We've got trouble

There's no getting away from it: Indians like to worry. They feared for the economy when it was a little slow and they are just as anxious now when it is chugging along at over 9 per cent.

They fretted over their health, their jobs, terrorism, war... and they're still doing that. And now that there are two new additions to the list of possible concerns (added in the last round), why, they're troubled about those, too.

But, even so, Indian consumers aren't a patch on the rest of the world when it comes to anxiety attacks (they'll probably start worrying about that now). The country doesn't figure in the top 10 lists of countries concerned about various issues. Instead, it leads Apac and is seventh across the world among nations that have no major concerns; 16 per cent Indians say they have no worries, compared with global and regional averages of 6 per cent.

How does that tie in with 46 per cent Indians saying they are anxious about the economy? It is a huge, 19-point increase over the last round and close to the levels seen in the June 2006 round of the ACNielsen survey.

Qualms over health and crime have remained more or less stable (31 per cent and 12 per cent, respectively), but more people admit to being tense about political stability (up six points to 16 per cent). Two new concerns were introduced in the last round of the survey and the ever-concerned Indian consumer has taken them to heart, too. There is an 11-point jump in people spending sleepless nights over global warming (up to 19 per cent now), while 3 per cent cite immigration as a major issue.

It's not all grim, though. In the last round, Indian consumers topped the world in worrying about terrorism "" understandable, really, with the July blasts in Mumbai trains just behind them. Between June 2006 and January 2007, there was a doubling in the number of people apprehensive about further terrorist attacks.

There's been a correction since, and concerns about terrorism have lessened by 15 per cent to 16 per cent. With a booming economy and improved employment prospects, job security, too, is now an issue with fewer than one in five consumers.

Is the rest of the world as nervous? Seven of the 10 countries most nervous about the economy are from Asia, led by Indonesia where 74 per cent say it is their most pressing concern. The Chinese are apprehensive about the economy (65 per cent) and health (63 per cent) "" considering the level of Internet censorship in China, these numbers are remarkably frank.

What about Thailand? The country was quite optimistic in the last round of the survey, but has seen the sharpest fall this time: consumer confidence is down 15 points to settle at 92, below the regional and global averages.

That negativism shows up in the Thais' concerns as well: 59 per cent for the economy, 46 per cent for political stability and 19 per cent for terrorism. Indian companies planning to set up operations in Bangkok would do well to wait.