We tested 12 machines in one of India's leading laboratories to get this information for you. We also sought information from consumer organisations around the world on consumer preferences and discovered that, increasingly, consumers are putting their faith in appliances that are rated and certified by government-backed energy efficiency labels. This means that consumers invariably choose a washing machine that consumes least amount of electricity. In India, we hope that consumers will have this choice in the next 2 years. By which time, the energy label for washing machines is expected to be out.

A very exciting field of investment for consumers these days is 'art'. Artworks, which were once appreciated and bought only by select connoisseurs, are now being appreciated by a wider spectrum of people, who are not just looking at them for aesthetic pleasure, but also buying them for investment opportunities. The young cash-rich techies and executives of India have more money now than ever before, and this is one reason why off-beat investment funds like art are growing. Consumer VOICE has profiled the art investment scene in India to bring you a report on it.

Moving away from products and investments, Consumer VOICE discovered some very interesting people not walking the beaten track. They are not headline-grabbers but are torchbearers of a new India nevertheless. Remya Jose is a Kerala teenager who has designed a washing machine and a vacuum cleaner-appliances that suit her needs and are working fine for her and tomorrow may meet the needs of many like her across India. PK Ravi is a mechanic, again based in Kerala, who has designed a pepper-threshing machine that takes the drudgery away from rural farmwomen's work of spending hours everyday threshing pepper with their feet. Pepper is an important crop for the Kerala people. Another of our heroes is Javed Ansari, a young weaver from Benaras who has taken upon himself to keep alive the exquisite but dying tradition of the 'jaala-maker' art of weaving that is so unique to the city of Benaras. All this has been profiled in our 'Heroes with a difference' Independence Day special.

While we are upbeat with our work, we have also had some setbacks in the last months. At a time when the cost of all essential commodities is rising, Consumer VOICE has been hit hard by the scarce supply of paper and its increasing price. After two months of deliberation, we have had to make the difficult choice of printing our magazine with a lighter quality of paper. Had we not taken this decision, we would have had to pass the cost on to our readers and subscribers, which really was the last option that we wanted to exercise.
We hope our readers will accept the change in the right spirit. We also hope that the paper costs and the market will stabilise soon, and we will be able to revert to the original Consumer VOICE paper quality, without having to pass the cost on to the readers. Meanwhile, stay with us as always.