India is doing well despite all the odds we are facing in different areas for strange reasons. However, I can only say that if India is marching ahead, it's due to the private sector. Here are some examples-
Indian Car Market Growing Up at Crazy Speed
Indians are almost crazy about cars and we have almost every car brand manufactured anywhere in the world although Maruti Suzuki still remains the most popular brand in our country. I live in National Capital Region with largest number of cars and models in the country compared to other states. By the way, you can see latest model of any car brand within a month of its launch anywhere in the world in New Delhi and surrounding areas no matter how much does it cost.
New Delhi Organizes Auto Expo every alternate year in collaboration with Automotive Component Manufacturers Association, Indian Car Manufacturers the Indian Automobile Manufacturers Association and Confederation of Indian Industries. Auto Expo is perhaps the second largest car Expo slightly behind the one organized by Shanghai in China but attracts almost all the car manufacturers with best technology in different car segments. The last Auto Expo in Delhi brought almost 125 thousands car lovers daily to the venue.
Indians are not only car lovers but they love speed as well and ever since the F1 came to India in 2011 in Buddha International circuit, having the fastest of racing tracks in Greater Noida, an Industrial town in NCR region close to New Delhi. The Indians are buying cars in large numbers and if the increasing number of vehicle registered in Delhi is any proof you can find that in this statistics that number of four wheelers registered in 2015 in Delhi only has crossed 3 million units against a little over 2 million in 2010 so far and still counting despite the fact that the Delhi government has imposed a ban on 2000CC or more diesel cars with immediate effect.
Delhi and other metros of India have been organizing vintage car rallies for long time now. February 2015 saw a grand vintage car rally that took off with a 21 guns’ salute. There were 135 cars including a Rolls Royce 1912 model in that rally organized by 21 Gun Salute, the lavish retro dining spot that mainly serves Indian food and Heritage Motoring Club of India.
The Story of Indian Motorbikes
The story of two wheelers, which fascinated youth of this country in for long time, is very interesting is picking up at a fast rate. The story of Indian automobile especially the motorbikes begins from 1950 as the Indian Army and police needed more vehicles but then there were no auto manufacturers in India but we imported them from England and later began assembling them at Madras (Chennai).
The first motorbike assembled in India was Royal Enfield-350 CC that still remains one of the most prestigious brands in Indian market although lot sleeker and light weighted compared to original model. With arrival of Lembretta scooter in India the people that wanted something in lighter category which encouraged Vespa from Italy later as Bajaj in collaboration with Bajaj group became one of the most popular among Indian users.
After that many more brands introduced their brands namely, Yamaha, Honda, Hero with different Japanese groups and their own brands. But the real two wheeler story changed in the year 2000 with introduction of Pulsar by Bajaj group which is still the most preferred bike of Indian youth followed by Discover also from Bajaj group, Thunderbird by Royal Enfield, Gixxer by Suzuki, Activa by Honda etc and innumerous other brands by different manufacturers.
The famous British brand Triumph has launched its 1699 CC bike Cruiser for INR 1.6 million ($25,000+) and this is not the first bike of its kind in Indian market but Kawasaki, Harley Davidson, Ducati Honda, Benelli etc all have made their presence felt with Indian motorcycle lovers.
The Story of Indian Jewelry Market
Jewelry has always been the part of Indian society. The gold rate going constantly down India’s import is likely to reach 1,000 tons by the year end as the marriage and festive season increases the demand. We have solid proofs that Indians have been using gold, pearls, diamonds and other precious stones as jewelry and the Indian jewelry history dates back to 3000 BC.
Before going into detail of Indian society’ interest in Gold and jewelry one must know that India was divided into hundreds of different states and small kingdoms ruled by different dynasties as monarchies having entirely different cultures and tastes. Every single state had its own lifestyle as that reflected in their jewelry’s designs as well.
For instance, the jewelry in Punjab and J&K is different from Bihar and Bengal. The silver filigree work of Andhra and the jewelry of tribal Orissa are different from Rajasthan's enameling work. Uttar Pradesh is famous for Brass and German silver wares and Delhi area is known for pure gold jewelry.
