Millennium Development Goals The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight international development goals that all

193 United Nations member states and at least 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve by the year 2015. They include eradicating extreme poverty, reducing child mortality rates, fighting disease epidemics such as AIDS, and developing a global partnership for development.[1] Background The aim of the MDGs is to encourage development by improving social and economic conditions in the world's poorest countries. They derive from earlier international development targets,[2] and were officially established following the Millennium Summit in 2000, where all world leaders present adopted the United Nations Millennium Declaration. The Millennium Summit was presented with the report of the Secretary-General entitled We the Peoples: The Role of the United Nations in the Twenty-First Century.[3] Additional input was prepared by the Millennium Forum, which brought together representatives of over 1,000 nongovernmental and civil society organisations from more than 100 countries. The Forum met in May 2000 to conclude a two-year consultation process covering issues such as poverty eradication, environmental protection, human rights and protection of the vulnerable. The approval of the MDGs was possibly the main outcome of the Millennium Summit. In the area of peace and security, the adoption of the Brahimi Report was seen as properly equipping the organization to carry out the mandates given by the Security Council.[ ideas behind the MDG The percentage of the world's population living in extreme poverty has halved since 1981. The graph shows estimates and projections from the World Bank 19812009. Most of this improvement has occurred in East and South Asia. The MDGs originated from the Millennium Declaration produced by the United Nations. The Declaration asserts that every individual has the right to dignity, freedom, equality, a basic standard of living that includes freedom from hunger and violence, and encourages tolerance and solidarity.[4] The MDGs were made to operationalize these ideas by setting targets and indicators for poverty reduction in order to achieve the rights set forth in the Declaration on a set fifteen-year timeline.[4][5] The Millennium Declaration was, however, only part part of the origins of the MDGs. It came about from not just the UN but also the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The setting came about through a series of UN-led conferences in the 1990s focusing on issues such as children, nutrition, human rights, women and others Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education

Target 2A: By 2015, all children can complete a full course of primary schooling, girls and boys o Enrollment in primary education o Completion of primary education o Literacy of 15-24 year olds, female and male[14]

Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women

Target 3A: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005, and at all levels by 2015 o Ratios of girls to boys in primary, secondary and tertiary education o Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector o Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament[15]

Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability

Target 7A: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programs; reverse loss of environmental resources Target 7B: Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss o Proportion of land area covered by forest o CO2 emissions, total, per capita and per $1 GDP (PPP) o Consumption of ozone-depleting substances o Proportion of fish stocks within safe biological limits o Proportion of total water resources used o Proportion of terrestrial and marine areas protected o Proportion of species threatened with extinction Target 7C: Halve, by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation (for more information see the entry on water supply) o Proportion of population with sustainable access to an improved water source, urban and rural o Proportion of urban population with access to improved sanitation Target 7D: By 2020, to have achieved a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum-dwellers o Proportion of urban population living in slums[19]

oal 8: Develop a global partnership for development

Target 8A: Develop further an open, rule-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial system o Includes a commitment to good governance, development, and poverty reduction both nationally and internationally Target 8B: Address the Special Needs of the Least Developed Countries (LDC) o Includes: tariff and quota free access for LDC exports; enhanced programme of debt relief for HIPC and cancellation of official bilateral debt; and more generous ODA (Overseas Development Assistance) for countries committed to poverty reduction Target 8C: Address the special needs of landlocked developing countries and small island developing States o Through the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States and the outcome of the twenty-second special session of the General Assembly Target 8D: Deal comprehensively with the debt problems of developing countries through national and international measures in order to make debt sustainable in the long term o Some of the indicators listed below are monitored separately for the least developed countries (LDCs), Africa, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States. o Official development assistance (ODA): Net ODA, total and to LDCs, as percentage of OECD/DAC donors GNI Proportion of total sector-allocable ODA of OECD/DAC donors to basic social services (basic education, primary health care, nutrition, safe water and sanitation) Proportion of bilateral ODA of OECD/DAC donors that is untied ODA received in landlocked countries as proportion of their GNIs ODA received in small island developing States as proportion of their GNIs o Market access: Proportion of total developed country imports (by value and excluding arms) from developing countries and from LDCs, admitted free of duty Average tariffs imposed by developed countries on agricultural products and textiles and clothing from developing countries Agricultural support estimate for OECD countries as percentage of their GDP Proportion of ODA provided to help build trade capacity o Debt sustainability:

