It was bloodbath at the Indian stock markets on October 17.

The Sensex
plunged by 1,743 points, the largest fall in a single day ever witnessed in the history of the Indian stock markets. The Sensex hit a low of 17,307.90 points within minutes of opening on Wednesday. Trading was suspended in the market for an hour. The markets had crashed on the wake of Securities and Exchange Board of India's [ Images ] (Sebi) proposal to tighten the rules for purchase of shares and bonds in Indian companies through the participatory note (PN) route. The Sensex recovered sharply from the day's low (17,308 points) and touched an intra-day high of 18,841 points - up 1,533 points (8.9%) from the day's low.
The Sensex finally ended with a loss of 336 points (1.8%) at 18,716.

Here are the 10 biggest falls in the Indian stock market history: May 18, 2006: The Sensex registered a fall of 826 points (6.76 per cent) to close at 11,391, it's biggest ever, following heavy selling by FIIs, retail investors and a weakness in global markets. April 28, 1992: The Sensex registered a fall of 570 points (12.77 per cent) to close at 3,870, it's second-largest, following the coming to light of the Harshad Mehta securities scam. May 17, 2004: Another Monday. Sensex dropped by 565 points, its third biggest fall ever, to close at 4,505. With the NDA out of power and the Left parties, part of the UPA coalition government, flexing their muscle, the Sensex witnessed its second-biggest intra-day fall of 842 points, twice attracting suspension of trading. At close, however, it regained some of its lost ground. May 15, 2006: The market fell by 463 points to 11,822 points. May 22, 2006: Sensex slumped by 457 points to 10,482. May 19, 2006: Sensex slumped by 453 points to 10,939. April 4, 2000: Sensex slumped by 361 points to 4,691. May 12, 1992: Indian stock markets plunged 334 points to fall to 3,086.

May 14, 2004: Sensex lost 330 points to fall to 5,070. May 6, 1992: Losing 327 points, the Sensex fell to 3,561 points

Here are the ten biggest falls in the Indian stock market history. 21 Jan 2008 | Indian markets feel the US slowdown heat Investors rushed to sell stocks, pulling down Sensex, the benchmark index of the Bombay Stock Exchange, by 1,408.35 points or 7.41%, its largest single-day fall in absolute terms. (Click here to read full story) A stockbroker reacts as he monitors share prices during intra-day trade at a brokerage firm in Mumbai on Friday. (Indranil Mukherjee / AFP photo) ************** 24 Oct 2008 | Global events, RBI inaction roil bourses Indian stocks led the fall across the world, registering one of their worst days ever after the countrys central bank refrained from reducing its policy rate in a review and a confirmation that the UK is indeed in recession, with data showing that its economy shrunk in the three months ended September the first such decline since 1991. (Click here to read full story)

************** 17 Mar 2008 | Bear Stearns keeps a bear grip on Sensex Indias bellwether Sensex fell 6%, down 951 points to close below the 15,000 levelthe indexs second largest fall ever in absolute terms as stocks markets worldwide slumped after the nearcollapse of Bear Stearns Cos Inc., Wall Streets fifth largest investment bank, emergency actions from the US Federal Reserve and fears of more casualties. (Click here to read full story) ************** 3 Mar 2008 | Sensex feels heat of farm loan write-offs, global pressure The Bombay Stock Exchanges (BSE) benchmark index suffered its second biggest single-day drop ever, the first day of trading after the 2008 Union Budget was presented, as plans for the countrys largest farm loan write-down added to deepening fears of a recession in the US. While the sell-off on negative global market cues was expected, the massive loan write-off by state-run banks, announced in the Budget, increased bearishness. (Click here to read full story) ************** 22 Jan 2008 | Will US Fed cut provide succour? Indias bellwether stock index Sensex recouped almost two-thirds of the record 2,272.93 points loss it suffered intra-day to close at 16,729.94, down 875.41 or 4.97%, even as equity markets across Asia continued to fall. (Click here to read full story) ************** 6 July 2009 | Budget sends stocks into a tizzy; Sensex loses 5.8% The Sensex slumped 869.65 points, or 5.8%, to 14,043.40, the most since 7 January. The S&P CNX Nifty index on the National Stock Exchange, too, slumped 5.8%, or 258.55 points, to 4,165.70. (Click here to read full story) Mark To Market | End of India premium story; more global now? The 5.8% drop in the Sensex is the biggest ever on a budget day, in many ways the markets have themselves to blame for having heightened expectations.(Click here to read full column) ************** 11 Feb 2008 | Reliance Power stumbles, as does the stock market As Reliance Power Ltds shares stumbled out of opening bell they would eventually close down 17.27% Bombay Stock Exchanges benchmark index, the 30-stock Sensex, fell 833 points, or

4.78%, to close at 16,630 on growing global worries over slowing economic expansion. (Click here to read full story) ************** 18 May 2006 | Thursday thud At the end of a torrid day of trading, the 30-share index stood at 11391 points, a fall of 826 points, or 6.76 per cent. The previous biggest one-day fall was 570.42 points on April 28, 1992. All the 30 shares that make up the index slumped with ACC, Hindalco and Tata Steel getting battered the most and ceding over 10% each, reports The Telegraph (Click here to read full story) ************** 10 Oct 2008 | Sensex, rupee, industrial growth down The benchmark index of the Bombay Stock Exchange, the Sensex, and the rupee fell sharply, following the lead of US markets that closed sharply down and Asian and European markets that continued to be roiled a result of the ongoing credit crisis that originated in the US, but had since spread to Europe and Asia. (Click here to read full story) ************** 13 March 2008 | Global meltdown takes toll on Sensex The Bombay Stock Exchanges (BSE) Sensex lost 770.63 points, or 4.78%, to close at 15,357.35, its lowest since 31 August, as the short bout of optimism after Tuesdays cash injections by five central banks, including the $200 billion boost from the US Federal Reserve, melted on fresh fears. (Click hereto read full story