Indian jewelry and precious stone is one of the fastest growing industries during last couple of decades. India imports tones of gold but exports jewelry to entire world market. According to the world gold council India is second largest importer of gold but Indian jewelry industry is playing a big role in growing its economy especially in earning foreign currency. As per the jewelry industry sources the Indian jewel and gem industry is expected to grow to the tune of $50 billion from current $35 Billion.
The Indian government has taken steps to encourage jewelry and precious stone industry that is already providing employment to almost 3 million people and is capable of adjusting 2 million more in next few years. At the present rate of growth the Indian Gem and Jewelry Industry is expected to double within 2-3 years. Overall the Indian gem and jewelry industry is contributing 5-7% to Indian gross domestic product.
According to the Associated Chambers of Commerce of India the branded jewelry market is growing at a considerable rate and has captured almost 20% market share and expected to reach to 30% by 2020. The online Indian jewelry business share at present worth $200 million is expected to grow at the rate of 50 to 60% per year.
The First Phone call made : Hello India !
Mobile phones have become a very basic commodity now-a-days. Even a very common man can be seen conversing on a mobile phone, but this was not the same two decades before from now. It was in 31st July 1995 that the first cellular call was made in India, the then union communications minister, Sukh Ram, dialled from the Department of Telecommunications in Delhi and spoke to the West Bengal Chief minister, Jyoti Basu, at Writer’s Building in Calcutta and today we stand here with more than 900 million mobile phone subscribers and we are the second largest mobile phone market in the world just after China which is leading the mobile phone market with more than 1100 million subscribers. The mobile phone which was used to make the call was Nokia 2110 weighing about half-a-pound which was much heavier than the mobile phones which we use now-a-days.
Mobile phones as a luxury : Late 1990’s
In the initial years there were very few mobile phone users and the commodity was restricted in the hands of upper classes; the reason probably being the high tariff rates per minute. The tariff rates were as high as Rs 16 to Rs 25 per minute in those years in addition to that you were also charged for the incoming calls on your mobile phone. It was only under the government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee that finally in 1999, the government decided to open the stake to private enterprises and stopped charging a license fee from telecom operators. The cost of mobile phones in those days was around 20000 to 50000 which were clearly beyond the reach of any common man.
The changing trend : Mobile phones a basic commodity !
The first mobile phone production in India on a big scale was done by Motorola and the first cell phone network was Modi Telstra’s MobileNet service in Calcutta. After which several mobile phone companies joined the race and MobileNet disappeared from the Indian market. Around 1999 Nokia had the largest market share in India followed by Motorola and other companies. Nokia launched its first Smartphone with a touch screen which was Nokia 7710 in 2004. Soon after, it was Samsung to introduce its first touch screen mobile phone Samsung Behold SGH-T919. After that Samsung launched several mobile phones in the market and grabbed the major portion of Indian market away from Nokia. Even today majority of the portion of mobile phone market is owned by Samsung followed by previous leader Nokia. It was after several Indian companies like Lava, Karbonn and Micromax came up and gave a touch competition that the companies like Nokia and Samsung were forced to manufacture handsets which would be cheap and easily affordable. Now you can buy a brand new Smartphone at a price of Rs 4000.
Conclusion
The Indian mobile phone market has changed for the good. We hope there are more radical changes in the mobile phone market which will make the mobile phones available to weakest sections of the society.
Till a few decades back energy in India meant electrical energy generated by employing hydro, thermal and nuclear sources. India is blessed with ample hydro and thermal reserves in form of rivers and one of the world's largest deposits of coal respectively. Since independence large number of dams have been built across rivers all over India beginning with Bhakra Dam in Punjab. Equally there are large number of power houses running on thermal energy released by burning coal. Today huge quantities of higher quality coal are imported from Indonesia and Australia to meet the ever increasing demands from new power stations. Another fuel which has become increasingly available is natural gas which is supplied to power houses for electricity generation.
However there is a free resource available for power generation throughout the world. It is wind energy. Today wind energy is being harnessed to run wind turbines and generate power. In course of time wind power is going to become important as it is also non polluting in nature. Let us examine the various aspects of utilization of wind energy.
