chamber ofCommerce and Industry

(SCCI), the Indian Business andProfessional Council, Sharjah, and theIndian Association Sharjah hosted the first‘India-Sharjah Business and CulturalForum’ on November 18.

The forum comprised a business eventand an exhibition of paintings in themorning and a cultural programme in theevening.

The business event held at the SCCI wasattended by leading businessmen ofSharjah, government functionaries of theemirate of Sharjah as well as leading busi-nessmen from India and across UAE. Itprovided a platform for interaction betweenbusiness leaders of India and Sharjah.

Delivering the keynote speech, Ministerfor Foreign Trade Sheikha Lubna AlQasimi said the UAE's multi-million-dol-lar ongoing projects in India reflect thecountry’s strong commitment to theIndian market. The projects, she said,included the first phase of the Kulpi Port inWest Bengal worth AED661 million and aAED808-million Special Economic Zonein India.

“The UAE, in general, maintains flour-ishing trade and economic relations withIndia, which has overtaken the US andChina to become our largest foreign tradepartner,” said Sheikha Lubna.

“Last year, commercial exchangebetween our countries reached aroundAED118 billion, accounting for 15 per-cent of our total foreign trade. This figureis an impressive 48 percent improvement

from 2007, and represents more than halfof India's trade with GCC (GulfCooperation Council) states,” she said.

Indian imports for the same period, theMinister said, totalled AED61.97 billion,while the UAE’s exports reached AED17.9billion.

Referring to the statement of India’sMinister for Overseas Indian AffairsVayalar Ravi that investment requirementsin infrastructure over the next three yearscould reach AED1.6 trillion, 30 percent ofwhich will involve public-private partner-ships, Sheikha Lubna said: “Sharjah andthe UAE Government will be closelyexamining opportunities in this area. So,hopefully, we will see key agreements mate-rialise in the near future.”

Calling upon the business communityin Sharjah and India to explore the busi-

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The memorandum of understanding being signed between Sharjah Chamber ofCommerce and Industry and Infopark Kochi to set up a science and technology innovation centre.

First India-Sharjah Businessand Cultural Forum

Participants of the forum at the art exhibition on ‘100 Years of Indian Cinema’ based on the works of M.F. Husain.

tion to the Infrastructure Leasing andFinancial Services (IL&FS Group).

Chief Economist of the Tata Group Dr.Siddharth Roy spoke on ‘An overview ofthe Indian economy and industry’,President of FIEO A. Shaktivel on‘Enhancing trade between Indian andSharjah/UAE’, Chairman of IL&FSGroup Shahzaad Dalal on ‘Investmentopportunities in India’s infrastructure sec-tor’ and Chief Executive of InfocomNetwork and Chairman of the SMECommittee of ASSOCHAM Bikky Khoslaon ‘Strengthening collaboration betweenSMEs in India and UAE’.

During the event, SCCI and InfoparkKochi, a Government of Kerala enterprise,signed a memorandum of understandingto set up a science and technology innova-tion centre in Kochi, Kerala.

SCCI Chairman Ahmed MohammedAl Midfa said the initiative would helppromote the interests of local businesses.

“Our main objective is to help small andmedium enterprises in Sharjah conductresearch and the development of innova-tive products and services in a cost effectivemanner,” he said.

“India has been a major trading partnerof the UAE and is an ideal choice for a ven-ture of this sort. The state of Kerala boastsof some of the leading research institutes ofIndia working in diverse fields like spacetechnology, biotechnology and engineeringsciences. The new initiative will facilitatethe joint production of value-added solu-tions,” he added.

The centre, which is being envisaged asa platform to provide Sharjah-based busi-ness houses access to talent and knowledge-based resources in Kerala, will becomeoperational by the first quarter of 2010.

SCCI Director General Hussain AlMahmoudi said, “The science and tech-nology innovation centre will lead to possi-ble joint product development betweenSharjah and Kerala-based companies. Itwill act as a business hub for local tie-ups,facilitating access to both UAE and Indianmarkets.

“The facility will help evolve servicesand new technological applications inemerging sectors like education, health-care, automation, manufacturing andtransportation and logistics. Institutionssuch as the Sharjah Institute of Technologycan benefit by engaging in university

exchange programmes with research insti-tutes in Kerala,” he added.

Mahmoudi said Kerala was selected forthe initiative because of lower operationalcosts and the presence of a large talentpool involved in research and develop-ment across different fields of science andtechnology.

Thanking HH Sheikh Sultan BinMohammad Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, CrownPrince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah for hispatronage, Consul General Rajamony said:“The Emirate of Sharjah has always beenwelcoming and hospitable to the people of

India and I urge all Indians living here todo all they can to strengthen the hands ofthe Rulers.”

Talking about the India-SharjahBusiness and Cultural Forum, he empha-sised that initiatives like these would pro-vide Indian and Emirati businessmen aplatform for communication and discus-sions, which could lead to investmentopportunities in both Sharjah and India.

"This event will contribute to enchanc-ing the Indian presence in the UAE at theeconomic, cultural, artistic, and social lev-els,” he said. !

and jewellery and home to the world’sbiggest sugar refiner, among other superla-tives,” she said.

Sheikha Lubna also said that, as thethird largest emirate in the UAE, Sharjahcontinues to expand its role in the nation’sdevelopment agenda.

“The territory accounts for almost 50percent of our country’s industrial GDPthanks to its well-developed free trade andspecialised industrial zones. Sharjah andIndia continue to uplift each other’s busi-

ness and investment strengths, continuinga legacy of bilateral cooperation whichharkens back to olden times when Sharjahserved as a trade hub for the western coastof India,” she noted.

Consul-General of India in DubaiVenu Rajamony said the two-way India-UAE trade already exceeded $44 billion ayear.

“But this is only the tip of the iceberg.Sharjah, the traditional historic partner ofIndia, and India, which is growing rapidly,

will see many more investment opportuni-ties in the near future,” he stated.

At the event, presentations were madeby both the Indian and Sharjah sides onbusiness opportunities, trade and invest-ments. Prominent trade and industrychambers from India including theConfederation of Indian Industry (CII),Federation of Indian Export Organisations(FIEO) and the Associated Chambers ofCommerce and Industry of India(ASSOCHAM) were represented in addi-

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Students of Indian High School, Sharjah, performing at a cultural function organised as part of the India-Sharjah Business and CulturalForum in Sharjah.

