India's Economic Boom Likely to Continue in 2008 (1/2)

Signs of growing prosperity in urban India were easy to find as the New Year began - shoppers crowded up-market malls, and new highways were being constructed at a frantic pace to accommodate the cars being snapped up by the middle class.

Analysts say economic growth in 2007 might be slightly slower than the previous year, but it will still be among the fastest in the world at around eight percent.

D.H. Pai Panindiker, who heads an independent research group, the RPG Goenka Foundation, says the economy flourished, despite earlier fears that it was overheating.

"I think, there is considerable optimism, particularly among the business community, that the economy is on sound footing, that consumer demand is expanding. 2008 should be a fairly good year."

In the first half of 2007, the central bank raised interest rates on concerns that a credit boom was fueling inflation. However, by year-end inflation had cooled, and here is a slowdown did not come to pass.

Foreign businesses and investors swarmed to cities such as Mumbai and Bangalore. Foreign investment last year is expected to total $30 billion.

参考译文：

新年伊始,在印度城市不难发现其逐渐发展繁荣景象。超市里拥挤的购物人群,为了迎合中产阶级抢购汽车的需要而正以疯狂速度建造新的公路.

有分析家认为印度2007的经济增长可能比上一年有轻微的减缓,但是事实上经济增长仍将达到8%,是世界上增长速度最快的国家之一.

D.H. Pai Panindiker是独立研究小组(the RPG Goenka基金会)的领导人,表示经济非常繁荣,尽管早些时候担心其可能过热.

"我十分乐观地认为,尤其对于商业团体,经济增长有着非常可靠的基础,那就是消费者需求正在扩大.2008年将是相当好的一年"

2007年上半年,中央银行因为担心贷款的蓬勃发展会加速通货膨胀而提高了银行储蓄率.不过,通货膨胀在年底已经冷却,担心经济发展减缓的事情没有发生。

外国公司和投资者蜂拥入印度城市,比如孟买,班加罗尔.去年在印度的外国投资总额预计达300亿美元.