India

GDP growth was important in 2005 but the economic activity may slow down in 2006. GDP growth was 6.9% in 2004, 7.1% in 2005. The IMF forecasts a 6.3% growth in 2006. Most of the other economic indicators are favourable. Public funds are the economy's main difficulty: public debt accounts for 90% of the GDP and its dynamic is unsustainable in the mid-term. Furthermore, despite good economic results, India remains a poor country where one fourth of the population live below the poverty threshold, that's why the government launched an investment program to improve infrastructures.

India is the world's fourth agricultural power. Agriculture provides about 22% of the GDP and employs almost two thirds of the active population. With the largest livestock in the world, India is one of the world's very leading producers of milk, fruits, vegetables, wheat, rice, tea, cotton and sugar. Ore and raw materials resources are important. Coal is the country's main energy source (India is the fourth largest world producer of coal). In the manufacturing industry, textile plays a predominant role. Chemical industry is the second big industrial sector (12% of the GDP). New technologies sector is also expanding: high-tech services, especially computing development are exported on a large scale.

India's influence in world-wide trade remains low and represents less than 1% of the world's exports. India's main trade partners are the United States, the United Arab Emirates and China. The country mainly exports jewels (83% of diamonds sold in the world are cut in India), fabrics, clothes, leather and carpets. It mainly imports oil, precious stones, chemical products and computer equipment.