Indian markets dropped for the sixth consecutive day as foreign fund selling, global uncertainties, and weak cues dragged Sensex and Nifty lower. India VIX spiked 9%, signaling rising market volatility.
New Delhi: Indian stock markets continued their losing streak for the sixth straight session on Monday. The BSE Sensex fell more than 400 points, while the NSE Nifty 50 slipped below the 25,600 level in early trade. Investor nervousness was clearly visible as India VIX, the market’s volatility index, jumped 9%, showing rising fear and uncertainty. Over the past six sessions, investors have lost nearly ₹17 lakh crore in market value, making this the worst start to a year for the Sensex in the last ten years.
Market Performance in Early Trade
At around 10:14 AM IST, the Sensex was trading at 83,149.54, down 426.70 points or 0.51% from its previous close of 83,576.24. The Nifty 50 was at 25,561.00, lower by 122.30 points or 0.48% compared to its earlier close of 25,683.30.
The markets opened on a weak note. The Sensex began the day at 83,435.31, while the Nifty slipped below 25,700 soon after opening and continued to decline. The broader market also remained under pressure, with the Nifty MidCap index falling 0.42%. Overall market capitalization stood at ₹465.57 lakh crore (around $5.16 trillion), and total equity turnover was ₹26,126.81 crore.
Key Reasons Behind the Market Fall
The ongoing sell-off is mainly due to a combination of global and domestic factors. Rising geopolitical tensions, trade-related concerns, and continuous selling by foreign investors have weighed heavily on market sentiment.
Tensions involving Iran, the Venezuela-US situation, and recent remarks by US President Donald Trump on India’s Russian oil imports have raised fears of possible sanctions and disruptions in global trade. In addition, renewed threats of US tariffs under the Trump administration have created pressure on export-focused sectors.
Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) continued to sell Indian equities amid a global risk-off environment. Their sustained selling over the past several days has added to the market’s weakness.
Weak Global Cues and Currency Pressure
Global markets also sent negative signals. US stock futures were down by up to 0.5%, indicating a cautious start for Wall Street, even though the Dow Jones gained over 200 points overnight. Asian markets remained volatile, influenced by fluctuations in crude oil prices.
Back home, rising crude prices weakened the Indian rupee, which fell by 5 paise to 90.23 against the US dollar. This has increased concerns about higher import costs and the possibility of rising inflation. Investors are also staying cautious ahead of the Q3 earnings season, which begins today with results from IT majors TCS and HCLTech.
Sector-wise Market Movement
Most sectoral indices opened in the red, though some recovered slightly later. The Nifty FMCG index was the only major gainer, rising marginally by 0.08% to 52,482.45, supported by defensive buying.
Other sectors remained under pressure. Nifty Auto dropped 1.05% to 27,792.45, Nifty IT fell 0.69% to 37,763.05, Nifty Bank declined 0.35% to 59,046.15, and Nifty Financial Services slipped 0.16% to 27,337.25. The BSE Bankex was also down 0.30% at 66,418.07. Realty and auto stocks saw broader weakness due to concerns about economic growth and the impact of tariffs.
Top Gainers and Losers
Among Nifty 50 stocks, HDFC Life gained 1.76%, Trent rose 1.07%, Coal India jumped 2.04%, Tata Consumer added 0.62%, and Tata Steel moved up 0.54%.
On the losing side, Bajaj Finance fell 1.47%, Eicher Motors dropped 1.39%, Larsen & Toubro declined 1.17%, Tech Mahindra slipped 1.00%, and Adani Ports fell 1.04%. Tejas Networks plunged 7% after announcing its results, while TCS and HCLTech remained in focus ahead of their Q3 earnings announcements.
Market Breadth and Trading Activity
Market breadth remained clearly negative. On the NSE, there were 635 advancing stocks compared to 2,219 declines. On the BSE, 1,021 stocks advanced while 2,661 declined.
A total of 34 stocks touched their 52-week highs on the NSE (47 on the BSE), while 367 stocks hit 52-week lows on the NSE (378 on the BSE). Circuit limits showed 22 stocks in the upper circuit and 62 in the lower circuit on the NSE, while the BSE recorded 105 stocks in the upper circuit and 152 in the lower circuit. The BSE currently has over 23.92 crore registered investors.
Outlook and Key Levels to Watch
Technical analysts believe that Nifty has immediate support at 25,600, while resistance is seen between 25,750 and 25,950. For the Sensex, resistance levels are placed between 84,100 and 84,400. Bank Nifty is expected to move within a narrow range due to the ongoing risk-off mood.
Mansi Sharma is a journalist covering Global Affairs, and wellness, known for turning complex ideas into sharp, engaging narratives. Her work is driven by curiosity, depth, and a constant urge to question and explore. When she’s not writing, you’ll often find her diving into new ideas—preferably with a cup of coffee in hand, one sip at a time.