Total number of countries that have reached their HIPC decision points and number that have reached their HIPC completion points (cumulative) Debt relief committed under HIPC initiative, US$ Debt service as a percentage of exports of goods and services Target 8E: In co-operation with pharmaceutical companies, provide access to affordable, essential drugs in developing countries o Proportion of population with access to affordable essential drugs on a sustainable basis Target 8F: In co-operation with the private sector, make available the benefits of new technologies, especially information and communications o Telephone lines and cellular subscribers per 100 population o Personal computers in use per 100 population o Internet users per 100 Population[20]

Debate surrounding the MDGs Drawbacks of the MDGs include the lack of analytical power and justification behind the chosen objectives.[5] The MDGs leave out important ideals, such as the lack of strong objectives and indicators for equality, which is considered by many scholars to be a major flaw of the MDGs due to the disparities of progress towards poverty reduction between groups within nations.[4][5] The MDGs also lack a focus on local participation and empowerment (excluding womens empowerment) [Deneulin & Shahani 2009]. The MDGs also lack an emphasis on sustainability, making their future after 2015 questionable.[5] Thus, while the MDGs are a tool for tracking progress toward basic poverty reduction and provide a very basic policy road map to achieving these goals, they do not capture all elements needed to achieve the ideals set out in the Millennium Declaration.[4] Another criticism of the MDGs is the difficulty or lack of measurements for some of the goals. Progress Progress towards reaching the goals has been uneven. Some countries have achieved many of the goals,[24] while others are not on track to realize any.[25] The major countries that have been achieving their goals include China (whose poverty population has reduced from 452 million to 278 million) and India due to clear internal and external factors of population and economic development.[26] However, areas needing the most reduction, such as the Sub-Saharan Africa regions have yet to make any drastic changes in improving their quality of life Review Summit 2010 A major conference was held at UN headquarters in New York on 2022 September 2010 to review progress to date, with five years left to the 2015 deadline. The conference concluded with the adoption of a global action plan to achieve the eight antipoverty goals by their 2015 target date. There were also major new commitments on women's and children's health, and major new initiatives in the worldwide battle against poverty, hunger and disease. Blue chip company What Does Blue Chip Mean? A nationally recognized, well-established and financially sound company. Blue chips generally sell high-quality, widely accepted products and services. Blue chip companies are known to weather downturns and operate profitably in the face of adverse economic conditions, which helps to contribute to their long record of stable and reliable growth.

Investopedia explains Blue Chip The name "blue chip" came about because in the game of poker the blue chips have the highest value.

Blue chip stocks are seen as a less volatile investment than owning shares in companies without blue chip status because blue chips have an institutional status in the economy. Investors may buy blue chip companies to provide steady growth in their portfolios. The stock price of a blue chip usually closely follows the S&P 500.

Origination As befits the high-risk nature of stock picking, "blue chip" derives from poker. The simplest sets of poker betting discs include white, red, and blue chips, with tradition dictating that the blues are highest in value. If a white chip is worth $1, a red is usually worth $5, and a blue $10. The etymology may come from the color's royal lineagean aristocrat is known as a "blue blood". Blue blood is a translation of the Spanish phrase sangre azul, which described the Spanish royal family and other high nobility who claimed to be of Visigothic descent, in contrast to the Moors.[3] The phrase was coined by Oliver Gingold of Dow Jones sometime in 1923 or 1924. Company folklore recounts that the term apparently got its start when Gingold was standing by the stock ticker at the brokerage firm that later became Merrill Lynch. Noticing several trades at USD$200 or USD$250 a share or more, he said to Lucien Hooper of W.E. Hutton & Co. that he intended to return to the office to "write about these blue-chip stocks." Thus the phrase was born. It has been in use ever since, originally in reference to high-priced stocks, more commonly used today to refer to high-quality stocks.[4] In contemporary media, Blue Chips and their daily performances are frequently mentioned alongside other economic averages like the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Characteristics UBS Financial Services, Inc. chose companies that have at least four of the six following characteristics to be considered a blue chip:

rated Buy by the Sponsor (See "UBS Investment Research Ratings System" in the prospectus); market capitalization in excess of $5 billion; financial strength, a record of profit growth and reputation for skilled management; established, well-known company considered to be stable and mature with a reputation for providing high quality goods and services; and leader in its market niche. In addition, companies are analyzed for their record of earnings over a relatively long period of time and future potential. Dividend payments, while not required, are considered.
[5]

