In: Economics
In your answer you shall mention:
1) According to koutsoyiannis " Monopoly is a market situation in which there is a single seller, there are no close substitutes used for commodity it produces, there are barriers to entry".
In more simpler words, monopoly is a single seller market.
Following are the characteristics and conditions of monopoly
*one seller and large number of buyers
*The good sold in the market has no close substitutes.
* the seller is a price maker .He can set the price of his product.
*Price discrimination is possible.
*Demand curve is downward sloping
*There are restrictions on the entry of new firms
2) 1. Rail transport in India
3) >Indian railways (controlled by the central government) posess all the important features of monopoly
*It is the sole provider of rail transportation (single seller characteristic is there)
*Railway is a unique product (There are no close substitutes eventhough alternatives are available)
* Huge numbers of people travel via trains (There are a large number of buyers)
*There are restrictions placed on entry of others
How ever privatisation has been allowed in a limited manner recently. In the upcoming years there are high chances of Indian railways lossing the monopoly position.