INTERVIEW
'Gross national contentment is my aim'
Govt must endeavour to improve the tax-GDP ratio, continue to work extra time for fiscal consolidation and revive growth, says Jaswant Singh, Union Finance Minister.

TOP HEADLINES
• US official seeks to boost trade ties
• Decision on gene-altered mustard deferred
• Idea Cellular taps Delhi mobile market
• Air travel grows 2.8% in India in H1
• DPC power at Rs 2.80/unit approved
• Microsoft, PWC target Indian states
• Sun, Infosys release new banking platform
• AP to roll-out red carpet for Bill Gates
- - More I Credit Policy: Complete Coverage

CORPORATE HEADLINES
• Bata Q3 loss at Rs 85.10 million
• PSI Data Systems appoints new manager
• Dabur issues stock options to employees
• Uday S Kotak resigns from Blue Star
• Change in management at Tainwala Poly
- - More

MARKET REPORT
Market ends lower after volatile trade
HPCL, ICICI Bank, Ranbaxy, Satyam are losers. Zee, GlaxoSmithKline, Dr Reddy's, Cipla gain.

DAILY TECHNICALS
Trading strategy for November 8, 2002
Sensex, Asian Paints, Dr Reddy, HDFC Bank, Hindalco... Check out what you can do on Friday.

COLUMN
A thousand changes in the FMCG sector
In several product categories the threat is not from China, but right here from local brands, says Sucheta Dalal.

Hastening towards exchange liberalisation
Mere existence of high forex reserves is not sufficient to prevent a financial crisis or a run on the currency of a country, says Paranjoy Guha Thakurta.

SPECIAL
Finance ministry in a Web of dilemma
The finance ministry seems to be suffering from a strange dilemma, writes A K Bhattacharya.

A parallel agenda for the RBI
While the RBI is very good at cleaning up the mess after a crisis erupts, it has not demonstrated any great ability to head it off, says R Jagannathan.

INTERVIEW
'No one will invest just because rates are low'
More than the economy, it is the lack of investment demand that is of immediate concern, says Bimal Jalan, Governor, Reserve Bank of India.

STOCK TALK
'Market may remain sluggish till Budget'
'IT-enabled services sector looks promising. If you have picked good stocks, it will pay,' says Ramesh Shrichand Damani.

READERS' RESPONSE
'Just cutting rates will do no good'
'Have lower interest rates led to any increased credit off-take or greater industrial activity?'
YOUR VIEW: Should interest rates drop?

PRESS RELEASES
• 'Making a killing: The business of war'
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• Feroz Khan gets teacher's award
• More...