Other terms that are often used in conjunction with blue chip include "bellwether" and "Market Capitalization." Bellwether is a term used to describe a company that is recognized as the leader in its industry. For example, Microsoft would be considered a bellwether stock for computer software. Large cap is a reference to the size of a company in terms of total market capitalization. Market capitalization is simply calculated by taking the number of shares outstanding and multiplying by the stock's current price per share.[6]

Investing in Blue-chip Stocks What are Blue Chip Stocks?

The stocks of well-established companies, leading in their sector, with consistent profit growth over a long period and steady dividend payment are called "blue chip stocks". The term "blue chip" gets its name from the game of poker where a blue chip has the highest value. Similarly, the stocks of blue-chip companies are highly valued due to their consistent financial soundness. A regular dividend is expected from blue-chip stocks even in bad financial times in the stock market. Blue chip stocks have a lot of prestige as an investment asset class. They are perceived to be the best stock for long-term investment. Blue-chip companies are the leaders in their sector, and are known for their sheer size and reputation - in products, services and company governance. Features of a Blue Chip Company Here are some aspects of a blue-chip company: -

Leaders in their sectors, with significant competitive advantage. Steady earnings over a long period of time. Large market capitalisation. High public confidence due the quality of its products and services. Ability to face both good and bad financial times, including recession.

Blue Chip Stocks Indices around the World Blue chip stock indices include a number of selected blue-chip companies. The indices provide cumulative data such as an index number as well as some individual data on the included companies. Stock market indices exist around the world, indicating top blue chip companies in each sector in their respective countries. Companies are included in a blue chip stock index based on the individual index's criteria. Not only do some of these indices help in making individual investment decisions, but act as the "bellwether" of a nation's economy and an indicator of the value of its leading companies. On investing decisions and deciding which stock pay dividends consistently, referring to the blue chip stock list in a blue chip stock index can help in deciding which blue chip stock to buy. Some of the major blue chip stock market indices are: -

Dow Jones Industrial Average or Dow - The Dow Jones index includes 30 top blue chip stocks companies based in the United States (US). Some of the blue chip companies listed in the Dow are: o Wal-mart (Retail sector) o IBM (Computers and technology) o Intel (Semiconductors) o Coca Cola (Beverages) o Boeing (Aerospace) Standard & Poor's (S& P) 500 - According to its website, S & P 500 is "widely regarded as the best single gauge of the large cap U.S. equities market...the index includes 500 leading companies in leading industries of the U.S. economy, capturing 75% coverage of U.S. equities." A subset of this list is the S&P 100, which includes 100 blue chip companies from this list. Some of the top blue chip companies in S&P 500 are (July 2010): o Exxon Mobil (Energy sector) o Apple Inc. (Information Technology) o Microsoft Corp (IT) o Procter & Gamble (Consumer & staples) o Johnson and Johnson (Healthcare)

Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Sensex - This index includes 30 top Indian blue-chip companies from important sectors in India. Some companies included are: o Reliance Industries Limited (Oil & Gas sector) o Infosys Technologies Limited (IT) o ICICI Bank (Finance) o NTPC (Power) o HDFC (Finance)

Why Invest in Blue Chip Stocks Here are some advantages of investing in blue chip stocks:

The main reason why blue chip shares are much sought after is due to the perception of safety. Blue chip stocks are perceived to be less risky than small caps stocks. The preference for quality among investors is another reason that blue chip stocks are valued. High value blue chip stocks are said to be worth possessing for long-term investment purposes. The prospect of steady dividends, irrespective of market conditions, is a factor of attraction in blue chip stock for investors. They are a preferred choice for those seeking recessionproof investment and are considered to be great dividend stocks. A stock portfolio should consist of a mixed bag of investments - there should be diversity in assets. Instead of putting all eggs in one basket, it is better to diversify and dedicate a percentage to large-caps or blue chip stocks, and the rest to other asset classes. This would create a balance between stability and risk in a stock portfolio.

