Critical reasoning — identify implicit assumptions Statement (Company X's Chairman): “We are the only company in India and the second in the world to win ISO 9002 certification in our line of business.” Assumptions to evaluate: I. There are very few companies in this line of business. II. Earning ISO 9002 certification in this line is difficult. III. Company X aims to expand its business using this distinction.

Introduction / Context:
The chairman emphasizes a rare quality milestone: ISO 9002, unique in India and almost unique globally in their niche. We must infer which assumptions must be true for this boast to carry persuasive weight.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Claim: Only company in India and second worldwide with ISO 9002 in the niche.
• I: The niche has very few companies.
• II: Achieving ISO 9002 here is hard, thus the distinction is impressive.
• III: The company intends to leverage the distinction to expand business.

Concept / Approach:
The point of announcing rarity is to signal high capability and process maturity. That requires the certification to be nontrivial (II). The claim does not need the industry to be small (I) nor explicitly intend expansion (III) for the statement to make sense as a quality signal.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Quality awards signal capability; their persuasive value depends on difficulty, not on industry size or explicit growth goals.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• I or III alone (or with II) introduce nonessential elements.
• None of these: Incorrect because II clearly underpins the persuasive impact.

Common Pitfalls:
Equating rarity with few competitors; rarity can arise from high difficulty even in a crowded field.

Final Answer:
Only II is implicit