Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, May 6: Indian equity markets ended Tuesday’s session in the red as mounting geopolitical concerns led to broad-based selling and investor risk aversion across key sectors.

The benchmark BSE Sensex fell 155.77 points (0.19%) to close at 80,641.07, while the NSE Nifty shed 81.55 points (0.33%) to settle at 24,379.60, with mid- and small-cap stocks facing steeper losses.

Among major drags on the Sensex were Eternal (formerly Zomato), State Bank of India, Tata Motors, and NTPC, which declined between 1.94% and 3.15%. In contrast, select blue chips such as Bharti Airtel, Tata Steel, Mahindra & Mahindra, Hindustan Unilever, and Nestle India managed to post gains, with Bharti Airtel leading the pack, up 1.66%.

The broader market reflected deeper investor unease. The Nifty Midcap100 index tumbled 2.27%, while the Nifty Smallcap100 lost 2.50%, signaling heightened pressure on non-frontline stocks.

Sectorally, the downturn was nearly across the board. Except for Nifty Auto, all NSE sectoral indices ended lower, with the biggest hit coming in PSU banks. The Nifty PSU Bank index dropped 1.18%, with 11 of its 12 components closing lower. Bank of Baroda led the decline with a 10.91% plunge, followed by Union Bank of India and Bank of India, which slipped over 6% each.

Real estate stocks were also hammered. The Nifty Realty index dropped 3.58%, weighed down by a 6.36% fall in Godrej Properties and a 4.96% drop in Sobha Limited.

Adding to the market's nervous undertone, the India VIX — a key indicator of market volatility — spiked 3.58% to reach 19, reflecting heightened investor anxiety.

Market analysts attributed the decline to a mix of profit booking, escalating global tensions, and uncertainty over near-term triggers, prompting a cautious approach among participants.