Tata Motors recorded a 49.05 percent increase in its total sales during the month of June. The company sold 67,730 units compared to 45,440 units in the same month last year. Tata Motors cheapest car Nano witnessed a sale of 7,704 in June. Total passenger vehicle sale rose 63.22 percent from 17,039 units in June 2009 to 27,811 units in June 2010. However, Indica registered a sale of 9,036 units, which is 12 percent less than last year June sale.

The company’s exports increased over two-fold to 5,128 units in June 2010 from 2,156 units recorded in the same month last year. Indigo family witnessed a sale of 7,502 units. This is an increase of 113 percent over the same month last year. Sumo and Safari reported a sale of 3,602 units, an increase of 9 percent compared to the previous year.

Overall, commercial vehicle segment in the domestic market was up by 32.52 percent from 26,254 units sold in the same month last year to 34,791 units sold in June 2010. Light commercial vehicles sales increased 21 percent to 19,652 units in June 2010. While medium and heavy commercial vehicle sales increased 52 percent and stood at 15,139 units this year.

India ranks 13th in the residential sector in terms of price rise for the fiscal 2009-10. Property consultancy firm Knight Frank, surveyed over 47 countries, and found that more than half (53 percent) had witnessed price increase in the residential segment. China topped this list. According to Knight Frank Head of Residential Research Liam Bailey, “Growth has been driven by a confluence of factors: low interest rates, first-time buyer concessions, strong population growth and a lagging supply response. However, with interest rates now rising, the government withdrawing stimulus and the supply response picking up, we expect house price growth to slow over the next six to nine months.”

India recorded a growth of 8.4 percent in 2009-10 when compared to the previous year. China topped the list with a growth of 68 percent. Bailey added that, “A recovery in the global housing market is undoubtedly underway. In Q1 2009, 33 per cent of the countries recorded positive annual growth. In Q1 2010, this figure was closer to 53 per cent but still some way off the figure of 90 per cent recorded in Q1 2006.”

Next to China, Hong Kong took the place with 30.6 percent growth, followed by Singapore (24.3 percent), Australia (20 percent) and Israel (15.9 percent). Asia-Pacific region saw the strongest growth, with prices increasing by 17.8 percent on an average. China, Hong Kong and Singapore registered an annual growth over 24 percent. The countries which saw a drop in price by more than 30 percent were Lithuania, Ukraine and Estonia.

The six core infrastructure industries – crude, petroleum refining, coal, electricity, cement and finished steel – posted a 5 percent growth in the month of May as against 3.2 percent in the same month last year. However, when compared to the previous month, it showed a marginal decline of 0.40 percent.

Petroleum refinery output reported a good growth. In May it registered a growth of 7.7 percent as against a negative growth of 4.3 percent in May 2009. Crude oil production also rose 5.8 percent in May as against a negative growth of 4.3 percent last year. Finished steel growth was less when compared to last year’s growth of 2.8 percent. This May finished steel grew only by 2.5 percent.

Coal production was lowest with 0.1 percent increase in May as against a huge growth of 10.4 percent the same month last year. Cement production also slowed down in May. In May 2009 cement production grew by 11.8 percent but this year it registered a growth of only 8.6 percent. Electricity generation more than doubled at 6.4 percent from 3 percent last year. The first two months this fiscal, the six core sectors witnessed a growth of 5.1 percent as against 3.5 percent in the same month last year.

India has become a lucrative market for multinational food companies. With India being the second fastest growing economy, companies do not want to miss this golden opportunity to take a share in this boom. Companies are accelerating investments, pushing distribution and fine-tuning strategies to capture the huge middle income population. Major companies such as Unilever, Nestle, Procter & Gamble, GlaxoSmithKline, Kellogg’s and Yum! Foods have named India as a critical market as sales from US and Europe have been stagnant.

Frits van Dijk, Nestle SA’s head of Zone Asia, Africa and Oceania announced in an investors’ conference that the company would invest about 1.5 billion Swiss francs ($1.35 billion) in India, Brazil, Russia and China between 2010 and 2012. Nestlé touched over 2.2 million Indian customers last year. It plans to set up a new research and development centre in India in 2012.

Yum! Brands Inc, which owns KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurant chains, plans to invest $100 to $120 million in India. The company said they plan to open 1,000 restaurants employing around 50,000 people by 2015. The company expects a profit of $100 million from India by 2015.

World’s largest cereal maker Kellogg’s international business head Paul Norman said, “India was set to become the capital of heart health and diabetes over the next decade and the company would use its brands to build its presence in India, France and Mexico.”

P&G plans to target one billion new customers by 2015 from India and China. One of the company’s spokeswoman said, “The bigger picture here is that there are almost seven billion people in the world today and we reach only half of those. As we strive to serve the remainder of the world’s consumers, India becomes an important destination.” GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare plans to invest over Rs.270 in India over the next 3 years. Unilever also plans to focus on the Indian market.