In a session marked by consistent selling, India’s equity benchmarks closed lower on Monday. The BSE Sensex lost 324.17 points, translating to a 0.39% drop, closing at 83,246.18. Similarly, the NSE Nifty declined by 108.85 points or 0.42%, finishing at 25,585.50. This pullback reflects growing investor caution amid mixed sector performances.
Realty and media sectors bore the brunt of the sell-off, with Nifty Realty plummeting 1.99% and Nifty Media down 1.84%. Oil & Gas followed suit at 1.56% lower, alongside Infra (0.90%) and Commodities (0.89%). These sectors’ struggles amplified the overall market decline, highlighting rotational pressures.
Bright spots emerged in defensive pockets: Nifty FMCG rose 0.67%, Consumption gained 0.15%, and Auto added 0.13%. Sensex gainers shone with IndiGo, Tech Mahindra, HUL, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Maruti Suzuki, Bajaj Finance, Trent, ITC, HCL Tech, Axis Bank, Bajaj Finserv, BEL, L&T, and Sun Pharma leading the charge upward.
Prominent decliners included ICICI Bank, Eternal, Titan, TCS, UltraTech Cement, NTPC, Infosys, Bharti Airtel, SBI, and HDFC Bank, which weighed heavily on the index. Selling wasn’t confined to blue-chips; Nifty Midcap 100 fell 0.37% to 59,647.65 (down 220.15 points), and Nifty Smallcap 100 dropped 0.99% to 17,190.70 (down 171.60 points).
Expert commentary from Sudeep Shah of SBI Securities pointed to tariff-related anxieties resurfacing as the trigger for the weak open. He emphasized Nifty’s key support at 25,500-25,450, warning of a potential slide to 25,300 if breached. Upside hurdles stand at 25,700-25,730. The day started sluggishly, with Sensex at 83,072 (-0.60%) and Nifty at 25,560 (-0.52%) in initial trade.
As global trade tensions simmer, market participants are bracing for volatility. This session’s outcome serves as a reminder of the interplay between domestic earnings and international factors shaping India’s market trajectory.