Comparing Indian business

[Anthony Good]

Joydeep Mitra writes: 

>Well, those are UN figures! $360 => ~Rs11,160. There are many, many Indians
>who 'live by' with that kind of money the 'whole' year -it is true, really.
>The standard of such 'living' is obviously vastly different from  those  in
>'rich' countries.
>
>On Fri, 25 Aug 1995, L.S.Cousins wrote:
>
>> Joydeep Mitra writes:
>> 
>> >The per capita GDP of China is ~$420 and that of India is ~$360.
>> 
>> A quibble. Surely such figures should not be quoted (in an academic
>> context, at least). Clearly, if the annual income of the average Indian was
>> ~$360, then the average Indian would be dead within three months !

I can certainly confirm Joydeep Mitra's comments from personal field 
experience.  A relatively well-paid manual labourer in a small South India town 
in the mid-80s might get Rs30-40 per day.  They would have to work 290 days per 
annum at Rs 40 to earn $360.  Clerical workers might be even worse off; temple 
staff earned around Rs300 per month (admittedly with some meals as an extra).  
Surely there is no controversy whatever over this kind of figure, and I cannot 
understand why Lance Cousins finds them hard to believe.

Tony Good