Hot investment options in 2009

2008 was one of the most dramatic years for those who invested their money across stocks, mutual funds, real estate, gold and commodities like oil.
Global economic downturn, job losses, collapse of many a venerated investment banks, high real estate prices, high gold prices, the rise and fall of crude oil, high interest rates and high inflation marked the year even as Indian stock markets, as a result of all the above factors, saw a huge fall of more than 50 per cent from its 21,000-point summit reached in January 2008.
Consequently, investors lost billions of rupees in wealth in stocks, mutual funds, real estate and oil in 2008.
However, 2009 is altogether a new year and many a dangers that threatened the India story like high inflation, high interest rates, above $ 140-dollar a barrel crude oil prices (yes crude did scale the 140-dollar mark in July 2008; currently it is trading just a tad above $ 40 per barrel) are showing signs of receding into the background thus offering investors a glimmer of hope.
So what will be hot and what will not be hot investment options in 2009? Here's a brief peek into where to invest and where not to invest in the New Year: