The key equity benchmarks traded with minor significant losses in early afternoon trade, weighed down by weak global cues and rising geopolitical tensions surrounding Iran. The Nifty slipped below the 25,300 level. Auto shares declined after advancing for previous two trading session.
At 12:28 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, dropped 588.66 points or 0.72% to 81,659.95. The Nifty 50 index slumped 224.40 points or 0.88% to 25,272.15.
In the broader market, the BSE 150 MidCap Index slumped 0.70% and the BSE 250 SmallCap Index fell 0.69%.
The market breadth was weak. On the BSE, 1,505 shares rose and 2,441 shares fell. A total of 193 shares were unchanged.
Derivatives:
The NSE's India VIX, a gauge of the market's expectation of volatility over the near term, jumped 4.82% to 13.69. The Nifty 30 March 2026 futures were trading at 25,422, at a premium of 1 points as compared with the spot at 25,272.15.
The Nifty option chain for the 30 March 2026 expiry showed a maximum call OI of 62.8 lakh contracts at the 26,000 strike price. Maximum put OI of 64.9 lakh contracts was seen at 25,000 strike price.
Buzzing Index:
The Nifty Auto index fell 1.15% to 28,362.95. The index added 1.47% in the previous two consecutive trading session.
Sona BLW Precision Forgings (down 2.06%), Uno Minda (down 2.02%), Maruti Suzuki India (down 1.73%), Bosch (down 1.63%), TVS Motor Company (down 1.2%), Exide Industries (down 1.18%), Mahindra & Mahindra (down 1.09%), Eicher Motors (down 1.09%), Bajaj Auto (down 1.07%) and Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles (down 1.06%) declined.
On the other hand, Bharat Forge (up 0.25%), Ashok Leyland (up 0.01%) moved up.
Stocks in Spotlight:
Kirloskar Brothers (KBL) fell 1.02%. The company said that it has secured orders worth Rs 214 crore from Adani Power and its subsidiaries for supply and installation of pump systems for thermal power projects.
Indian Oil Corporation rose 0.53%. The company has announced that a meeting of its board of directors is scheduled for Friday, 6 March 2026, to consider the declaration of a second interim dividend for the financial year 2025–26.
Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation (GMDC) declined 1.21%. The company said that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with NTPC to jointly explore opportunities in coal and lignite gasification and downstream utilisation.