The key equity benchmarks traded with substantial losses in the mid-afternoon trade adopted a risk-off approach amid escalating geopolitical tensions following the US-Israel attacks on Iran. Traders are closely monitoring crude oil and metal prices. The Nifty slipped below the 24,800 level, reflecting weak market sentiment.
Media shares declined after advancing in the past trading session.
At 14:25 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex tanked 1,351.91 points or 1.66% to 79,911.22. The Nifty 50 index tumbled 420.15 points or 1.67% to 24,762.05.
In the broader market, the BSE 150 MidCap Index declined 1.79% and the BSE 250 SmallCap Index slipped 2.32%.
The market breadth was negative. On the BSE, 612 shares rose and 3,688 shares fell. A total of 167 shares were unchanged.
The NSE's India VIX, a gauge of the market's expectation of volatility over the near term, rallied 27.23% to 17.44.
Buzzing Index:
The Nifty Media index fell 2.22% to 1,386.25. The index advanced 0.60% in the past trading session.
Hathway Cable & Datacom (down 5.13%), Zee Entertainment Enterprises (down 4.38%), D B Corp (down 3.89%), Nazara Technologies (down 3.53%), Sun TV Network (down 3.4%), Network 18 Media & Investments (down 2.55%), Saregama India (down 2.39%), Tips Music (down 2.27%), PVR Inox (down 1.79%) declined.
US-Iran Conflict:
The United States and Israel have launched major coordinated military strikes on Iran, marking a significant escalation in long-running Middle East tensions. On 1 March 2026, Iran launches missile and drone strikes on U.S. bases across six Middle Eastern countries amid escalating military tensions.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was reportedly killed in the attacks, escalating tensions further. Following his death, Iran appointed Ayatollah Alireza Arafi to its interim leadership council, which will assume charge of the country’s affairs.
Numbers to Track:
The yield on India's 10-year benchmark federal paper rose 0.54% to 6.697 compared with the previous session close of 6.661.
In the foreign exchange market, the rupee edged lower against the dollar. The partially convertible rupee was hovering at 91.4700 compared with its close of 91.0800 during the previous trading session.
MCX Gold futures for 2 April 2026 settlement gained 4.23% to Rs 168,950.
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the greenback's value against a basket of currencies, was up 0.83% to 98.42.
The United States 10-year bond yield jumped 0.18% to 3.965.
In the commodities market, Brent crude for May 2026 settlement surged $6.21 or 8.52% to $79.08 a barrel. amid heightened geopolitical tensions. According to media reports, Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil major Aramco temporarily shut down its Ras Tanura refinery on Monday as a precautionary measure after an Iranian drone strike reportedly sparked a fire at the facility.
Stocks in Spotlight:
Suraksha Diagnostic fell 2.06% after its group chief financial officer (CFO) and key managerial personnel (KMP), K S Ravindra, has tendered his resignation due to personal reasons. The company said Ravindra will step down from his role on or before 31 May, 2026, close of business hours.