(Above) Minister for Foreign Trade Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi speaking at the forum;(below) Mallika Sarabhai and her troupe performing at the cultural programme held aspart of the event.

Following were the other highlights ofthe India-Sharjah Business and CulturalForum:" Renowned dancer and social activist

Mallika Sarabhai and her troupe per-formed in front of a packed audience of1,500 at the University City Hall,Sharjah. The show, aptly titled ‘India:

Then, Now, Forever’, was a travelthrough time which incorporated clas-sical, folk, tribal and contemporarydances and celebrated India’s multicul-turalism and plurality.

" Schoolchildren from Indian HighSchool, Sharjah performed Indian andArabic songs and dances at the event. The

guests were welcomed at the function byvarious traditional Indian art forms likeChenda Melam and Theyyam.

" A painting exhibition titled ‘100 yearsof Indian Cinema’ by M.F. Husain,India’s foremost artist, was also held atSCCI from November 18 to 20, as partof the event.

Cultural function and art exhibition

would open up more doors for more inter-action in the future.

“If you show them a movie, it lasts for afew hours and that is it. Shows addressingtheir issues will be able to reach them moreeffectively. We look forward to feedback weget from this,” said Manjit Niranjan, head

of administration with the Al Fara’a group.Workers from labour accommodations

enthusiastically poured into the variouspremises, where the shows were held, towatch the performances. Scenes, inspiredfrom real life, were enacted. A worker beinginformed of the passing away of his father

by a telephone call from home, his struggle,his inability to drum up ticket money, seekpermission from his company manage-ment, brought tears to the eyes of many.

Feedback about the show from theworkers was extremely positive, with manyfeeling enlightened and touched. !

In a novel initiative to educate workersand raise awareness amongst them,the Indian Consulate in Dubai, inassociation with leading companies

like ETA Ascon, Arabtec, Dulsco, Al Faraaand Al Ahmadiah, hosted a series of per-formances by Indian classical dancer andsocial activist Dr Mallika Sarabhai onNovember 19 and 20.

The specially designed shows were held atlabour camps in Sonapur and Al Quoz, withthemes ranging from battling various psy-chological problems to physical wellbeingand other everyday concerns of a worker.

Sarabhai, one of the best known BharatNatyam and Kuchipudi dancers, said the

‘Sunehri Ashayein’ series, reflected the dailylives of workers and helped raise awarenessof issues that concerned them.

“The show was entirely different from mynormal performance and the theme was con-ceived exclusively for blue-collar Indian work-ers in the UAE who are facing many prob-lems, mainly psychological distress,” she said.

The dancer believes that a lot of theseproblems can be solved through communi-cation and expression.

“The greatest problem is the self-imposed silence of these men, who areworried that if they break down theywould be unmanly. It’s a problem menaround the world face,” Dr Sarabhai said.

Consul General Venu Rajmony said theperformances in the UAE were the first ina series of initiatives and the Consulate isplanning to run similar programmes at anumber of other labour camps.

“The programme was aimed at boostingthe confidence of the workers and helpingthem overcome their feelings of depressionand loneliness. We wanted to try and rein-force what UAE Government is alreadydoing,” Rajamony said

The event, partnered by the PermanentCommittee of Labour Affairs in Dubai,included classical and folk dance forms, the-atre and music and was attended by thou-sands of Asian construction workers livingin labour accommodations across Dubai.

Construction companies in Dubai, thatagreed to take part in the event, hoped it

SUNEHRI AASHAYEIN

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Scenes from the Sunehri Aashayein programmes in Dubai.

Natasha Gangaramani, Director of Al Faraa Properties, receiving feedback from workersafter the show

In a novel initiative, three Indians inDubai created memorabilia such asmugs and T-shirts, carrying inscriptions

and art works that salute the spirit ofMumbai and speak about the determinationof city on the occasion of the first anniver-sary of the 26/11 attacks.

Prateek Choudhry, Chitra Jayabalan andPrakash Rai designed 500 mugs and T-shirts which they distributed free.

“The T-shirts and the mugs are our wayof expressing our emotions and sentimentsfor the people of Mumbai,” the trio said ina statement.

“We distributed the mugs at the Indianmission as well and have sent the art workscreated on the mugs to our friends world-wide and requested them to do exactly

what we are doing in Dubai,” they added.A mug and a T-shirt were also presented

to Consul General of India in Dubai VenuRajamony.

Congratulating the trio’s efforts,Rajamony said: “It is a brilliant initiative.

Common citizens of India are the first lineof defence against terrorism. They have animportant role to play in watching out forpeople who seek to disturb the peace andorder of a civilized society. They must raiseawareness for greater support to victims ofterrorism and raise the consciousness ofsociety at large on the need to stand unitedagainst the terrorism. I congratulate theyoungsters and complement their efforts.They truly represent the dynamism as wellas the resilience of Mumbai and Indians atlarge”.

The mugs come with a small note thatsays: “Use this cup every day or just displayit with pride. Make it your very own heart-felt salute to the resilience of a city and itspeople.” !

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Punjab CM invites UAE investors to his state

Punjab Chief Minister ParkashSingh Badal has appealed to theIndian Business and ProfessionalCouncil (IBPC) and

Confederation of Indian Industries (CII)to jointly explore the possibilities of devel-opmental initiatives in infrastructure, edu-cation, hospitality and realty sectors inPunjab.

On the last leg of a weeklong tour to theMiddle East, Badal met with leadingIndian businessmen in Dubai onNovember 20 and urged prospective entre-preneurs to go for for business tie-ups insocial sector projects in rural areas.

He also impressed upon the Dubai-based construction companies and emi-nent builders to construct low cost housingcolonies in Punjab for the economicallyweaker sections of the society and assuredthem that the requisite land for such initia-tives would be provided by the village pan-chayats.

The Chief Minister was accompanied byhis Media Advisor Harcharn Bains,Secretary for Science Technology andEnvironment Viswajit Khanna, and hisSpecial Secretary K.J.S Cheema. Consul

General of India in Dubai, VenuRajamony, also attended the conclave.

Appreciating the infrastructural devel-opments in Dubai, Badal asked the IBPCto encourage Dubai-based prospectiveinvestors and entrepreneurs to make hugeinvestments in Punjab, which he said, isemerging as the most preferred investmentdestination in the world especially in thewake of recently announced new investorfriendly industrial policy.

