ECONOMIC INDICATORS:

GDP growth 2004/05 (April-March) -- 7.5 percent.

Estimated 2005/06 growth -- 7.5-8.0 percent.

* Foreign portfolio investments in equities in 2005 --$10.7 billion.

* Foreign direct investment in 2005 -- $6 billion.

* Forex reserves at end-2005 -- $137 billion.

* April-December trade deficit -- $29.83 billion.

* Middle-class and aspirers (earning $2000-$22,000 a year)-- 300 million.

KEY CONSUMPTION STATISTICS:

* Annual car sales -- 1 million units. Eight in 1,000 Indians own a car.

* Annual bike sales -- 5 million units, world's largest market after China

* Monthly mobile phone subscriber addition -- 4.4 million.

Total subscribers -- 76.44 million. Less than eight in 100 Indians use mobile services.

* Personal computers sales in 2004/05 -- 3.63 million units, up 20 percent from the previous year.

* Total number of credit card holders -- about 15 million, expanding at 35 percent a year.

* Housing loans in 2004/05 -- 1.35 trillion rupees ($30.5 billion), up 50 percent.

* Total retail loans in 2004/05 - 2.67 trillion rupees, up 41 percent.

* Annual cement consumption -- 135 million tonnes, largest after China, rising 10 percent a year but per capita consumption low at 115 kg.

* Oil import bill for 2004/05 -- $29 billion.

* Passenger traffic at airports in 2004/05 crossed 50 million. Growth estimated at 12 percent a year up to 2009.

($1 = 44.2 rupees)