Buying Blue Chip Stocks Blue chip stocks can be purchased by:

Utilising the services of a stockbroker and brokerage firms - some investment companies offer specialised blue chip stock portfolio packages with emphasis on high dividend growth or alternatively with priority on stability. Investing in a blue chip mutual fund offered by financial service providers. This further reduces the element of risk as all investment decisions are made by the fund manager.

Blue Chip Shares - Some Disadvantages The share market is prone to ups and downs. Blue chip stocks are not immune to those fluctuations, although they are in a better position to weather any financial storms and pay consistent dividends. As lot of investors flock to blue chip stocks as to a refuge of stability, the dividend returns from such stocks tend to be lower, although consistent. Warren Buffet - a Successful Blue Chip Investor Warren buffet is a billionaire American investor who invested in blue chip stocks to great success. He believes in investing in solid, reputed companies having competitive advantage and is an advocate for long-term investment in blue chip stocks. Stock market investors would do well to take a feather out of Warren Buffet's cap and include blue chip stocks in their stock portfolios. Tsunami

Japan was devastated by a massive earthquake followed by Tsunami on Friday 11 March 2011. Although it is tough to estimate the financial and economic impact on Japan and other countries, but still according to the latest reports and analysis the consequences can be as follows. 1. If the government issues newer bonds for rebuilding and reconstruction, the country might face huge debt crisis, since the country has been still in the process of recovering from its past recession and shrinking economy. However for a country like Japan, which has a great infrastructure, good wealth conditions, huge economy, top class building codes, better emergency readiness and excellent hospitals, it should be able to recover from this tragedy as quickly as any nation could. The major challenges in front of the country is, facing the rebuilding costs, demographic challenges and existing fiscal burden. According to the analyst there could be short term economic effect on other countries as well. Like U.S. automakers could see short term benefits. US businessmen who are in manufacturing segment might feel some boost in the business owning to the growing demand for reconstruction of houses and other buildings. The major impact will be on the Japanese companies who export their products like Honda, Toyota, and Sony as closed production centres and ports might add up to the financial burden. Since Japan is the third largest importer of oil, shutting down of the Japanese refineries due to the disaster can lower demand for oil consequently lowering the crude oil prices.Australia's mining industry can get affected due to closure of Japanese steel mills.In Japan many factories have been shut down or damaged. It is said that effect on the technology market will be huge. Japan's Nikkei index dropped 1.7% and the Hang Seng index in Hong Kong declined 1.5% after the tsunami hit. In the U.S., stocks were basically flat. There is a probability that yen might rise against the dollar due to financial flows into Japan from overseas. In a statement, officials of The Bank of Japan, the country's central bank said that the bank would ..".continue to pump liquidity in the financial system to ensure the stability in financial markets and to secure the smooth settlement of funds, in the coming week". According to the latest report, the bank pumped 15 trillion yen ($183 billion) into money markets to assure financial stability. According to an estimate by an insurance industry analyst, the insurance industry's losses in Japan at $10 billion. 6. It is said that Japanese industrial sectors might face a slowdown due to the shortage of electricity generation capacity. According to IHS Global Insight estimates, real GDP growth of Japan could decline by 0.2 to 0.5 % point this year. But if the ongoing nuclear crisis continue to rise further then the impact can be much larger Since Japans exports and imports are a relatively small share of GDP, the trade flows across the globe will not be effected much. However global supply chains (autos, telecommunications and consumer electronics) can have a significant downturn. According to the latest analysis, there will be a negligible negative impact on global growth this year. In the US, there will be slight disruption in the production part. US operations of Japanese automakers might face a slight setback due to unavailibility of parts arriving from Japan and disrupted supply chain. However this can be an advantage to the domestic producers as demand will shift to them There will be a fall in the sentiments of firms and household sector as they will be fearful in their investment decisions.

2.

3.

4. 5.

7.

8.

9.