He assured of full support and coopera-

tion from his government to interestedinvestors and facilitation of fast track singlewindow clearances for setting up their ven-tures in a time bound manner.

“The role of the Punjab Government ismerely of a facilitator to enable theprospective investors to set up their ven-tures in the state, free of any hardships gen-erally caused due to inordinate delay inprojects due to red-tapism and bureaucrat-ic wrangling,” Badal said .

The Chief Minister said Punjab hadtremendous potential in rural marketsand sought the cooperation of NRIs inthe areas of agriculture, water manage-ment, new technologies, ideas and inno-vations to set Punjab on the highest tra-jectory of growth.

He complemented the role of the CII inorganising this successful mission to wooinvestors to make investments in Punjab asDubai was the largest trading partner inIndia.

In his address, Consul GeneralRajamony underlined the need and scopeto develop business tie-ups in the areas ofagriculture, small and medium enterprises,infrastructure and entrepreneurship. !

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal(left) with Consul General Rajamony.

The Dubai International FilmFestival (DIFF) conferred onIndian screen legend AmitabhBachchan its Lifetime

Achievement Award for his outstandingcontribution to cinema.

Voted the most popular actor in theworld, the Bollywood icon’s appeal tran-scends borders, with a global fan basestretching far beyond the subcontinent.Credited as the man who broke the mouldof the Hindi film industry, Big B, as he ispopularly known, has appeared in 180films to date.

“No one from Indian cinema has madea bigger impact on the world,” DIFFChairman Abdulhamid Juma said.

“The Lifetime Achievement Award isin recognition for an artist whose per-formances have inspired billions – goingwell beyond his intended audiences fromthe subcontinent. Honouring AmitabhBachchan is akin to celebrating an insti-tution, who has had an everlastingimpact on generations spanning acrossthe Middle East and the rest of theworld.”

Thanking DIFF, Bachchan said theLifetime Achievement Award was an honourfor the strong and centuries-old cultural affil-

iations that the Indian subcontinent shareswith the Arab world, and the deep sense ofappreciation and respect Dubai has show-ered on people from the region.

“I strongly believe that cinema has thepower to influence people and bring all ofus together for a greater purpose – ofpeace, brotherhood and solidarity,”Bachchan said.

“By showcasing films from around theworld and creating a platform for healthy

dialogue, DIFF has taken cinema to itsnext level of social relevance. Personally, Iam humbled by this recognition fromDubai, a city I consider as my secondhome,” he added.

DIFF Honouree is a retrospective trib-ute that celebrates the work of distin-guished filmmakers from Asia, the Arabworld, and Hollywood. Earlier, DIFF hasalso honoured illustrious Indian producer-director Yash Chopra. !

Amitabh Bachchan honoured at DIFF

Amitabh Bachchan (right) with Consul General Rajamony and DIFF ChairmanAbdulhamid Juma.

Lotus Hospitality, India Tourism and Jet Airways held an Indian Kebab and Biryani Food Festival from December 15 to 26 in Dubai underthe aegis of the Consulate General of India. Hosted for the local community and expatriates, it showcased India’s rich and varied cuisines.

Public initiative to remember 26/11

Consul General Rajamony withChoudhury, Jayabalan and Rai.

Indian Kebab and Biryani Festival

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INTERNATIONALKOODIYAATTAM ANDKATHAKALI FESTIVAL

Utsavam ’09 – an internationalKoodiyaattam and Kathakalifestival – was held fromNovember 2 to 29 in Dubai.

It showcased performances in variousIndian classical and traditional art formssuch as Kathakali, Koodiyaattam, Koothuand Thaayampaka.

Thiranottam, a Dubai-based not-for-profit organisation, formed by classical artlovers, organised the event under the aegisof the Consulate General of India inDubai. The festival, which had 45 hours ofperformances, was held at the PrincessHaya Bint Al Hussein Theatre at GEMSWellington International School, Dubai.

Utsavam ’09 comprised classical dances,

songs and music exploring powerfulrhythms, expressions of culture and thesacred mythological history of Kerala.

Koodiyaattam, a classical Sanskrit the-atre native to Kerala, was performed byGopal Venu and his team. This is the onlysurviving form of ancient Sanskrit theatre,known for its highly stylised expressions.Koodiyaattam is considered to be the epit-ome of Indian theatre. It is also the firsttime a Koodiyattam performance wasstaged in the Gulf Cooperation Council(GCC) region.

This rich and elaborate art form hasbeen recognised by the United NationsEducational, Scientific and CulturalOrganization (UNESCO) as a “master-

piece of the oral and intangible heritage ofhumanity”.

This apart, there were performances ofKathakali, a highly stylised classical dance-drama, by Padmashri KalamandalamGopi, Nelliyodu Vasudevan Namboothiri,Sadhanam Krishnan Kutty, KottakkalNarayanan, Kalamandalam ShankaraWarrier, Kalamandalam RamanNamboothiri and Kalamandalam UnniKrishnan.

Kathakali is an extremely elaborate

dance form, which is enacted using mudrasand the elegant and awe-inspiring looks ofits characters, body movement and nimblefootwork.

Thiranottam’s mission is to promotevarious traditional art forms of Kerala inUAE and GCC, familiarise the emigrantMalayali population with the culture andheritage of the state and make these artforms accessible to the large emigrant pop-ulation in this region. The performancesare open to all. !

Sadanam Balakrishnanperforming at Utsavam ‘09

Padmasree Kalamandalam Gopi and MargiVijayakumar giving a Kathakali recital.

Incredible India hasdone it again! Anotherglobal award for the

campaign —showcasingmajor holiday destinations— has given a fillip toBrand India and is expect-ed to pull in global tourists as the nationrecovers from recession.

Tourism Minister Kumari Selja had rea-son to cheer when she received the 21stGrand Prix Award in Vienna in Austria.“The campaign has generated huge interestabout Indian tourism products globally andcontributed significantly to the growth oftourism in India,” she said.

The award was given by theInternational Tourism Film Festival, an ini-tiative of the Vienna-based Comite

International des Festivalsdu Film Touristique(CIFFT). “We never tire oftelling the world thatIndians treat their guestslike Gods. However, forthose Europeans who don’t

like references to God, I would like torepeat that guests are treated with greatrespect in India,” Selja said.

