VOICES

``We accelerated our hiring during the quarter and our business model takes into account usual wage pressures in the industry.'' -- Mr Nandan Nilekani, Managing Director and COO, Infosys Technologies.

``The board, including the audit committee, management and outside auditors, form a `three-legged stool' of responsible disclosure and active oversight.'' -- Mr Arthur Levitt Chairman, Securities and Exchange Commission, US.

``All construction activity in the country would come to a grinding halt if cement prices are not rolled back by January 14, 2000.''-- Mr Shankar Bhai Desai, Builders Association of India.

``The US auto industry will end this year with one of the best sales performances in history despite a slowdown in the US economy.'' -- Mr Jacques Nasser, CEO, Ford Motor Company.

``Several market studies published recently refer to a slowdown in IT spending in the US... however we believe that trend in IT spending will work in our favour.'' -- Mr. Nandan Nilekani, Managing Director and COO, Infosys Technologies.

``More than a third of publicly-traded internet firms seem destined to run out of cash by the end of 2001. We are seeing financial pressure intensify as never before.'' -- Comment in a Barron Report's on Internet companies.

``With product business growing at a faster rate than the services segment, we will have a lower rate of manpower in the coming year.'' -- Mr Arun Kumar, President and Managing Director, Hughes Software Systems.

``OPEC has agreed to cut crude oil supplies but had not decided by how much.'' -- Mr Ali Rodriguez, Secretary General, OPEC.

``The government must sell its stake in two stand-alone refineries at Chennai and Bongaigon on the basis of market price.'' -- Mr M. A. Pathan, Chairman and Managing Director, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).

``Our proposed acquisition of a stake in Hindustan Zinc is in line with our global strategy to integrate the entire value chain in various metals.'' -- Mr Viren Rastogi, CEO, Allied Deals Inc.