Monish,
Real estate in Bombay is rumored to be more expensive than New York City and US CLI numbers are not based on selective sampling of New York City. Bombay is really an exception.
Calcutta indeed is much cheaper. Not sure why, but I am glad that it is. :-)
As for dual income families, they are definitely not a majority when you consider the entire population distribution, but when you consider the mid-35s and below, the situation is different. And rememeber, the younger folks are the ones more suceptible to consumerism.
As for computer buyers, I hear that the mobile phone industry had significantly more success in the suburban towns which are based in industrial development zones. I think that you have missed that segment. Which, though, should not change the numbers that much. Maybe the total should come to 40 MM new buyers for the home market.
Now factor in government and corporate buys. I know that the West Bengal State Govt. is transforming it's ledger-based systems to computers. The Indian Railway Board has been a huge customer as well. Foreign MNCs in India of course have imported the computer-and-cube concept as well. These are of course only a few examples.
And, with technology comes grwoth and expansion of the middle class, a virtuous cycle so I remain optimistic. And this is not about selling computers to India. This is about India.
-BGR.
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