The first five months of 2009 showed adecline in the number of foreign touristarrivals in the country, compared to thesame period in 2008. But from the secondhalf of this year, there has been an increase.

In October, about 448,000 tourists visit-ed India as compared to 453,000 in thesame period. The figure was 445,000 inOctober 2007. !

Despite overall showdown andhiccups in allocation of spectrum to new and existingplayers, the Indian telecom

industry had an awesome run in 2009,adding some 170 million phone connec-tions to take the subscriber base to nearly550 million.

In the process, the country’s tele-densitywent up to an impressive 46.32 percent atthe end of November, against 32.34 percent a year ago, with the potential stillbright in the hinterland where penetrationremains relatively low.

“It is indeed a matter of great satisfactionthat the Indian telecom industry continuedto grow even when most other sectors grap-pled with a demand slowdown,” said T.R.Dua, Deputy Director General of CellularOperators Association of India (COAI).

“But we need to ensure this growth issustainable. At present, the industry is oper-ating in an environment where it is bur-dened with a very high cost structure onone hand and offering the lowest tariffs inthe world on the other,” Dua said.

Experts attributed this phenomenalgrowth in telecom connections to the sharpdrop in call rates, where operators evenoffered per-second billing at just half apaisa, unimaginable a decade ago. The lasttime such tariff cuts were witnessed was in2002 when incoming calls were made free.

“We scaled the target of 500 million

telephone connections in September 2009,much ahead of the scheduled time ofDecember 2010,” CommunicationsMinister A. Raja said.

Thus, the total phone connections inIndia as on November 30 stood at 543.2million, as opposed to 374.13 million onNovember 30 last year – an addition of169.07 million during the 12-month period, at an average of over 14 millionnew connections a month.

“A major reason for this growth has beenthe pricing. Right now, telecom players aretrying to outsmart each other by pricingand not using innovative solutions to mar-ket themselves,” said Romal Shetty, head oftelecom business at consultancy KPMG.

“A lot of Indians also use mobile phonesfor conducting trade, which means if theeconomy grows at 9-10 percent, the tele-com subscriber base will continue to growas more people will be able to use themobile phone to trade,” Shetty said.

A study by the Indian Council forResearch on International EconomicRelations (ICRIER) shows that states withhigher mobile penetration are expected togrow faster, with the growth rate being 1.2percentage points higher for every 10 per-cent increase in mobile penetration.

The year also saw the telecom sectorcontinue to attract significant foreigninvestment, pegged at over $2 billionbetween April 1 and September 30. !

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2009 a spectacular yearfor telecom industry

The country’s tele-density went up to an impressive 46.32 percent at the end of November.

" IN SHORT "

Foreign funds inflow into Indiatouched $19.38 billion during the

first eight months of this fiscal endingNovember, according to CommerceMinister Anand Sharma.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) inNovember stood at $1.74 billion, anincrease of over 60 percent from the$1.08 billion the country received inthe corresponding month last year.

“India’s share of world FDI hasjumped from 0.78 percent in 2005 to2.45 percent in 2008,” said Sharma.

India has been ranked as the secondmost promising country for overseasbusiness operations after China.

FDI crossed $19 billionin first 8 months in ’09

Kerala will invest about Rs. 2,000crore in two years to develop IT

infrastructure to make the state India’s“most sought-after tier-II destinationfor IT”, Chief Minister V.S.Achuthanandan has said.

“Our objective is to make Kerala themost sought-after Tier-II destination inthe country, and for this, we are invest-ing nearly Rs. 2,000 crore during 2009-11 for development of infrastructure,”said Achuthanandan in his inauguraladdress at the India IT Summit 2009.

Kerala to invest Rs.2,000cr on I-T infrastructure

Kolkata-based Ruia Groupannounced it had acquired

Germany’s leading automotive sealingsystems company Henniges AutomotiveGrefarth GmbH, saying this would helpit globally consolidate business in thesector. The acquired company has beenrenamed DRAFTEX.

This is the Ruia group’s second over-seas acquisition in the automotive seal-ing systems business and its firsttakeover of a German company.

Ruia Group buys Germansealing systems company

India gets 21st Grand Prix Award for global tourism

India, Russia set target of $20 billion trade

India and Russia have signed a $100-million credit line agreement and seta target of $20 billion by 2015 tostrengthen bilateral trade.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh andRussian President Dmitry Medvedevaffirmed that the two countries were keenon enhancing mutual cooperation in IT,communication, hydro-carbon, oil and gasand pharmaceutical sectors.

Among the six pacts the two countriessigned is a $100 million-agreement on“dollar credit line between EXIM (Export-Import) Bank of India and Russian Bankof Development and Foreign EconomicAffairs”.

According to the deal, aimed to helppromote export of capital goods fromIndia, the EXIM bank will give $100 mil-lion credit line to the Russian bank.

Speaking at a joint press conference withMedvedev at the Kremlin on December 7,Singh said: “We welcome greater Russianrole in India’s nuclear energy sector. Wehave decided to set a target of $20 billionby 2015. We have identified the areas of

energy, information technology and com-munication and pharmaceuticals as thenew thrust areas of cooperation.”

“Rough diamonds is another area and, ofcourse, there are the traditional commodi-ties like tea and other commodities whichhave been part of the traditional basket ofgoods and services. I think Russia is emerg-ing as a major investor in India,” he said.

“I agree,” Medvedev said as he smilinglyresponded to Singh’s remarks.

Medvedev also said the two countrieswere “moving forward” in “strengthening”their strategic partnership. !

Even as global auto majors went intoreverse gear in 2009, the Indian

industry launched new models for thedomestic market and registered growthin exports.

The year saw the roll-out of theworld’s cheapest car, Tata Nano, andexpensive models like the Rs. 37.5-million ($750,000) Phantom and theRs. 25 million ($250,000) Ghost (bothfrom Rolls Royce). In 2009, the car market grew around 15 percent, and asimilar pattern is expected in 2010.

Ernst and Young has predicted theIndian passenger car market to grow at12 percent annually over the next fiveyears, to touch 3.75 million units by2014 from 1.89 million units at present.

“The industry’s turnover is estimatedto touch $155 billion by 2016,” saidanalysts with Ernst and Young, addingthis would make the Indian auto indus-try the seventh largest in the world, andthe third largest by 2030, behind Chinaand the United States.

