Sensex plunged 1,742 points while Nifty dropped to 22,551, with all sectoral indices in the red and investor wealth of Rs. 8 lakh crore wiped out within minutes of market opening.
The market crash was driven by multiple pressures, including crude oil staying above $111, the rupee hitting a record low near 93.91, and sustained FPI selling crossing Rs. 1 lakh crore in 2026.
Metal, realty, and banking stocks led the decline, with major losers like Jindal Steel, SAIL, Lodha Developers, and HDFC Bank falling sharply due to sector-specific and corporate issues.
The stock market today took a severe beating as the US-Iran war entered its fourth week. It dragged Sensex down 1,742.58 points or 2.34% to 72,790.38. Nifty 50 dipped 563.30 points or 2.44% to 22,551.20 at press time. The sell-off was broad and brutal, with every single sectoral index in the red zone.
Midcap and smallcap indices also fell over 3% each, showing that the panic was not limited to large-caps. Investor wealth worth Rs. 8 lakh crore was wiped out in the opening minutes alone. BSE-listed firms' total market cap dropped from Rs. 429 lakh crore to Rs. 421 lakh crore. Rising crude oil prices, a collapsing rupee, relentless FPI selling, and spiking volatility all hit at once.
Here is everything you need to know about the stock market today, based on Moneycontrol Live Updates.
BSE Metal index shed more than 4%, making it the biggest loser on the stock market today. Jindal Steel share price fell 6.47%, SAIL dropped 6.36%, NMDC slid 5.25%, Hindustan Zinc lost 5%, and Tata Steel declined 4.27%. BSE Realty index also shed 4%, falling for a third straight session. Lodha Developers fell 5.64%, Sobha dropped 5.43%, and DLF lost 3.97%. Capital Goods and Consumer Durables also fell more than 4% each.
HDFC Bank, the heaviest stock in benchmark indices, fell around 3.75% to Rs. 751.15. The stock extended its two-session slide of 7.4% after chairman Atanu Chakraborty resigned, citing differences over personal values and internal practices. The bank also terminated three senior executives linked to lapses at its Dubai branch.
Keki Mistry has been named interim non-executive chairman for three months. The RBI clarified there are no material concerns about the bank's governance or financial position. SBI shares fell 3.6% after the lender received a Rs. 6,337 crore tax demand from the Income Tax Department for the assessment year 2023-24.
Here is a table showing the most active stocks, top gainers and losers on Nifty 50 based on Moneycontrol data.
| Most Active Stocks (% Change) | Top Gainers (% Change) | Top Losers (% Change) |
|---|---|---|
| HDFC Bank (-3.95%) | HCL Tech (+1.35%) | Shriram Finance (-6.68%) |
| Larsen (-3.64%) | Tech Mahindra (+1.23%) | Interglobe Avi (-5.61%) |
| Reliance (-1.02%) | ONGC (+0.47%) | Jio Financial (-5.06%) |
| ICICI Bank (-1.57%) | Power Grid Corp (+0.15%) | Adani Enterprise (-5.02%) |
Indian rupee opened at a fresh record low of 93.83 per dollar and was trading at 93.91 by mid-session. It was down 20 paise from March 20’s close of 93.70. India's forex reserves also fell sharply by $7.052 billion to $709.76 billion for the week ending March 13.
Gold prices today fell sharply across global and domestic markets. Spot gold dropped 3.3% to $4,340.09 per ounce, close to wiping out its entire year-to-date gain, and was on its ninth straight session of losses. MCX gold fell as much as Rs. 8,089 or 5.59% to Rs. 1,36,403 per 10 grams. MCX silver prices crashed 6% or Rs. 13,606 to Rs. 2,13,166 per kg. The sell-off in gold is being driven by rising inflation expectations, which reduce the appeal of non-yielding assets.
Brent crude eased slightly to $111.43 a barrel, while WTI crude traded near $98.10. Crude has jumped over 60% since the US-Iran-Israel conflict began on February 28, up from around $70 a barrel to over $112 today, creating significant pressure on India's import bill and corporate margins.
DCX Systems surged 11% to Rs. 181.85 after bagging a Rs. 563.5 crore purchase order for Maritime Patrol Radar (MPR) systems. Adani Green Energy operationalised 510.1 MW of power projects at Khavda, Gujarat, taking its total renewable capacity to 17,982.3 MW. Kotak Mahindra Bank is close to finalising a Rs. 4,500 crore deal for Deutsche Bank's India retail business, covering a portfolio worth Rs. 27,000 crore. Voltas shares fell nearly 7% to Rs. 1,231.70, their biggest single-day fall in a year. Titan dropped 4.21% to Rs. 3,935.15, its steepest fall in eight months.
Foreign Portfolio Investors have now sold Rs. 1,01,527 crore worth of Indian equities in 2026 so far, with Rs. 88,180 crore of that flowing out in March alone. On March 20 alone, FIIs net sold Rs. 5,518 crore. Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) stepped in, net buying Rs. 5,703 crore on the same day, but have not been able to fully offset FPI pressure.
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The stock market today remains deeply cautious. Nifty's next support sits at 22,500, while 23,400 acts as near-term resistance. Until the US-Iran conflict de-escalates and FPI outflows reverse, analysts expect a sell-on-rise market. Rupee depreciation may offer some relief to pharma and auto exporters, while IT stocks could see a bounce. Investors should keep an eye on global developments to gauge the market’s next direction.
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Brent crude oil is trading around $111.43 per barrel, while WTI crude is near $98.10. Oil prices have surged more than 60% since the start of the US-Iran-Israel conflict. This sharp rise has increased concerns about inflation and higher import costs for countries like India, which directly impacts stock market sentiment.
The Indian stock market is falling due to a mix of global and domestic factors. Rising oil prices, a weakening rupee, and heavy selling by foreign investors have created strong pressure. In addition, global tensions from the US-Iran conflict have increased uncertainty. All these factors together have pushed investors to sell, leading to a sharp market decline.
The biggest losers today are mainly from the metal, real estate, and banking sectors. Stocks like Jindal Steel, SAIL, NMDC, and Hindustan Zinc fell sharply. Realty stocks such as Lodha Developers, Sobha, and DLF also declined. Banking stocks like HDFC Bank and SBI were under pressure due to internal issues and regulatory developments.
Even during the broad market crash, a few stocks managed to stay in the green. HCL Tech and Tech Mahindra showed gains of over 1%, supported by stability in the IT sector. ONGC and Power Grid also posted small gains. These stocks benefited from sector-specific strength and defensive investor positioning during the volatility.
The latest share market news highlights a sharp crash in benchmark indices, record rupee weakness, and continued heavy FPI selling. Key updates include leadership changes at HDFC Bank, SBI facing a large tax demand, and corporate developments like DCX Systems winning a major order and Adani Green expanding capacity. Overall sentiment remains cautious due to global tensions.