Current Power Scenario in india :
The need for electricity exists in all sections of the society ranging from domestic to farming to industry to street lighting etc. Even after 67 years of independence there is a significant unfulfilled demand by consumers all over the country. Only Gujarat claims to have developed a supply scenario where electricity is available on a 24x7 basis to consumers. We are all aware of severe power cuts for a number of hours, in almost all states during the summer months, when demand for power is at its peak. Hydro power stations face severe shortage of water during summer especially if the previous monsoon has been less than normal. Thermal power stations are faced with supply of poor quality coal containing very high percent of ash, which leads to increased cost of power generation. Natural gas is a clean source but its supply is very limited.
Electricity is the prime component in the energy scenario of India. During 2009-10, in normal times the shortage in electric supply vs demand was around 10.1% equivalent to around 83, 950 MW and in peak demand periods the shortage rises to around 13.3%. The power deficit is increasing every year. India's electrical consumption has shown an average rise of 7.3% per year. The demand is highest from the industrial sector followed by domestic, agriculture and commercial consumers. The per capita electricity consumption has increased from 178 kWh in 1985-86 to more than 846 kWh presently, even though it is still low by international standards.
The target set for capacity addition during the 11th Five Year Plan was 78,700 MW, in which thermal power was to contribute 76%, hydro 20% and nuclear 4%. It is estimated that only around 55,000 MW was added compounding the shortages further.
The total installed electricity generation capacity has increased from 16,271 MW in to 2,37,742 MW in February, 2014. It is the fourth largest in the world. This is an average growth rate of around 6.60% per year. The thermal power plants account for 59%, hydro power plants 17%, renewable energy 12%, natural gas for about 9% and nuclear power 2,02% of the installed capacity.
Resources for Power Generation:
As of 31.03.2012, in India the estimated reserves of coal was 294 billion tons, lignite reserves were 42 billion tons, crude oil reserves were 760 million tons and the natural gas reserves were around 1330 billion cubic meters.
The total potential for renewable power generation in the country as on 31.03.12 is estimated at 89,774 MW. This includes wind power potential of 49,130 MW (54.73%), SHP (small-hydro power) potential of 15,399 MW (17.15%), Biomass power potential of 17,538 MW(19.54%) and 5,000 MW (5.57%) from bagasse-based cogeneration in sugar mills.
The renewable power generated and fed into the power grids of the country was 29,500 MW in December, 2013 registering nearly 24% annual growth rates. It consisted of app. 69.65% from wind power, 13.63% from small hydro power and 12.58% from biomass power.
The non-renewable installed power capacity is around 87.55% and renewable power installed capacity is 12.45%.
Wind Power in India :
It is estimated that as of January 31, 2014 the total installed power capacity of non-conventional renewable technologies was 31,150 MW about 13.32% of the total installed capacity. Out of this wind energy accounted for 20,299 MW equivalent to 65% of the installed capacity. India has the fifth largest wind power capacity in the world accounting for nearly 6% of India's total power capacity and 1.6% of its power output.
The development of wind power in India was pioneered by Tamil Nadu Electricity Board in 1990 by setting up a wind farm near Tuticorin. Since then other states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Rajasthan have taken to installing wind power facilities. Tamil Nadu has a share of nearly 40% in the country's wind power generation.
As of December 31,2013, Tamil Nadu had 7154 MW, Gujarat had 3093 MW, Maharashtra had 2976 MW, Karnataka had 2113 MW, Rajasthan had 2355 MW, MP had 355 MW, AP had 435 MW and Kerala had 35 MW installed wind power capacity. It is planned to add an additional of 6,000 MW by end 2014.
How does a wind turbine generate power ?
It basically captures the energy of the moving air and converts it into electricity. Most turbines have three aerodynamically designed blades over which wind passes creating lift which then causes the rotor to rotate. The rotating blades in turn spin a shaft 30-60 times a minute. This low speed shaft is connected through a gear box to a high speed shaft which is made to rotate at 1000-1800 rotations per minute. This high speed shaft is connected to a generator and it produces power, which goes onto a transformer that converts it into the right voltage for feeding into the electricity grid.