The Government’s AutomotiveMission Plan also envisaged Indiaemerging as the world’s seventh largestcarmaker by 2016, contributing over 10percent to the country’s $1.2-trillioneconomy from under five percent at present. India is also expected to con-solidate its position as an automobilehub, with 2.75 million units to be soldoverseas and about a million units in thedomestic market.

Indian auto industry in

top gear

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh withRussian President Dmitry Medvedev.


|17DECEMBER 2009


16|INDIA MATTERS

Merchandise exports see revival

The outlook for India’s merchan-dise exports now looks set toimprove over the next fewmonths, giving rise to hopes

that a positive growth will finally berecorded by January 2010. The exportsdata for September clearly shows that therate of decline has dropped considerably,even as global demand has picked up.

One of the big strengths of the Indianeconomy till the global downturn set in lastyear was the buoyancy of its exports, risingat double digit levels for the last few years.This scenario was reversed last year as theworldwide demand for goods fell drastically.

From rising consistently every month,exports began recording a fall in the last fis-cal. The low point was reached in May thisyear when exports fell by as much as 39percent. But the outlook now is clearer andmuch better.

The data for September shows thedecline has slowed down to 13.8 percent.

This apart, the green shoots of recoveryare becoming evident in the developedworld and exporters are looking anxiouslyat the recovery signals in the US and theEuropean Union as 40 percent of overseasshipments go to these two giant markets.

As per the latest data released by theCommerce Ministry, India’s outboundshipments slid to $13.6 billion in

September, after sliding 19.4 percent inAugust. Yet, on the plus side, this broughtthe trade deficit to a manageable level of$7.77 billion in September, much narrow-er than $15.35 billion last year. Exportscontracted by 28.5 percent to $77.9 billionin the first six months of the current fiscal(April to September 2009) from $108.9billion in the same period last year.

With exports to the main markets of theUS and Europe having crashed, the Government has been trying to provideincentives to exporters to diversify to newer

markets. Commerce Minister AnandSharma said there has been partial successin this direction.

He said India’s textile exports toAustralia and New Zealand have acted as acushion to check the sharp decline inexports. These two countries were part ofthe 39 “new thrust markets” identified inthe new Foreign Trade Policy. The Africanmarkets are also now responding well toIndian products, giving rise to hopes thatthe country will go into the positive zoneof exports in the next few months. !

The Indian retail market is expectedto reach $410 billion by the end ofthe current fiscal, according to the

Associated Chambers of Commerce andIndustry of India (ASSOCHAM).

Another report on India’s retail marketreleased in November month had madesimilar projections, saying the sector wasexpected to reach $535 billion by 2013.

“With anticipated $30 billion freshinvestment over the next five years, mod-ern retail will show impressive compoundannual growth rate of 40 percent,” said theFashion and Lifestyle Franchise Report2009-10. “With this growth rate, the mar-ket is set to reach $535 billion by 2013,”

said the report, compiled by FranchiseIndia Holding Ltd, a franchise solutionsprovider.

As per the Assocham study, the retailsector is estimated to grow 5.5 percent tobecome $410 billion market by April2010, registering growth of more than 22percent and 30 percent in the third andfourth quarters this fiscal.

The study noted that the share of retailtrade in the country’s gross domestic prod-uct (GDP) was between 8 and 10 percentin 2007. With strides of development in theorganised retail segment, its share has nowrisen to 12 percent, ASSOCHAM said.

Organised retail, which currently

accounts for nearly 5 percent of the retailmarket, is pegged at around $9.23 billionand was expected to grow at 2.3 percentto touch $13 billion by the end of thisfinancial year. !

India’s private hospitals segment isestimated to reach $45 billion by2012 from the present $22 billionwith expansion in tier II and III cities,

according to an industry report.“The hospitals segment is estimated to

reach a level of $45 billion by 2012 from thepresent level of $22 billion as leading playersin the sector are significantly increasing theirinvestments in tier II and III cities,” said thereport jointly prepared by the AssociatedChambers of Commerce and Industry(ASSOCHAM) and Yes Bank.

The contribution of the diagnostic andpathology services to the health care indus-try will touch $2.5 billion by 2012 asagainst $1.2 billion during 2008-09.

The private sector accounts for 80 per-cent of India’s health care delivery market.

“Investments by private players for tier IIand III cities are increasingly gainingmomentum and with the economic growthin these cities, health care sector is expectedto rise exponentially,” ASSOCHAM presi-dent Swati Piramal said.

As per the report, with substantial pri-

vate equity investments in hospital chains,this large investor appetite will contributesignificantly to the spread of private health-care establishments in rural areas.

“Large corporations have also begunventuring into this highly lucrative busi-ness and we expect to see continuity in thistrend,” the report said. The chamberexpected to see greater interest from pri-vate equity players once significant consol-idation in the sector takes place along withthe verification of an appropriate India-specific business model. !

India’s textile exports to Australia and New Zealand acted as a cushion for the industry.

Private hospital segmentto reach $45 bn by 2012

Apollo Hospital in New Delhi.

Services sector grew at fasterpace in first 7 months: CII

India’s services sectorexpanded at a faster pacein the first seven months

of the current fiscal year com-pared to the like period lastyear, says a survey conductedby a leading industry body.

“The services sectorgrowth has gained momen-tum during the period April-October 2009 confirming that there hasbeen a significant improvement in growthrates of various services sectors,” said thesurvey conducted by the Confederation ofIndian Industry (CII).

The survey was conducted across 33industry verticals, with responses comingfrom more than 350 services-related indus-try associations, organisations and compa-

nies in both the private andpublic sectors.

CII found that around 12percent of those surveyed reg-istered a handsome growthrate of more than 20 percentin the first seven months thisfiscal, compared to 12.5 per-cent during the correspon-ding period last year.

“The share of the sectors registering highgrowth rate of 10-20 percent has increasedto 30.3 percent in April-October 2009from 24.2 percent in the previous corre-sponding period,” the study said. “Timelystimulus packages have fuelled growthacross major segments of services sectors,"said CII director General ChandrajitBanerjee in a statement. !

Confidence levels among seniorbusiness executives in Mumbaiand Shanghai are so high that

they are leaving their counterparts inNew York and London far behind, withsignificant implications for the post-recession global economy.

With India having emerged relativelyunscathed from the recession, more than90 percent of senior business figures inMumbai are more confident now than atthe beginning of the year, according to arecent study.

