OPINION, P11 WELL BEING LEISURE COLUMN BY PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI From keeping rescue inhalers to pulse oximeters, here’s how to prepare for the health risks that persist long after Diwali Page 10 The festival of prosperity need not be a celebration of excess Page 8 Bharat Ratna LKAdvaniji at 100! A POST-CELEBRATION CHECKLIST VOL.NO.XVI SL.NO.46 How the Diwali waste can be won LIVING Follow us on Twitter & Facebook. App available on App Store & Play Store WWW.FINANCIALEXPRESS.COM AGRAZING TABLE GUIDE CHENNAI/KOCHI 26 Pages, `12 FINANCIAL EXPRESS ON SUNDAY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2026 P U B L I S H E D F R O M : A H M E D A B A D , B E N G A L U R U , C H A N D I G A R H , C H E N N A I , Diwali is a perfect time to lay out a spread Page 9 READ TO LEAD H Y D E R A B A D , K O C H I , K O L K A T A , L U C K N O W , M U M B A I , N E W D E L H I , P U N E RICHER DESPITE SLOW SAMVAT Diwali delivers a wealth ofgains for ace investors WHAT’S INSIDE ● Portfolios of 34 FESTIVE CHEER List of 10 prominent investors' portfolio performance of 60 up; eight 67.54 1-year return (%) gain over 50% Dil se Diwali The Gen Z speak their heart out on what the festival has come to mean to them, how they view tradition, and what is their idea of a perfect Diwali ■ WORDS WORTH, P4 The crisis manager Relax, It’s Only a Raid is an excellent book based on practical experiences and should be read by all CXOs INDIAN EQUITY INDICES EMERGE AS TOPPERS INDIAN BENCHMARK EQUITY indices emerged as the top performers globally during the current quarter so far, outperforming all major stock market indices, as per the Bloomberg data. The Sensex and Nifty gained 11.8% and 10.6%, respectively, between September 30 and November 6. Besides India, the Philippines was the only other Asian market to post positive returns, rising 1.45%. South Korea (down 26.01%) and Taiwan (down 17.2%) were the worst performers as their AIlinked bets came under pressure post the tech-led rout in US markets. -Compiled by Kishor Kadam Major global equity indices performance South Korea Taiwan Indonesia Japan Singapore Thailand China Malaysia Hong Kong UK -0.38 -0.53 -2.09 -5.02 -5.99 -8.75 -13.96 -16.81 -17.18 -26.01 New Zealand France US (Dow Jones) Germany Philippines India (Nifty) India (Sensex) 2.11 1.45 1.38 1.21 1.19 11.79 10.65 Quarter to date return (%) Source: Bloomberg HOLIDAY Financial Express wishes its readers a HAPPY DIWALI As our offices are closed on Sunday, there will be no edition of the paper on Monday 32.24 FE BUREAU Mumbai, November 7 ■ SPOTLIGHT, P6-7 GODDESS LAKSHMI HAS smiled upon several marquee investors this Diwali as fireworks on Dalal Street have broughtmorethanfestivecheer to them.Aspectacularrallythat lifted benchmark indices by nearly10%injustseventrading sessionshasbrightenedthefortunes of some of India’s best- Sunil Singhania Anil Kumar Goel 28.22 18.95 Akash Rekha Bhanshali Jhunjhunwala 17.66 Mukul Agrawal 17.19 16.12 16 12 6 2 13 60 13.60 11.07 Vijay Kishanlal Porinju V Kedia Veliyath Nemish S Shah Ashish Kacholia 1.87 Madhusudan Kela Source: Trendlyne.com known stock market investors. Despite a lacklustre Samvat 2082,marked byconcerns over UStariffs,theWestAsiaconflict andvolatilemarkets,morethan Indian epics get new-age avatars in online gaming LEGEND HAS IT half of India’s prominent investors have emerged richer than they were last Diwali. Of the 60 marquee investors tracked, 34 saw their portfolio values rise over the past year, evenastheSensexdeclined4%, asperdatafromTrendlyne.com. Continued on Page 2 Emergencyamistake:Sonia Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, in an interview with a foreign publication, has called the decision to impose the Emergency a mistake, and said she believes her mother-in- law and then prime minister Indira Gandhi also came to feel the same. Gandhi said in the interview, “I believe she was never comfortable in the course of the Emergency. It was sitting heavy on her.” ■ PAGE 26 Carmarkettakes firmelectricleap VIKRAM