The Top 20 business facts about India

1. India continues to be the best place to start a business, says a global services location index by AT Kearney.
2. India’s foreign exchange reserves stand at US$ 200 billion.
3. India has displaced US as the second-most favoured destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) in the world after China according to an AT Kearney’s FDI Confidence Index
4. Poised at a phenomenal growth of 500 per cent, the Indian insurance industry is expected to reach US$ 60 billion in the next four years.
5. India adds about five million telephone subscribers every month. The total number of subscribers is expected to reach 250 million by the end of 2007.
6. India has one of the largest road networks in the world, aggregating 3.34 million kilometers. It comprises 66,590 km of National Highways, 1,28,000 km of State Highways, 4,70,000 km of Major District Roads and about 26,50,000 km of other District and Rural Roads.
7. Indian ports handled cargo of around 570 million tonnes in 2005-06.
8. In 2005-06, the passenger traffic rose by 25-30 per cent and is expected to grow by 25 per cent year-on-year over the next five years. While international and domestic air traffic grew by 35 per cent, cargo witnessed a 12 per cent growth.
9. India is the Sixth largest crude consumer in the world.
10. India is the Ninth largest crude importer in the world.
11. India has the sixth largest refining capacity - 2.56 million barrels per day representing 2.99 per cent of world capacity.
12. Estimated to be a US$ 350 billion industry, the Indian retail sector is growing at a growth rate of 47%..Wow !
13. The travel and tourism sector in India is generated a total demand of US$ 55,544.5 million of economic activity in 2006, accounting for nearly 5.3 per cent of GDP and 5.4 per cent of total employment.
14. International Iron and Steel Institute (IISI) has ranked India as the seventh largest steel producer in the world with an overall production of about 40 million tonnes in 2006.
15. India exports US$ 6 billion worth of garments.
16. India is the largest consumer of gold jewellery in the world and accounts for about 20 per cent of world consumption.
17. India is the largest diamond cutting and polishing centre in the world.
18. India is the second largest producer of rice and wheat in the world; one of the largest producers of sugar, sugarcane, peanuts, jute, tea and an assortment of spices.
19. The Indian pharmaceutical industry, consistently growing at 9.5 per cent in the last 5 years, could zip at 13.6 per cent between 2007 and 2010 and reach a market size of US$ 9.48 billion by 2010 from its present level of about US$ 6.2 billion.
20. Healthcare delivery is one of the largest service-sector industries in India. The country will spend US$ 45.76 billion on healthcare in the next five years.