Ever more remarkably, 92 percent ofMumbai’s business bosses are confidentin the economic outlook for the next 12months, says the study by the London-based international law firm Eversheds.

The findings of the research, conduct-ed among 600 senior executives inLondon, Mumbai, New York, Shanghaiand the United Arab Emirates (UAE),show that “the world order for financialcentres is changing”.

“This is potentially very significant.When you have 90 percent of respon-dents in Mumbai and Shanghai sayingthey are very confident about the future,and only 22 percent saying so inLondon, it feeds into the plans peoplewill make,” said Eversheds chairmanAlan Jenkins. “Indian businesses are con-fident and are looking to the future, making plans for both within India andglobally. I don’t get the same sense inLondon,” he added.

Mumbai, Shanghaito be boomtowns

post-recession: study

‘$410-bn retail sector by fiscal end’


|19DECEMBER 2009


18| INDIA MATTERS

India’s tech industry set to log in again

As 2009 progressed, the top 20firms managed to survive theslowdown since the middle of2008 by tightening their belts

and exploring new geographies, but smalland medium vendors took the brunt, leading to mass layoffs and dwindlingcompensations.

But 2010, they hope, will bring themuch-needed respite. “It has been a year ofshock and awe, as it began with the worldlooking like coming to an end. But as themonths passed, the world changed and themarket became more competitive,” saidT.V. Mohandas Pai, Director of IT bellwether Infosys. “Hope and growth arecoming back as we enter 2010,” Pai said.

“Though the year gone by was challeng-ing, it was also satisfying by many counts,”said Suresh Senapaty, Chief FinancialOfficer of Wipro, among the top three ITexporters in the country.

“Given the overall economic climate in

the background of the global financial crisis, we revisited our business model fun-damentals and fine-tuned it to the chang-ing customer needs,” Senapaty said.

To ensure growth, albeit in single digit,even the biggies were forced to adopt mul-tiple survival strategies to retain customers,moving to fixed costs and bundling soft-ware services with back-office operations

and remote infrastructure management. “Market fundamentals have changed.

Only those who invest in sales, innovation,domain expertise and value creation willsucceed. No easy pickings,” Pai said.

Multinationals that set up captives toleverage the cost arbitrage and skills ofhome-grown techies concentrated on con-solidating operations.

At the same time, bellwethers TCS,Infosys, Wipro and HCL, which built cashreserves in boom times, bought out a fewcaptive units or back-office operations ofglobal firms in India and overseas.

MindTree Consulting Chief ExecutiveKrishnakumar Natarajan said while 2009was a challenging year, the Indian ITindustry adapted well and transformed theway in which it did business.

“In the medium term, the prospects ofour IT industry are good, as we see demandpicking up and discretionary spendingcoming back,” Natarajan said. !

Irrigation improvement mustfor agriculture growth: PM

Public investments will have to beraised to improve efficiency andspread of irrigation facilities, and

thereby push growth in the agriculture sec-tor, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saidin New Delhi on December 10.

In an address at the inauguration of theFifth Asian Regional Conference onimprovement in irrigation projects, he alsosaid his government “was sharply increas-ing” public investment in agriculture.

This, Manmohan Singh said, was aimedat doubling the annual growth rate in thesector to 4 percent in the 11th Plan periodthat ends 2012. “The most important areafor investment in agriculture relates to theprovision of water and its most efficientuse. In fact, we hope to be able to add about16 million hectares to the irrigated areaduring the 11th Five-Year Plan,” he said.

The Prime Minister said there was scopefor substantial improvement in the effi-ciency of the irrigation system.

“An assessment of the irrigation system

in India indicates that efficiencies of sur-face water systems can be improved fromthe present level of 35 to 40 percent toabout 60 percent and that of groundwatersystems from 65 percent to about 75 per-cent,” he added.

Moreover, Singh said, about 84 percentof the created irrigation potential has beenutilised in India.

India’s challenge of managing waterresources “in a rational and sustainablemanner will require action on many frontsand coordination across different sectors ofthe economy,” he added. !

In another sign of robust recovery inthe Indian economy, the country’s

industrial output is projected to haveexpanded 10.3 percent in October, as perthe latest official data.

The significant growth in the Indexfor Industrial Production has come onthe back of a 9.6 percent expansion inSeptember and 10.4 percent the monthbefore, shows the new data released bythe Central Statistical Organisation.

The statistics further showed that therecovery has been particularly impressivefor the manufacturing sector – whichenjoys a weight of nearly 80 percent –index grew by 11.1 percent in October.The mining sector expanded by 8.2 per-cent, while electricity was up 4.7 percent.As a result, the overall expansion ofindustrial output for the first sevenmonths this fiscal was 7.1 percent.

“Growth in the first half of this fiscalyear is in line with expectations. Thestimulus has started showing results,”Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said.

Industrial growthup 10.3 pc in Oct

The Indian IT industry adapted well to theeconomic challenges in 2009.

Gold emerges as a safehaven for investors

With gold prices hitting newhighs, the glitter just getsbrighter each day. Thephenomenal rise in the

value of the yellow metal has been a by-product of the global recession as investors,both in India and abroad, are looking forsafe products in which to place their funds.

With the dollar weakening and the USgovernment deficit still to be reined in,international investors have preferred toput their faith in the yellow metal and thishas led to a rapid rise in its value.International gold prices are hitting his-toric highs of about $1,200 per ounce,while in India prices have touched a recordRs. 18,000 ($392).

The Government made its contributionto high gold prices when it bought 200tonnes of the metal from the InternationalMonetary Fund (IMF) in October thisyear, a move that hit the headlines in theworld press but merited just a few para-graphs in the domestic print media. Thevery fact that India sought fit to buy asmuch as 200 tonnes gave rise to specula-tion that this country was losing faith in

the power of the dollar to prop up the glob-al economy.

The weakening of the dollar againstmost major currencies has undoubtedlybeen one of the major factors leading to therising price of gold. The dollar depreciationis largely due to fears over the growingdeficit of the US government.

It has taken 10 long years for gold toonce again reach the peak of about $1,200dollars per ounce. Thus in the long run,they estimate that investing in gold mightjust about be sufficient to protect theinvestor from inflation. !

It took10 long years for gold to reach thepeak of about $1,200 dollars per ounce.