CHAUDHARY New Delhi, November 7 WHEN INDIA’S MASS-market electric car sales hit 36,064 units in October 2026 – a 77% surge over October 2025 – in addition to luxury EV sales of 868 units (up 53%), it didn’t justsignalafestivepushortemporary growth due to high fuel prices, but pointed towards a structural transformation. Drivenbycrudeoilvolatility stemming from the West Asian conflict, favourable tax struc- ■ Themes abound global arena,such as Asura’s Wrath, blending Hindu mythology with science fiction ■ Upcoming ■ Dark-fantasy inspired by Indian Hanuman’s Legacy set epics, The Age of Bhaarat, for global audience wishlisted 70% from abroad ILLUSTRATION BY SHYAM KR PRASAD KUNAL DOLEY New Delhi, November 7 AS INDIACELEBRATES the triumph of good over evil – whether through Lord Rama’s victory over Ravana or Lord Krishna’s defeat of Narakasura –asimilarbattleisunfoldingin the virtual world.Here,ancient Indian epics and mythological charactersarebeingreimagined as immersive gaming experiences,bringingstoriesthathave endured for millennia to a new generation of players. Oneoftheearlyexamplesis Raji: An Ancient Epic, developed by Pune-based Nodding Heads Games. Drawing from theRamayanaandtheMahabharata, the game follows Raji, an orphaned circus performer chosen by the gods to defend the human realm against a demonicinvasion.Hermission is to rescue her younger brother and confront the demon lord Mahabalasura. Its sequel, Raji: Kaliyuga, picks up six years later, with Mahabalasura once again threatening the world. As he tears the gates of heaven and unleashes Kaliyuga, Raji finds herself fighting alongside her youngerbrotherDarsh,orGolu, as she affectionatelycalls him. Continued on Page 2 Coca-ColaIndia TataSteelQ2 Onlinefestive unitfilesDHRP PATup16.24% salesfallsshort Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB) has filed its draft red herring prospectus (DHRP) with the Securities and Exchange Board of India for its proposed IPO. It will comprise an entirely OFS of up to 997,461,456 equity shares. ■ PAGE 2 Tata Steel reported that its net profit for the second quarter of FY27 grew 16.24% to `3,700 crore compared to `3,183 crore in the same period a year before, led by lower inventory cost, ahead of Bloomberg estimates of `3,254 crore. ■ PAGE 2 Online festive sales have fallen short of even the industry's muted expectations, which were already tempered by rising input costs that pushed up prices across categories. Gross merchandise value in the run-up to Diwali grew 13-15% y-o-y ■ PAGE 5 Eco-warriors debate AI love, hate ● Embrace tech, but warn of data centre impact too VALERIE VOLCOVICI Washington, November 7 ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS WORLDWIDE are using artificial intelligence to analyse climate data,track forest fires and count endangered wildlife – embracing a technology they DELHI CHOKES ■ Delhi was the world’s most polluted city on Saturday, as per IQAir’s ranking, with AQI of 369 on Diwali-eve. EXPRESS PHOTO BY PRAVEEN KHANNA also warn is driving a surge in electricity demand, water use andgreenhouse-gasemissions. The contradiction is forcing these organisations to justify theirAI use in carrying out missionstocombatclimatechange orprotect natural resources. “We recognise that AI can come with environmental costs, and we need to be thoughtful about how we use it,” said Ali Swanson, AI lead at the US nonprofit Conservation International. “But at a timewhen the climate and biodiversity crises are becoming more urgent,AI can help us move faster and make better use of the information we’re collecting,” Swanson added. Continued on Page 2 CHENNAI/KOCHI tures (5% GST on EVs versus 18%to40%onICEcars),aswell asmoremodels,EVsalescrossed 30,000 units for the fifth month.EV penetration crossed 7%duringOctober(36,932EVs in a total market of a little over 500,000 units, as per Vahan), helped by models like Tata Punch EV, which became the first EV to cross 5,000-unit-amonth mark,as well as Mahindra’sXEV9S,sellingover35,000 units during January-October. Continued on Page 2