Europe The overall impact on the European countries will not be much significant as Japan's export market share is not much. However, Western Europe has been gradually in the process of recovering from the 2008/9 recession and debt crisis, even a mild economic downturn would be shocking for Europe. Japan provides less than 3 per cent of German imports and buys only over 1 per cent of total German exports. However trade might be indirectly impacted as nearly 54% of Japanese exports go to the Asian countries and nearly 45% of Japanese imports come from Asia. However the major concerns in front of Europe is rising crude oil prices and high food costs. Rest of Asia

For Countries Australia and Indonesia, it will be beneficial as they are the energy exporters and Japan's energy needs will shift its focus from nuclear enery to thermal coal or gas. Also it is said that factory shutdowns due to continuous shortage of electricity supply might hamper Asia's manufacturing cycles. Countries like South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Hongkong will be impacted as a major share of their imports come from Japan. Other countries like India and other South Asian counties are unlikely to be much affected owing to lesser trade exposure to Japan. Commodities such as cement, steel, etc. might feel some price pressure given to the rise in demand for construction materials in Japan. It is said that, Vietnam's fish exports actually may benefit from the badly hit fishing industry in the tsunami-affected area. Since China's export share to Japan is considerably low, there will not be much direct demand impact on Chinese economy. However, Japan's disrupted supply chain can affect China, as a substantial share of China's goods imports come from Japan in electronic segment. Impact On Various Industries Sea Food Industry As Japan's fishing industry has been badly affected, the sea food industry has suffered loss. Majority of the damage is caused to smaller sized boats . According to reports, the larger vessels which carry out their extractive activities around the coasts were moved to the main port in Chiba Prefecture ,as their earlier station has been destructed badly. The aquaculture industry specially in Sanriku ( famous for chum salmon and Tuna operations) , Hachinohe city and the surrounding areas is badly affected. Various sea food processing factories and cold storage areas is hardly affected and the time of future recovery of these factories is uncertain. Due to lack of logistics operations and supply, shortage of electricity supply, there will be short term rise in the prices of sea foods. Additionally the radiation factor and low consumer confidence will affect the exports.

Camera and Photo Industry According to the latest reports , renowned company Sony stopped its operations at ten factories and two research centers due to power outages caused by emergencies at nuclear power plants and damage caused by quake. One of the factory of Epson was hit by the tsunami and three other have been temporarily shut down due to rolling blackouts. Nikon's Sendai factory( manufactures D3S, D3X, D700 and F6) was shut down owing to damage to equipment and buildings .Canon has suspended operations at eight factories located in Northern Japan. Other companies Ricoh ,Sigma, Fujifilm, Casio, Tamron and Panasonic are affected but not heavily and are trying to recover from the crisis. Although it is still two early to estimate and evaluate the damage caused and the recovering time. Tsunami's Effect On Japan's Economy Hard To Judge Although northeastern Japan, where an earthquake and tsunami hit Friday, has fewer industrial centers than the west, damage to its electrical system and business centers could have wider effects on the country's economy. Here, a man walks in Sendai Monday. text size A A A March 14, 2011 Stock markets plunged around the world Monday on concerns that the earthquake, the tsunami and the nuclear crisis could devastate Japan's economy and push the rest of the world back into recession. Japan has the third-largest economy in the world, and a disruption of manufacturing there would have ripple effects around the globe, including in the United States. But economists say it's much too soon to say whether the worst-case scenarios will actually come to pass.

Japan has a standard by which to assess this damage: The 1995 earthquake that devastated the city of Kobe, west of Tokyo, killed more than 5,500 people and caused more than $100 billion of damage. The earthquake Friday was worse; the death toll will surely be higher. It was accompanied by a tsunami that wiped out whole towns and cities, and it triggered a nuclear crisis whose dimensions are not yet clear. Nevertheless, some economists say that this disaster may prove less consequential in economic terms than the Kobe quake, because of where it happened. "The northeast region is not as much of a manufacturing hub as western Japan," says Nicholas Szechenyi, who is a Japan specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "So that might contribute to the argument that the economic impact in the long term might not be as great." Nearly 1 million people live in or around Sendai, the city hit hard by the earthquake and tsunami. But it's relatively isolated from metropolitan Tokyo, which is Japan's economic center. Marcus Noland, of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, is watching to see what happens in regions that may not be physically damaged but are connected through networks to the disaster site. "The most likely channels, in most cases, are things like the transportation system, the electrical grid, communications networks," Noland says. "And in the case of the earthquake in Japan," he says, "it seems to be the electrical grid which is the one network that is potentially affected by this, that could spread the negative impact of this event throughout the country, and generate a significant macroeconomic impact." This is the big unknown in Japan. According to some estimates, about 7 percent of the nation's generating capacity has been lost so far. That might be manageable. But several nuclear power stations are still in major danger. Beyond Japan, Szechenyi raises the question of how global production will be affected by the loss in Japan of one item in a supply chain. "If you're manufacturing components in different places, and have to pull all of those together for final assembly," he says, "and some points in that chain are shut down, that can certainly have an impact." The global auto industry could be affected by the earthquake. So could semiconductors, whose manufacture depends on extremely sensitive equipment. One plant in the quake-affected area, for example, makes processors that are essential for the graphics used in smart phones. And the reconstruction effort in Japan could test the government's ability to borrow. Japan is already one of the most indebted countries in the world. If nervous investors were now to dump some of that Japanese debt, the government could have a harder time financing a rebuilding effort. But Noland points out that much of the debt is held by Japanese, not foreign investors something he says gives the government a bit more flexibility. "I just don't see the average Japanese dumping government bonds," he says, "if the government says, 'We're going to spend a little extra money to rebuild northern Japan.'" Of course, if those Japanese investors focus on their own country's needs, they may be less willing to finance U.S. debt. And that could drive up interest rates here a bit.

