COLUMN
Is Infosys better than Microsoft?
If any company in India is up to the challenge of duplicating Microsoft’s performance it is Infosys, says A.P.

TOP HEADLINES
• G-15 summit suspended, Naik cancels visit
• IDBI to pump in $500 mn to restart DPC
• FDI to fall 27% worldwide; grow in India
• Govt mulling revival package for IFCI
• 'Opposition to Nalco divestment groundless'
• India is No 1 in anti-dumping actions
• India's economy to grow 5% in 2003: Crisil
• Duty concession for etanol-blended petrol
• Infosys aims big with banking software
- - More I The Divestment Development

MARKET REPORT
Heavyweights drag Sensex by 41 points
Sustained selling pressure saw the Sensex slip to 2,908.05 points, a new 52-week low. The NSE S & P CNX Nifty also shed 10.43 points to end at 946.90.

CORPORATE HEADLINES
• IDBI Bank Q2 net profit at Rs 16.09 crore
• Saw Pipes FY-02 results by December 31
• Aftek Infosys Q1 net at Rs 9.96 crore
• Nicholas Piramal Q2 net at Rs 26 crore
• UTI Bank Q2 net at Rs 44.17 crore
• Indian Rayon Q2 net soars to Rs 37.73 crore
- - More

DAILY TECHNICALS
Trading strategy for October 25, 2002
Sensex, Corporation Bank, HCL Info, Indian Rayon, Nicholas Piramal... Check out what you can do on Friday.

STOCK TALK
'Market could be languid for the next 6 months'
'Looks like the Sensex is headed back to 2930 points. It may be a grim Diwali,' says Ramesh Shrichand Damani.

YOUR VIEW: READERS' RESPONSE
'As a common man, I am suffering'
'Govt has played a dirty game,' say some. 'Why the hue and cry over the hike?' ask others.
'Must petrol prices change so often?'

COLUMN
The Narmada dammed
'Whether it was Enron or Narmada, it is the neta-babu cabal that has emerged victorious by deploying an arsenal of lofty slogans to cover up their double speak, fudged facts, and outright lies,' says Sucheta Dalal.

'US must stop moralistic preaching'
'US should stress on global democracy rather than on morality. It is in America's self-interest to help institute global norms of justice, laws and courts,' says Kaushik Basu.

SPECIAL
Are pension fund schemes bad ideas?
Pension schemes have become instruments of government borrowing and are in need of reform, says Ashok V Desai.

PERSONAL FINANCE
Why you need personal accident insurance
These insurance policies are low cost and offer high benefits. A look at what kind of policies are on offer.

SECTOR SKETCH
Oil PSUs: Privatisation can give big boost
Fund managers view HPCL and BPCL as attractive buys, even if the divestment is delayed further.

INTERVIEW
'Cement prices will improve soon'
Non-serious, smaller players are to be blamed for the sliding prices, says Anil Singhvi, MD, Gujarat Ambuja.

PRESS RELEASES
• TechSpan joins Global CMM Elite 15 Club
• 10,000-room, $5-bn casino opens in Las Vegas
• Sunsilk Bridal Asia 2002 concludes
• More...