• The ASI’s monuments in India are doing brisk business as both Indians and foreigners flock to sample India’s history and culture. Revenues from tickets at monuments rose by about 12% to Rs 87 crore in 2010-11.

    Taj Mahal, Shah Jahan’s tribute to his wife Mumtaz Mahal, is the country’s top tourist attraction. The data from Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on revenue from entrance fees at Indian monuments owned by the government, shows that Taj Mahal alone grossed around 23% of the total earnings for in 2010-11, at about Rs 20 crore.

  • Private airlines called off their proposed strike on August 18. The Federation of Indian Airlines made no mention on its website of the strike or it being called off. A Reuters report quoted a statement by FIA saying that the airlines were calling off the strike as the government had asked them to come for talks.

  • The government is readying for elections. It has announced the final round of its fiscal stimulus package. With no signs of the measures taken till now leading to a recovery, the government is throwing everything it can at the slowdown. And, then it will leave the next government to clean up the mess –falling tax revenues, growing fiscal deficit and an economy that refuses to be kickstarted.
     

  • The government gave oil marketing companies something to cheer before they prepare the third quarter’s results. They have got bonds to compensate them for the losses incurred on selling retail petroleum products like PDS kerosene and LPG. Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation and Bharat Petroleum Corporation have been issued bonds worth Rs 22,000 crore, with the companies getting 54.4%, 24.2% and 21.3% respectively.
     

  • Indians like to shop with their family. Well, anyone could tell you that, you don’t need McKinsey & Co for this. The consultancy’s recent report on how people shop for clothes in India, Brazil, and China (they have surveyed Russia too, but not in particular for apparel) says just that. Research firms like Technopak have done more in-depth and better studies in this segment.