Consumer durables industrygrew 12-15 pc in 2009

Whether it wasOnida’s horneddevil or

Hindustan Unilever’s Lirilgirls, 2009 saw consumergoods firms bid farewell toiconic brand ambassadors,looking for more innovative marketingstrategies and revamped product lines.

Bajaj Auto decided to exit scooters busi-ness, which had become a household namewith the “Hamara Bajaj” campaign, whilethe “fast to cook and good to eat” Maggieturned 25 and became a complete foodbrand of its own rather than just symboliseNestle’s range of noodles.

Innovative marketing strategies, alongwith fiscal stimulus packages, helped

consumer durables and fast-moving consumer goodssegments record robustgrowth during the year.

Thanks to these factors,said Suresh Khanna, GeneralSecretary of Consumer

Electronics Appliances ManufacturersAssociation, the Rs. 32,000-crore ($6.4 bil-lion) consumer durables industry grew 12-15 percent in 2009. “The industry will growanother 15-20 percent next year on the backof economic recovery,” Khanna predicted.

Similarly, according to the Federation ofIndian Chamber of Commerce andIndustry (FICCI), the fast-moving con-sumer goods sector coped well and grew 15percent over the past year. !

After five years of robust growth tillthe middle of 2008, the $14-billion

Indian realty industry faced a major crisis this year, not just because of a sharpfall in demand but also due to high costof credit in executing ongoing projects.

“It was definitely a tough year for therealty sector, mainly because of the glob-al crisis,” said Pradeep Jain, Chairman ofParsvnath Developers. “But strong fundamentals helped us overcome it tosome extent,” Jain added.

According to data compiled by lead-ing brokerage and research firm SMCCapital, some Rs. 10,300 crore (morethan $2 billion) was mobilised by realtyfirms such as DLF, Unitech andIndiabulls in the first half of 2009through private placements.

This apart, over 15 players such asEmaar MGF, Lodha Developers andSahara Prime City are set to come upwith initial public offerings to raise aboutRs. 15,000 crore ($1.8 billion) to tideover their funds crisis.

Among them, Delhi-based EmaarMGF Land alone proposes to raise Rs.3,850 crore ($770 million), while Saharais targeting Rs. 3,450 crore ($690 mil-lion). Lodha Developers have targetedRs. 3,000 crore ($600 million) andGodrej Properties want to raise Rs. 600crore ($12 million).

Realty industry is optimistic over theprospects in the New Year and believes itwould pay to remain focused on low-costhousing projects. “The year 2010 will bea buoyant one. Affordable housing willbe the mantra for 2010,” Ansal APIspokesperson Kunal Banerjee said.

Realty firms see rayof hope in 2010

Aplace of legendary beauty, justa couple of hours by road fromSrinagar, Jammu andKashmir’s summer capital,

Gulmarg is indeed the top destination inIndia for winter sports enthusiasts.

And the good news is that the season’sfirst snow has already fallen, envelopingthe town and its surroundings in pristinewhite.

At an altitude of 2,650 metres,

Gulmarg may not be India’s highest win-ter resort, but it is certainly the most pop-ular. An estimated 2,000 tourists flock tothis town every day during winter, fillingup its many quaint hotels and trying theirhand at everything from skiing and tobo-ganning to snow scooter rides and yakwalks.

For the professionals, there are chal-lenges aplenty. Heli-skiing is one of them,or they can take a shot at Gulmarg’s

Poma-designed 1,330 metre vertical gon-dola (that is apparently more vertical thananything in the U.S.).

The longest ski run in Gulmarg is pro-vided by the Gondola Cable Car, whereskiers can swoosh down unspoilt slopes.

The slopes are already under four tofive feet of snow, just perfect for the ulti-mate skiing experience.

One can practically drive into Gulmarg

unprepared for winter sports, and yetenjoy oneself. That’s because all kinds ofskiing equipment and attire –– like snowboots, parkas –– are available on hire.

Most hotels and resorts also have in-house instructors who are trained to helpnovices and amateurs find their feet onthe slopes.

The name Gulmarg, which literallymeans “meadow of flowers”, was firstgiven to this town in the 16th century bySultan Yusuf Shah, who was clearlyinspired by the grassy slopes of the mead-ow here that is bedecked with wild flowersof all hues in summer.

The town was later a favourite haunt ofthe Mughal Emperor Jehangir who is oncesaid to have counted 21 different varietiesof flowers here –– among them, bluebells,daisies, forget-me-nots and buttercups. Insummer, the journey to Gulmarg is itselfenchanting. The roads are bordered byavenues of poplar beyond which are flatexpanses of paddy fields.

Depending on the season, nature’scolours change here: from the translucentgreen of spring, to summer’s rich emerald,or autumn’s golden hues.

And, of course, an unspoilt white inwinter after the first snowfall. !

GULMARG:MEADOW OF FLOWERS

TTRRAAVVEELL

|21DECEMBER 2009


20|INDIA MATTERS

By Air: The nearest major airport isSrinagar, which is 56 km away.By Rail: The nearest railhead isJammu.By Road: Gulmarg is a two-hour busjourney from Srinagar. Various modesof transport, including chartered con-veyance, are available from the Srinagarbus stand at Batmallo.Best time to visit: As it is both a popu-lar summer as well as winter destina-tion, one can visit Gulmarg around theyear.Accommodation: Gulmarg’s hotelsoffer accommodation and meals to suitall budgets. A luxurious chalet-typehotel is available. JKTDC has huts onoffer at Gulmarg. All these propertiesrequire advance booking from Srinagar.

HOW TO REACH

SRINAGAR: At 1,730 metres, the cityis famous for its canals, houseboats andthe Mughal gardens. GULMARG BIOSPHERE RESERVE:Located 48 km from Srinagar, to itssouthwest. It is famous for retaining sever-al rare and endangered species such as themusk deer, and a rich and varied avifauna. ALPATHER LAKE: BeyondKhilanmarg, 13 km from Gulmarg atthe foot of the twin 4,511-metreApharwat peaks, this lake, at 3,843metres, is frozen until mid-June, andeven later in the year one can see lumpsof ice floating in its cold waters. Thejourney can be made by horses in winterand is an exciting day’s excursion.FEROZPORE NALLAH: This moun-tain stream meets the Bahan River at apopular picnic spot known as WatersMeet. The stream is, in summer, particu-larly good for trout fishing; it’s aboutfive km down the valley from Gulmargbut quite close to Tangmarg.KHILANMARG: This smaller valley isabout six km from the Gulmarg busstop. Carpeted with flowers in thespring, it is the site for Gulmarg’s winterski runs and offers a fine view of the sur-rounding peaks and over the KashmirValley. It’s a 600-metre ascent fromGulmarg to Khilanmarg and during theearly spring, as the snow melts, it can bea very muddy hour’s climb up the hill.The effort is rewarded, if it’s clear, with asweeping view of the great Himalayasfrom Nanga Parbat to the twin 7,100-metre peaks of Nun and Kun.