Wind speeds between 4 - 25 meters per second are suitable for producing energy. The turbine is not run if wind speeds exceed 25 meters per second as it can cause damage to it. In general higher wind speeds produce more energy. Larger the blade radius more the power that can be generated. Higher air density exerts more lift on the rotor and is the main reason why wind turbines are located near sea levels rather than at elevations where air is relatively lighter and will produce less power.
Wind Energy Potential :
A 120 meter diameter rotor will produce at on shore location and at 4 meter per second wind speed, 420 MWh power at 0 altitude vs 7134 MWh at 25 meter per second wind speed. Same rotor at offshore location will produce 804 MWh power vs 15280 MWh at 0 altitude. It is estimated that an 1,00,000 MW of wind power can produce same amount of electricity over a year as 62 coal power plants or 39 nuclear plants or 52 gas power plants and meet the consumption of nearly 57 million households. Offshore wind power generation is a developing and challenging opportunity being pursued with vigour because of its higher power generation capabilities. It involves setting up of wind turbines on towers in the sea.
Advantages of Wind Power :
Wind energy is a non polluting way of producing electricity. As no fossil fuel is burned, no carbon dioxide/carbon monoxide and particulate matter is released into the atmosphere. It is thus a green form of electricity. For every kWh of power produced 696 g of CO2 is avoided. Increasingly onshore wind energy is becoming competitive with fossil fuel especially when carbon dioxide disadvantage costs are offset.
Wind does not cost and is available without being controlled by any person or nations unlike fossil fuels.
Global Scenario :
The total installed wind power installed capacity at the end of 2012 was 2,82,482 MW with major installations in Asia and Europe accounting for 73%. China's installed capacity was 75,564 MW largest in the world. USA with 60,000 MW is second and Germany with 31,332 MW and Spain with 22,796 MW are at number three and four. India with 18,421 MW is at number five. The top ten countries account for nearly 86% of the installed capacity.
About 75 countries are generating wind power and 22 of them have crossed 1GW level. The annual growth rate is around 10%. In 2012 US installed 13,124 MW of wind power. China also installed almost same capacity. India installed 2,300 MW capacity. Europe installed nearly 12,000 MW capacity.
In Denmark 26% of electricity demand is met by wind power and is likely to go up to 50% by 2025. Currently the figure is 16% in Spain, 12% in Ireland and 11% in Germany. The European Union power sector is seriously moving away from fuel oil and coal with increased investments in wind energy. Around total of 8% of EU's total power generation will be from wind energy with higher figures by individual countries.
A total of 418 offshore wind turbines were set up in Europe in 2013 capable of generating 1,567 MW of power and raising the total offshore wind power capacity to 6,562 MW. The number of offshore wind turbines is now 2,080 numbers with average capacity being 4 MW.
At the end of 2012,it is estimated that a total of 2,25,000 wind turbines are in operation. Nearly 50,000 of these are installed in China and its growth rate is nearly 40% per year.
Around 2.5% of the global electricity is supplied by wind power and in can go up to 8- 12 % by 2020. It is estimated that 6 MW offshore wind turbine can supply power to 5,500 houses in European Union. A wind turbine has 8,000 parts and the largest wind turbine has a blade diameter of 150.8 meters.
Every year June 15 is celebrated as the Wind Day
Wind Power Challenges ;
Wind power costs between 4-6 cents per kilowatt-hour. Its initial cost is high and transmission costs are also to be incurred as wind turbines are located at remote places. It has to compete with conventional power generation technologies. Although wind power plants have no impact on the environment but the rotor noise is a cause of concern. Also the environmental aesthetics can be aissue if these are to be located near to cities or towns. Some times birds get killed because of the rotors.
Some of the major companies involved in wind turbine manufacture are GE Wind, Enercon, Gamesa, Vestaa and Suzlon. Chinese manufacturers are giving severe competition to German companies.
Conclusion:
Wind power capacity should grow by leaps and bounds in India. It has a very long coast line and both on shore and offshore wind turbines can be erected. India has to import more than 70% of its fuel requirements and quality of coal is also not good necessitating import of coal to run power stations. Hydro power capacity is almost achieved and there is resistance to new dams.
