THEBUSINESSBYES
BUREAU
MUMBAI,
SEPTEMBER 15, 2026
Indian equities came
under heavy selling pressure on Tuesday as surging oil prices, heightened
geopolitical tensions and weak global market cues rattled investor sentiment,
sending the benchmark Sensex tumbling 778 points and pushing the Nifty to its
lowest closing level in nearly five months.
The 30-share BSE
Sensex fell 777.94 points, or 1.04 per cent, to settle at 74,003.82, marking a
three-month low. The index, which opened on a positive note, gradually lost
momentum in late-morning trade as selling intensified across key sectors. It
touched an intraday low of 73,994.03, down 787.73 points, or 1.05 per cent,
from its previous close.
The broader NSE Nifty
also succumbed to the selling pressure, declining 279.50 points, or 1.19 per
cent, to close at 23,118.60. It was the Nifty’s lowest closing level since
April 6, reflecting growing concerns over the impact of elevated crude oil
prices on inflation, interest rates and corporate earnings.
The sell-off was
particularly pronounced in blue-chip banking, automobile and oil and gas
stocks, weighing heavily on the headline indices. Among the Sensex
constituents, Bharat Electronics was the biggest laggard, plunging around 6 per
cent. InterGlobe Aviation, Titan, Bajaj Finserv, Adani Ports, Mahindra &
Mahindra and State Bank of India also ended sharply lower.
However, the decline was cushioned to some extent by a strong performance in select information technology stocks. HCL Technologies surged 3.98 per cent, while Infosys gained 3.64 per cent. Tech Mahindra advanced 2.31 per cent, followed by Tata Consultancy Services, which rose 2.18 per cent. HDFC Bank also bucked the broader trend, climbing 1.27 per cent.
The sharp market correction comes as investors grapple with the prospect of persistent inflationary pressures from higher crude prices and the possibility of tighter monetary policy. With global markets also showing weakness and geopolitical risks remaining elevated, investors adopted a cautious stance, triggering broad-based selling in domestic equities.
