Indian children received Rs 664-cr pocket money this year. The economic slowdown hasn't dented this market, courtesy indulgent parents. Indian children received Rs 664 crore pocket and gift money so far in 2009, up 39 per cent compared to the whole of 2008.

According to Cartoon Network's kids' lifestyle research, children in Ludhiana were the richest and got the highest pocket money, averaging Rs 419. Their counterparts in Delhi came a poor second at Rs 295.

Although the average Indian household has been impacted by the slowdown, parents have cut back on everything -- movies, eating out, holiday outings, etc -- but not splurging money on their children. Children across 14 cities received an average monthly pocket money of Rs 258 -- a sharp increase from Rs 193 last year and Rs 154 in 2006.

Cities Average (monthly allowance)

Ludhiana Rs 419
Delhi Rs 295
Bangalore Rs 290
Hyderabad Rs 283
Chennai Rs 253
Mumbai Rs 235
Kolkata Rs 143

The survey, titled New Generations 2009, covered children aged 7 to 14 years with one of the parents in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Ludhiana, Jaipur, Lucknow, Guwahati, Nashik, Indore, Kochi, and Madurai. Commissioned to TNS India, the survey interviewed 3,431 children belonging to mid- to high-income families in July-August this year.

Nearly 40 per cent parents with 7 to 14 year-old children gave pocket money to their young, up from 36 per cent in 2008 and 32 per cent in 2006.