The key domestic benchmarks continued to trade with significant losses in mid-morning trade due to negative global signals. Rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East raised concerns about potential disruptions to energy supplies and their impact on global economic growth. Investor sentiment also remained cautious amid a weakening rupee and a spike in market volatility, with the volatility index rising over 14%. Market participants largely adopted a risk-off approach, resulting in broad-based selling pressure across sectors. Nifty dropped below the 22,600 level.
Consumer durables shares plunged after registering gains in the previous trading session.
At 11:25 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex tanked 1,747.09 points or 2.34% to 72,803.88. The Nifty 50 index plunged 554.65 points or 2.41% to 22,557.25.
The broader market underperformed the frontline indices. The BSE 150 MidCap Index dropped 3.55% and the BSE 250 SmallCap Index slipped 3.79%.
The market breadth was weak. On the BSE, 552 shares rose and 3,573 shares fell. A total of 197 shares were unchanged.
The NSE's India VIX, a gauge of the market's expectation of volatility over the near term rallied 14.65% to 26.16.
The rupee slipped against the dollar, hovering at 93.9025 versus its previous close of 93.5350, pressured by rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and concerns over energy supply disruptions.
IPO Update:
The initial public offer (IPO) of Central Mine Planning & Design Institute received bids for 73,29,840 shares as against 7,97,89,500 shares on offer, according to stock exchange data at 11:18 IST on Monday (23 March 2026). The issue was subscribed 0.09 times.
The issue opened for bidding on 20 March 2026 and it will close on 24 March 2026. The price band of the IPO is fixed between Rs 163 and 172 per share.
US-Iran Warfare
The ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to intensify, keeping global investors cautious as the war enters its fourth week, raising concerns about energy security and global economic stability.
According to the chief of the International Energy Agency (IEA), nearly 40 energy assets ‘severely damaged' in conflict; warns of ‘worst’ crisis.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump warned the US will “obliterate” Iran’s power plants if it doesn’t fully open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, In response, Iran stated that any such military action would be met with retaliatory strikes targeting U.S. and Israeli energy and infrastructure facilities in the region.
Buzzing Index:
The Nifty Consumer Durables index slipped 4.77% to 33,082.15. The index jumped 0.72% in the past trading session.
Kajaria Ceramics (down 6.69%), Whirlpool of India (down 6.41%), Voltas (down 6.31%), PG Electroplast (down 5.41%), Amber Enterprises India (down 5.36%), Blue Star (down 5.36%), Bata India (down 5.02%), Kalyan Jewellers India (down 4.91%), Century Plyboards (India) (down 4.44%) and Dixon Technologies (India) (down 4.35%) plunged.
Stocks in Spotlight:
IFGL Refractories rose 3.32% after the company resumed operations at its Kandla manufacturing facility in Gujarat.
Waaree Energies fell 3.99%. The company announced a top-level management reshuffle, appointing Jignesh Devchandbhai Rathod as whole-time director and chief executive officer (CEO) and Abhishek Pareek as chief financial officer (CFO), both effective 21 March 2026.
Global Market:
Asia-Pacific markets traded sharply lower on Monday, as investors fled risk assets amid escalating conflict in the Middle East that has entered its fourth week.
President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he would “obliterate” Iran’s power plants if Tehran failed to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz — a vital artery for global energy flows — within 48 hours.
Iran pushed back, threatening to target energy infrastructure and desalination facilities in the Gulf if the U.S. carries out its ultimatum.
Singapore’s core inflation jumped to 1.4% in February 2026 from a year earlier, official data showed on Monday.
Overnight in the U.S., the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.96% to close at 45,577.47 and the S&P 500 fell 1.51% to end at 6,506.48 while the Nasdaq Composite futures pulled back by 2% to end at 21,647.611.
The three major indices ended last week lower, with the S&P 500 declining by more than 1.5% and falling below its 200-day moving average for the first time since May. The Dow, which saw its first four-week losing streak since 2023, and the Nasdaq each fell around 2% for the week.