OTHER ATTRACTIONS

Skiing, toboganning, heli-skiing, cable car rides – you willfind all these and more when you visit Gulmarg

1. Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Awadh, is credited withreviving which form of Indian classical dance?

2. Which city in south India was once known as Orugallu,meaning one rock, as the place was carved out of a singlerock?

3. Which stringed musical instrument has three melodic strings,five drone strings and 12 sympathetic strings and assimilatesthe sounds of the veena, the sitar and the sarod?

4. Which cricket stadium in India, established in 1883, wasoriginally known as Willingdon Pavilion?

5. “Life is like a game of cards. The hand that is dealt you isdeterminism; the way you play it is free will.” To whichfamous Indian personality is this quote attributed?

6. Which well known cricketer served as the sheriff of Mumbaifor a year in 1994?

7. Name this structure in India that has the world’s secondlargest dome after that of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

8. Of which Indian hockey player did Australian cricket legendDon Bradman once say: “He scores goals like runs in cricket”?

9. Can you name this Indian litterateur who started writingpoetry at the age of eight and published his first work at theage of 16 under the pseudonym Bhanusingho?

10. Which state in India shares its borders with nine other states,the maximum for any state?

11. Which educational institute in India was originally estab-lished as the Mohammedan Anglo Oriental College in 1875?

12. The animal shown in the picture is a highly endangeredspecies of goat, found mostly at the Eravikulam NationalPark in Kerala. Can you name it?

This magazine will accept contributions from readers in the form of Q&As, factoids, quiz news,announcements of upcoming quiz events and also photographs.You can write in [email protected].

THE 13TH QUESTION

Which high court in India was originally founded atAgra on March 17, 1866, as the High Court ofJudicature for the North-Western Provinces?

1.Kathak.2.Warangal in Andhra Pradesh.3.The Mohan Veena, created by Grammy award winner Pandit Vishwamohan Bhatt.4.Ferozeshah Kotla Ground in Delhi.

5.Jawaharlal Nehru.6.Sunil Gavaskar.7.Gol Gumbaz in Bijapur, Karnataka.8.Dhyan Chand.9.Rabindranath Tagore.10.Uttar Pradesh.11.Aligrah Muslim University.

12.Nilgiri Tahr.

The 13th Question:Allahabad High Court.

ANSWERS

QQUUIIZZ

DECEMBER 200922|INDIA MATTERS

OVERVIEW

SIZE! India has an extensive road network of 3.3 million km – the

second largest in the world! Roads carry about 65% of the freight and 80% of the pas-

senger traffic! Highways/Expressways constitute about 66,000 km (2% of

all roads) and carry 40% of the road traffic ! The Government of India plans to spend about US$10 bil-

lion per annum on road development over the next fiveyears

! The ambitious seven-phase National Highway DevelopmentProject (NHDP) is India’s largest road project ever. PhaseII, III and IV are under implementation " Key sub-projects under the NHDP include:

# The Golden Quadrilateral (Phase I: GQ-5,846 km of four-lane highways) # North-South & East-West Corridors (Phase II: NSEW-7,300 km of four-lane highways)

! Programme for six-laning of about 6,500 km of NationalHighways is under way

STRUCTURE! The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is the apex

government body for implementing the NHDP ! All contracts, whether for construction or BOT, are awarded

through competitive biddingPrivate sector participation is increasing and is through:

" Construction contracts " BOT for about 36% of total investment based on compet-itive bidding or the lowest lumpsum payment from theGovernment.

#BOT contracts permit tolling on those stretches of theNHDP

POLICY! 100% FDI under the automatic route is permitted for all

road development projects

! Incentives:" 100% income tax exemption for a period of 10 years" NHAI agreeable to provide grants/viability gap funding formarginal projects " Model concession agreements formulated

OPPORTUNITIES

OUTLOOK! Annual growth projected at 12-15% for passenger traffic,

and 15-18% for cargo traffic! Over US$90 billion investment is required over the next 5

years to improve road infrastructure " Road sector investments expected to grow at 19% perannum

POTENTIAL! Road development is recognised as essential to sustain

India’s economic growth ! The government is planning to increase expenditure on

road development substantially with funding already inplace based on a cess on fuel

! A large component of highways is to be developed throughpublic-private partnerships " Several high traffic stretches already awarded to privatecompanies on a BOT basis " Two successful BOT models are in place – the annuitymodel and the upfront/lumpsum payment model

! 40% of India’s villages do not have access to all-weatherroads " The government has identified rural roads as one of thesix components of the $40 billion Bharat NirmanProgramme to improve rural India

! Investment opportunities exist in a range of projects beingtendered by NHAI for implementing the remaining phasesof the NHDP – contracts are for construction or BOT basisdepending on the section being tendered.

Source: www.investmentcommission.in

INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN INDIA’S ROAD SECTOR

Consulate General of IndiaP.O. BOX 737, DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Tel: +971 4 3971222/ +971 4 3971333, Fax: +971 4 3970453, Tlx.: 46061 CGIND EMEmail: [email protected]

CONSULATE HOTLINE NUMBERS: +971 50 9433111 (For women/housemaids in distress and counseling for stress and depression)

+971 50 7347676 (For death formalities on holidays and after office hours)600 522229 (Passport and Visa Services Centre)

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P.O. Box 4090, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesTel: +971 2 4492700, Fax: +971 2 4444685 / +971 2 4447768

Email: [email protected]

A Kathakali performance by Sadanam Krishnan Kutty and Nelliyodu VasudevanNamboori at the Utsavam ’09 cultural programme organised by Thironattam.

India Matters on air on 105.4FM Radio Spice every Friday-Saturday @ 6pmand on Me Ranjani Telegu Radio 1152 AM @ 5pm

Utsavam ’09 in Dubai

Documents

VOL. 1 ISSUE 9 DECEMBER 2009 First India-Sharjah Business