Renewable energy sources like wind, solar, tidal and biomass will be increasingly utilized. Of these the most widely employed is wind energy. That a large number of countries are involved in its use and development shows its potential. India is today has the fifth largest capacity and if China is a reference than India has lot of potential to catch up. This non polluting energy source can over a period of say five decades contribute nearly 25% of our electricity needs. Together with solar energy, wind energy can ba major raw materials to generate electricity in India in the near and distant future.
India's wind god Maruti's blessings are always available.
After work shift, it’s already late. A single rest day is Sunday. Then where is the time to do shopping for interior decoration of the new home? If we give the assignment to buy interior decoration material to someone else, it may never match our tastes and colour shades. Then what’s the solution if you want to see that job done so easy and quick? Is your mind wandering here and there without reaching any conclusions? If so, solution is just in your finger tips. Take your mouse and go to some online decor shop and purchase what you really need. If so, you can do your shopping even at midnight and no need to wait for the shop to open the next day. When we use computers and internet for all our daily activities, why can't we use them a little wise to purchase something really economic? Just have a look to know about the basics of online shopping and how to keep ourselves distant from those false traps.
Online shopping is vast and choices are many
Many genuine websites are there where you can do purchase online. In those vast items displayed you can choose what you really want as you desire. Purchase of Interior decorative, soft furnishing materials or furniture – nothing is impossible if you are willing to do online shopping. Most online shopping websites give an exclusive section related to home and home decor. Curtains, bed sheets, rug, potpourri, lamp shades, kitchen accessories, interior decorative and anything related to home decoration is available on net now. Suppose you want to give a surprise gift for your friend on his house warming ceremony. Even if you can’t reach there at right time, the gift will surely be delivered there on the spot. Thus you can save the time to search a particular gift from a shop too. If you give the correct address of your friend, the gift will reach his home.
First needed is to decide what type of object you want to purchase online. Then you can choose colour, brand, price etc as you desired. Almost all prominent interior shops provide facilities for online purchasing too. Now it’s also possible to choose international brands if you wish so. Online shopping has both advantages as well as disadvantages. So, be careful while purchasing products online. Yet, we can’t deny the fact that online shopping gives you more choices and saves your time and money both.
Shopping with a single click
Almost all commonly available products can be purchased online. You can purchase them at anytime you wish – either at midnight or while on an important tour. Time is surely yours! You can visit websites at anytime, read specifications and purchase only if they match your wish. That’s the biggest advantage of online shopping. These facts definitely attract more costumers towards this virtual media of purchasing.
Normally credit card or net banking facility is used for the transfer of money. Certain websites provide the facility of ‘Cash on delivery’ too and among all those money transferring facilities, this one looks better and less risky too. You need to pay cash only when the product is delivered to your home and you are satisfied with its specifications and features. In some websites, installment facility to give cash is also available.
A little care, but maximum benefit
Another advantage of online shopping is that you can save money. But you need to be a bit patient and take a little care too. For a particular product you can visit numerous websites and find those sites that give discounts for the product. You can make use of those discounts and save your money too. Beneath each product, both maximum retail price and discount rate will be given separately. Not only that, discount rate given on a particular day of a week may be more comparing other days. If you closely watch the discount rate of a particular website for a few days, you can easily find the day on which purchase is economic. If so you can place your order that day. If you have started constructing your home, you can closely observe the websites for a few days or weeks and can really save a big amount by making your purchase on the most economic day. You can make purchases in small lots.
Price may vary according to the sites. So, you need to compare the prices of different sites before committing a purchase. On almost all festival seasons websites give festival offers and in some cases, websites may keep a separate section for discounts only. Companies are able to deliver the product directly to customer’s hands. That’s why online shopping is economic. It also reduces the commissions to be carried out through the product chain and reduce showroom rent, space and other bills. It saves a lot of difficulties and expenses of starting a new showroom at a particular place and that’s the main reason why most companies promote online shopping by giving a little discount.
If you want to purchase the product directly from market, shops/companies also provide you the list of their collections and specifications of their products through their websites. Websites and companies should be genuine – that’s most important.