World Cup Win to Enrich Indian Cricketers as BP, Canon Seek Endorsements After smashing India to cricket World Cup victory, batsmen Yuvraj Singh and Gautam Gambhir may see a 30 percent jump in earnings as companies including BP Plc and Canon Inc. vie for their endorsements. Photographer: Ritam Banerjee/Getty Images After smashing India to cricket World Cup victory, batsmen Yuvraj Singh and Gautam Gambhir may see a 30 percent jump in earnings as companies including BP Plc (BP/) and Canon Inc. (7751) vie for their endorsements. Indias vanquishing of neighbor Sri Lanka in the competitions April 2 final came 28 years after it last lifted the trophy and prompted Sonia Gandhi, leader of the ruling Congress party, to join flagwaving crowds celebrating in New Delhi. Witnessed by billionaire Mukesh Ambani and the presidents of both nations in a Mumbai stadium, the victory may spur more companies to use team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men to sell everything from insurance to herbal drugs in Asias fastest growing major economy after China. The players surge in income will be significant if they stay involved and consistent, said Harish Krishnamachar, vice- president at World Sports Group that manages the portfolio of Sachin Tendulkar, the worlds most prolific batsman. The valuations of some of the players may go up by 30 percent. Yuvraj Singh, named player of the tournament, endorses Reebok and Birla Sun Life Insurance Co. His annual fee just jumped to 60 million rupees ($1.3 million) from 45 million rupees before the event, said Bunty Sajdeh, chief executive officer of Cornerstone Sports and Entertainment, which manages his portfolio. A record 67.6 million of Indias 1.2 billion people watched the final between India and Sri Lanka, according to Audience Measurement & Analytics Pvt. India became the first host nation to win the event after Dhoni hit the winning runs with a six, sending fans into a frenzy. Beer, Pepsi Dhoni last year signed at least 550 million rupees of three-year deals with United Breweries Ltd. (UBBL), the maker of Kingfisher beer, and cell-phone maker Maxx Mobile Communications Ltd., according to Rhiti Sports, which manages his portfolio. Dhoni also backs PepsiCo Inc.s cola and food products as well as Sony Corp. (6758)s televisions. The viewership reached a level where it can be compared to the biggest television events across the world, Jiniti Shah, vice-president at Audience Measurement & Analytics Pvt. said. The fact that crickets following in the sub-continent is rising is going to benefit the sporting fraternity. U.S. footballs Super Bowl tournament averaged 111 million viewers, News Corp. (NWSA)s Fox said in a statement on Feb. 7. The match in Mumbai swung from one team to the other as Sri Lankas batsmen recovered from their worst start in the tournament to finish strongly before India, which lost Virender Sehwag to the second ball and national hero Tendulkar for 18, came back to win under floodlights. They were just the third team in nine finals to win batting second. Victory Lap Fans hit the streets bursting firecrackers, playing dholaks, which are double-sided drums used during celebrations in north India, and honked car horns well past midnight. Team members carried Tendulkar, who appeared in his sixth World Cup tournament, for a victory lap around the ground. All the team members were photographed with the trophy in front of the iconic Gateway of India the following day after meeting Indian President Pratibha Patil.

