The Indian government has announced plans for major road and airport projects to help revive the flagging economy - amid warnings that many key industries are experiencing an unprecedented slowdown in demand.

Over six billion dollars is to be spent on two new roads running some 7000kms north to south, and east to west.

The prime minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, said five cities would get what he called world-class international airports.

Mr Vajpayee told India's industrial and business leaders in Delhi that private and foreign investors would be encouraged to take part.

He also said a global satellite telephone service will be launched a week tomorrow November 1 and the provision of rural telephones will be speeded up.

The BBC Delhi correspondent says it's believed that up to half of India's nine hundred and seventy five million people have yet to make the first phone call of their lives.