Hyderabad|India|April'2009: Not all businesses have been affected by the economic downturn. There are many businesses which have been thriving despite the slowdown. There are sectors like - healthcare, clinical research, private security,telecommunications, Public Relations and gaming - that remain unscathed by the global meltdown.

Healthcare is different kind of a sector. We can't defer or delay the treatment as mounts to life and death. With over three crore people with cardiovascular diseases, two and half with diabetes and one crore with psychiatric disorders we cannnot do away with healthcare, because health is wealth. The International Consultancy KPMG estimated that currently the healthcare industry is worth Rs 5,125 crore during this financial year.

Equally on strong footing is Clinical Research industry which is thriving well despite downward trend. Indian Clinical Research students from Institute of Clinical Research (India) (ICRI), the country’s premier Clinical Research Institute found placements in 202 MNCs, Fortune 500 companies and Indian companies like Pfizer, Novartis, Sanofi, Quintiles, MSD, Merck, IRL, CCBR, TCS. All the 3500 students from ICRI found placements.

A large number of students have been placed in UK, Singapore and other locations abroad. In India students with M.Sc degrees have been placed at a starting salary between 30,000– 60,000 pm and the part time PG Diploma students have started with a salary between 15,000-30,000 pm. Students placed in UK and Singapore are drawing a salary of 21 Lac per annum. As trials come increasingly to India, it requires 10,000 to 15,000 clinical professionals each year. However, according to Institute of Clinical Research(India), the handful of Clinical Research Institutes produce 4,000 to 5,000 professionals. Clinical Research is slated to touch Rs.50 billion by 2010.

According to Dr. S. K. Gupta, Dean & Director General, Institute of Clinical Research (India), “This year again placements have gone well and the students have been placed before the course is complete. Over 22 students have been placed in the DCGI’s office. Also 2 of the senior students who had passed out 3 years ago have taken the position of Assistant Professors in Niper the leading pharma training institute, Government of India to teach clinical research to the students in Hyderabad”.

More today than ever, the need for complete and intelligent security has arrived on the shores of India. But despite the evidence of constant danger around us, the reality is that security is still not a topmost concern for most people. Despite of this, the private security business is also full of new opportunities.

Godrej Security Solutions (GSS), with decades of expertise in safeguarding our country with high end security systems, is seeking to create more awareness about the need to take a broader holistic approach to security. It has initiated a series of concept based training programs across its sales and distribution network and is offering consultancy across industries to help them understand the specific needs and concerns within their industry. In continuation with its desire to educate masses on the need to ‘live intelligently’, GSS saw a perfect opportunity to communicate the same though an in-film association with Percept Picture Company in their just released Hindi Movie thriller ‘8x10 Tasveer’, directed by Nagesh Kukunoor, and starring Akshay Kumar. In an excellent display of cinematography and well planned sequences showcasing extra sensory powers of Akshay Kumar, the movie has seamlessly managed to blend in the idea of intelligent security solutions along with the core theme of the movie.

The Godrej Security Solutions Division (GSSD), one of the divisions of Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd. and part of the USD $ 3 billion Godrej Group, is the pioneer and leader in the business of security equipment for homes, banks, offices and industries. The Security Solutions Division is the largest manufacturer of Security Equipment in India and has over 75 per cent of the domestic market share. GSSD, is the largest supplier of security equipment to the banking industry, corporate and public institutions which include the Reserve Bank of India, State Bank of India and several other multinational companies along with Airports, Railway stations, Stadiums, Places of worship, Defense establishments, ONGC, NPCIL and other prestigious institutions. GSSD is the only company in India which does a complete threat assessment of the sites before recommending security solutions and offers a comprehensive range of Intelligent Security Solutions for various segments. The division currently exports its products to more than 40 countries including Middle East Asia, South East Asia, Far East Asia, East Africa, US and the SAARC countries, Canada and Europe.

Even securing guarding business is on the increasing. Many unheard companies too have been opting for security cover. G4S said to have recruited about 40,000 plus security guards this year. And the industry on the whole in India is expected to generate well over ten lakh jobs every year, which is by any standard a gigatic number in terms of private security personnel.

Another industry which has also defied the downward trend is telecommunications, particularly mobile telephone sector. "Indian's now prefer mobiles to bicycles for networking said an industry insider recently, tells all that. 2008 become banner year with 350 million mobile subscribers in India. With promising trend India had already become a new tiger of the global mobile industry. Thanks to lower tariffs and falling handset prices and home to a clutch of global operators working with local companies, India had almost 350 million mobile subscribers (including GSM & CDMA) in early 2008. In 2004 India had a mobile penetration rate of just 4 per cent. Current penetration rate is around 34% and by end 2012 Standard Chartered predicts a penetration rate of 61%. In comparision to many of its emerging market peers like Bangladesh(52 per cent), Tanzania( 50 per cent), India is certainly forging ahead of its peers. In terms penetration, the gap between India and many established markets in mobile penetrations is shrinking. India’s mobile operators committed to investments of about US$20 billion over a two year period to 2009 to bring over 80 per cent of the population under mobile coverage.

Public Relations Industry, though nascent, has defied the industry trend and continues to thrive even in the slowdown. India’s public relations industry to touch $6 bn mark by 2010 from current $3 billion due to increasing competition among companies to build brands resulting in more sales, said the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) in a survey conducted. Since demand for PR professionals is rising, and so are opportunities, the relationship industries has shown a growth rate of about 22-25 percent in last couple of years. It has now risen to 32 percent and the trend will continue in future and even grow for better, the survey revealed. The Indian PR industry has about 1,200-1,500 agencies with total manpower strength of 30,000 to 40,000, the Assocham said. While these figures seem to be promising, some industry insiders denied that the industry is not as big as stated by the survey.

Gaming has also defied the downward trend and is set to touch $200 million by 2011, software industry body National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom) said. The industry will grow to $40 billion globally by 2011, Nasscom said in a report.

“Of all industries, gaming is definitely recession proof. Undoubtedly, gaming and animation today are a serious business and rake in high moolah for companies specializing in this segment said Amit Tripathi, Managing Director of Insite Digital. Insite Digital has launched Indiavoting.com, India’s first edutainment site on Indian politics, with current focus on General Elections 2009. Insite Digital is a next generation media company that seeks to create niche internet media platforms catering to diverse audiences. “Internet audiences are hungry for highly interactive visual-led content and social networking opportunities. Indiavoting.com offers Democrazy- a treasure trove for young adults and senior citizens alike in its range of edutainment content, freshly created for General Elections 2009. In addition, we provide ChopalTalkies-a social networking window for voters to align or disagree with various groups on the internet in line with their political ideologies”, said Amit Tripathi, Managing Director Insite Digital.

Today we need along with three essentials of life Roti, Kapda, Makaan, we need broadband. Broadband becoming increasingly available, computer gaming industry is expected to grow further, informed Amit Tripathi.

Different industries react differently in recession. Like the above few sectors, there are also many more industries which are still not affected by the global meltdown.