Product details are important
Price of a product and its discount (if available), along with its name are the factors that are displayed first in the web pages. But you should have a clear idea of its dimensions and specifications before you proceed further. It’s always better you pre-decide the size, length, height and colour shades of your interior products before starting a search online. It’s also possible to know different models available through various websites.
If you want to make a purchase on upholstery or furnishing, you should have a clear idea on what type of cloth you need. If you are not satisfied, you can fold it back, return and order a new one – certain websites give you such provisions too. But delivery of the exchanged product may take a little time. In the product list, it will also be noted how many days will be taken to deliver the product.
Another important fact to note – You need to ensure if the company has provisions to deliver the product where you stay. You can enter your pin code in the website to know if company can deliver the product at your residence or office from which you can collect it. Though almost all leading companies of India have given provisions for online purchases, they may not be able to deliver the products in a remote village or town. Ordered products are normally delivered by websites through courier service. You should also note, through which courier service the website is sending you the product. If service of that courier service is not available in your area, delivery of the product may be difficult. When you purchase a product, you should note the office address. It’s equally important to know if the company guarantees site delivery of the product.
Most websites give provisions for user comments. Before ordering a product, take a little time to read the comments posted by the customers. When you purchase for the first time, buy only less cost things to avoid risk. For the first few purchases, cash on delivery option is simply the best. Choose websites that are popular and those you or your friends have experienced before. It’s always a nice idea to collect information and opinions from your friends before you purchase something online.
You can purchase any product you desire. But you should know its actual details and real price. It’s also possible to make a call before you order a product. If so, it’s possible to know if that shop exists or not and whether contact numbers and details given are viable. Compare the price with a few more shops also.
Need a little bit caution!
A lot of hidden traps are waiting online for foolish victims. You need to follow a website only if information given is correct and clear. Unknown websites may be hidden traps also. Websites with spelling mistakes is the trade mark of fake sites. If you see unbelievable price discounts, never make quick decisions. For money transaction processes, never follow links from your email. For mails that display IP address only, never respond. For example, if mails come from addresses like 102.99.60, never click those links.
For all legit sites, privacy policy will definitely be found. You should also ensure if sites are not adding extra charges along with the price of the product. It’s always better to use distinct transaction passwords for different sites. Change those passwords frequently for your safety too. Once you have placed an online order, take a print out or screen shot of purchasing code, date and time. In case you didn’t get the product within the promised time, it helps you to contact customer care later. Are you still hesitated in taking your mouse in your hand? Just go for an online shopping and purchase whatever you want to make your dream home appear so beautiful.
Image source: Wikipedia
For long India had just 3 car models available namely the Ambassador, the Fiat 1100D and the Standard Herald. The last fell by the way side early on and for next 3 decades there was no innovation in India. The car industry had become moribund. We used to see pictures of imported cars and were happy with it.
The government finally woke up and introduced the Maruti Suzuki. This was the brainchild of Sanjay Gandhi, but he died in an aircrash. The car however changed the concept of the auto in India and within a decade the greatest names in the car industry like Honda,Skoda, Ford among others entered the car scenario in India. One of the cars which entered the higher spectrum in terms of cost was the Skoda. It initially launched 3 models namely the Octavia, Laura and Superb. The cheapest Skoda at that time was over Rs 14 lakh. I was interested in a Skoda and bought a Octavia through the Military Canteen Stores. I got it a little cheaper, but still cost me plenty. I was delighted with the car and settled for a flame red colour.
I was extremely happy with car which ran excellently. It was a powerful car and I used it for long drives. The Skoda is a German Czeck car and during the war churned out tanks. This has rubbed off on the Skoda and it is now a byword for ruggedness and reliability. The car is a large sedan and is roomy as well as luxurious. In Mumbai, the financial capital of India the Skoda cars occupy pride of place.
Even during my visit to London, I have seen innumerable Skoda cars, but strangely I haven't seen a single Skoda in Abu Dhabi. Well friends, this post is just to express my liking for the Skoda. Its fine car and now I think I will go in for a later model
Photo of my skoda by me