Gambhirs 97 runs in the final helped him rise four places to 10th in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for batsman in the one-day version of the sport, according to an International Cricket Council statement. Yuvraj Singh rose to the 4th rank for all-rounders, according to the statement. In the short term cricket will be able to have a significant impact and we will leverage on that with our association, Giriraj Bagri, chief marketing officer, Castrol India Ltd. (CSTRL), BPs unit, said in an interview today. We will consider getting young cricketers on board. Four years ago after Indias exit in the first round of the tournament, companies including Videocon Industries Ltd. replaced Dhoni with Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan to help sell its appliances. Sunrise Industries Tendulkar, 37, endorses Castrols products, which are also backed by soccer players including David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo. He is also the brand representative for Tokyo-based Canon, the worlds largest maker of cameras. The Japanese company is counting on Tendulkar and cricket to triple the number of its stores to 300 by the end of 2012 in the South Asian country, said Alok Bharadwaj, a vice president at its India unit. Our association is going to help us reach our target customers faster, he said. Most of the new requests for endorsements will come from sunrise industries and the real estate sectors said V.P. Sathyamurthy, president and chief operating officer of Lintas Media Group. About 67.3 million people in India watched the semi final duel between India and Pakistan on March 30, according to Audience Measurement & Analytics. Reliance Infrastructure Ltd. (RELI), controlled by billionaire Anil Ambani, declared a holiday for its staff that day, while his brother Mukeshs Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) awarded employees a half-day off to cheer the Indian team to victory, according to a company e-mail. Cricket Power The increase in popularity for players is a concern for Bajaj Auto Ltd. (BJAUT), Indias secondlargest motorcycle maker, which doesnt use cricketers to advertise its vehicles. Players endorse all my competitors, Bajaj Autos Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj told reporters in Mumbai after Indias semifinal match with Pakistan on March 30. It will make competition very tough for us because it seems that people buy whatever cricketers tell them to buy. India wins World Cup Cricket after 28 years; Economic Bonanza follows For the first time since the Indian economy liberalized in 1991, India won the World Cup in cricket, the game that is Indias passion. By beating Sri Lanka in a thrilling finish at Mumbais Wankhede Stadium, India won the trophy in a moment of joy for the entire country on Saturday. People of Indian origin worldwide celebrated as one. Politicians at every level from President Pratibha Patel to Congress Party leader Sonia Gandhi were seen celebrating as were Bollywood celebrities from actor Amitabh Bachchan to singer Lata Mangeshkar. The money in cricket has changed dramatically since 1983, the last time India won the championship, then held at the Lords field in the United Kingdom. According to the Hindustan Times, In 1983 out of the total prize money of about Rs 46 lakh (66,200), captain Kapil Devs team pocketed Rs 14 lakh (20,000). On Saturday, current captain MS Dhonis team got a payment 60 times larger, of about Rs 8.5 crore ($1.9 million). The tournaments total prize money was Rs 27 crore ($6 million). But that is not all. Indias central government is actively considering a proposal by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to waive all income tax on direct and indirect winnings from the trophy. A retinue of additional monetary and non-monetary awards await the players, the team, the coach, the organizers and more, see story here.

The real money for the stars of the game is in advertising endorsements. For example Captain Dhoni earns $1.5 million per year per endorsement and currently endorses almost 20 brands including Sony, Pepsi, Reebok and Big Bazaar. His price is expected to double next week. With the World Cup win, there is a huge emotional connect at this moment with cricket, says Subhinder Singh Prem, managing director, Reebok India, the official sponsor of the World Cup according to the Daily Mint. As a sports brand, we definitely want to ride the wave, do interesting things and engage with consumers. Rebook Indias latest campaign for ZigTech shoes features Indian cricketers Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh. Of course what is driving this money is large television audiences. An incredible Sixty-four per cent of cable and satellite homes in India were watching the final game of Word Cup Cricket. The game was on for an average of four hours in every household. Ratings peaked towards the end of the match when India held the World Cup. The match got 13.7 television rating points (TVRs), the highest for any event so far. When the winning moment arrived, the ratings peaked, touching a massive 21.44. Takeaway: Crickets impact on India exceeds sports and advertising and pervades every aspect of urban life in India. Footnote: While the World Cup is over and teams from 14 countries have returned home, Indians a re only taking one week off from cricket. The Indian Premier League which pits local professional teams against one another begins April 8. Bring out the cheerleaders!