India has informed the World Trade Organization (WTO) that it will make sure that at least developed countries (LDCs) get access to its market without duties or quotas.

India was present at a presentation to the WTO Committee on Trade and Development in Geneva last week.

India said it was the first developing country to offer duty-free and quota-free (DFQF) market access to the LDCs.

Meanwhile, it is said that India was working to ensure that the (DFQF) scheme provides effective market access, to the LDCs.

The Indian market has been thrown open to these countries for products of their export interest.

Moreover, the items to enjoy duty-free entry include cotton, cocoa, cane sugar and ready-made garments.

Such a facility has been offered to 14 LDCs--Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Cambodia and some of the African nations.

On the other hand, the WTO panel has been notified about India's free trade agreements with Mercosur (countries comprising four South American nations, including Brazil and Argentina) and Afghanistan.

Earlier, in order to create awareness about its products in India, Sony India has announced that it will invest up to Rs. 1,800 crore on promotion and marketing in the next one year

Mr. Masaru Tamagawa, MD of Sony India said the company is eyeing to double the sales of flat panel display televisions in India to 800 units in 2010, and for achieving this figure the company is going to double the investment in promotions by Rs. 1,470 crore.

Mr. Tamagawa said the company has invested more than Rs. 700 crore in promoting its 'Bravia' range of flat panel display Television, which contributes more than one-third of the total turnover of Rs. 3,500 crore in India.

Consumer durables firms have urged the government to retain the stimulus package given to deal with the economic downturn.

It said that an increase in Excise Duty could also increase the prices of products and thereby affect the demand.

However, with the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) soaring 16.8 per cent due to record manufacturing growth, the pressure has increased on the government and the RBI to consider an early exit from the stimulus measures of the past 15 months.

The manufacturing, with an almost 80 per cent weight in the index, surged 18.46 per cent compared to a 0.6 per cent decline in the same month in 2008