Developing: Indian benchmark equities opened lower on Thursday as a jump in crude oil, a sell-off across Asian markets and a rise in volatility weighed on sentiment, according to NDTV Profit.
The outlet reported that the BSE Sensex fell as much as 581.05 points, or 0.79%, to 73,128.63 around 9:30 a.m., while the NSE Nifty 50 slipped to 22,628.55, down 182.80 points or 0.80%. It added that the broader market was weaker too, with small-cap and mid-cap indices seeing sharper losses.
In its market analysis, NDTV Profit said Brent crude rose above $110 a barrel after fresh attacks in Saudi Arabia, while Asian markets declined sharply on concerns over AI spending and tech earnings. The report also said fear in the market increased, with the India VIX jumping nearly 6% to 16.61.
Earlier in the session, CNBC TV18 reported in a live market update that sentiment remained fragile, with every recovery being sold into and GIFT Nifty trading lower ahead of the trading day.
Social-media market updates posted on X echoed the weakness, including posts from The Economic Times and other market-tracking accounts that said the Sensex had dropped 500 to 600 points and the Nifty had slipped below 22,600. Those X posts did not, on their own, independently confirm the move, but they matched the broader market weakness described by NDTV Profit.
The latest reports indicate that the pressure on Dalal Street is being driven by the same set of external headwinds: elevated crude prices, weak Asian cues and sustained selling across sectors. A fuller picture of whether the sell-off deepens through the trading session will depend on how global crude, overseas markets and domestic buying behave later in the day.