06.10.2006

Eastern Air Command is based in Shillong, Meghalaya.

Tata Steel has capacity to make 5 mln tonnes of steel per annum. It is eyeing Corus of Europe which has a capacity to make 18 mln tonnes per annum.

Wool production
Australia is the world’s leading producer of wool accounting for over 90% of the world’s wool production.

The wool is supplied to China, Italy and India.

Price cuts score over freebies for FMCGs
A study by an IIM Professor found that freebies, bonus packs and non-price promotions do not lure the customers the way price-off offers do.

X-ray files on your cell
Specific absorption rate (SAR) is a count that specifies whether your mobile radiates more or less than the permissible limit for radio waves.

The US and Europe have standards that specify thresholds for these rates. The US’ FCC lays down that the SAR level cannot exceed 1.6 W/kg (watts per kg) while the EU Council lays down a SAR level of 2 W/kg for public exposure from mobile phones.

National offtake of cell phones from grey market is about 6 mln per annum in India.

Most of the standard cell phones being marketed in India do meet the US or EU standards.

Global online advertising business
Ii is about $5.2 bn in 2005 and is expected to touch $9.72 bn in 2006 and may go up to $33 bn by 2010.

The global outsourced clinical trials market is estimated to be of the size $10 bn. Of this India accounted for about 2% of less.

The world’s topmost universitites are Harvard, Oxford and Cambridge.

About 60,000 defence personnel retire every year from the Indian armed forces. Of them 95% are accounted for by personnel below officer rank.

Cabinet okays 6-laning of 6,500 km of National Highway including 5,700 km of Golden Quadrilateral at a cost of Rs. 41,210 cr.

India is the largest producer of milk, pulses, sugarcane and tea in the world.

Solar power use in India
Bangalore and Pune are ahead of others in installation of solar water heaters. This is because of the climate there as well as the policies of the respective state governments. Every household with solar water heater systems gets a rebate of 50 pasie per unit in these states.

In the recent past the cost of SWH systems has gone up from Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 20,000 due to the jump in the price of copper, a prime material for such systems.

The Centre through IREDA(Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency) has engaged the banks and financial institutions to offer subsidized interest loans for SWH systems. The rate of interest for SWH systems for home use is 2%; that for institutitonal and commercial sectors is 3% and 5% respectively.

Chemical and Textile industries are the other large consumers of hot water.

More than $3 bn is spent annually by students going from India to study abroad.

Services exports have risen from $25 bn in 2003-04 to $60 bn in 2005-06. Services contribute as much as 37% of India’s exports and over 50% of the country’s GDP.

India’s infrastructure
India has a 3.3 mln km road network in the country. Natinoal Highways constitute only about 2% of this network. It is estimated that about $40 bn investments will be made in the road sector by 2012.

There are 259 berths in the 12 major ports and 97 berths in non-major ports of the country.

India has about 83,000 millionaires in 2005.

Power Grid Corporation of India
Inter regional power transfer capacity is at 9,500 mw currently. It is to be enhanced to 18,000 mw by the end of the current fiscal.

It has plans to increase this capacity to 1.50 lk mw by 2027.

Software piracy
Business Software Alliance estimates that 35% of the software installed in PCs worldwide is pirated.