Blood Bath in Indian Markets: ₹20 Lakh Crore Lost as Sensex Crashes 2900 Points, Nifty Below 21,800

In a dramatic start to the trading week, Indian benchmark indices witnessed a massive sell-off on Monday, April 7, as fears of a global trade war triggered a steep fall in equities worldwide.

The BSE Sensex plummeted 3,379.19 points or 4.48% to open at ₹71,985.50, while the Nifty 50 dropped 901.05 points or 3.93% to ₹22,003.40, marking their worst opening since March 2020.

The sell-off followed renewed concerns over U.S. President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff policies, which rattled global investor sentiment over the weekend.

Wall Street futures tumbled nearly 4% on Sunday evening, sending shockwaves through the Asia-Pacific region, where major benchmarks fell between 4% and 6%.

₹20 Lakh Crore Wiped Out as Bears Dominate the Market

The rout wasn’t limited to frontline indices. The Nifty Midcap index slumped 4%, while the Nifty Smallcap index tanked 5%. Market volatility soared, with India VIX surging over 52%, reflecting heightened investor anxiety. The sharp downturn wiped out around ₹20 lakh crore in market capitalisation on the NSE.

Market analysts said the panic selling was part of a broader “risk-off” sentiment across global markets, with investors rushing to reduce exposure amid escalating trade tensions. Traders are expected to remain cautious as global developments unfold.

Sectoral Bloodbath: 12 Nifty Stocks Hit 52-Week Lows

All 50 stocks on the Nifty index opened in the red, with 80% of them posting losses of over 4%. Trent emerged as the biggest loser, falling over 13.5%, followed by Tata Steel (−9%), Tata Motors (−7.6%), and ONGC and Hindalco (over −6% each).

Other heavyweights including HCL Tech, L&T, Tech Mahindra, Infosys, Bajaj Auto, and TCS shed more than 5% each. Stocks like Hero Moto, Adani Enterprises, Jio Financial, Shriram Finance, Wipro, RIL, Adani Ports, Coal India, Kotak Bank, and IndusInd Bank also registered losses exceeding 3.5%.

Twelve Nifty stocks were trading at their 52-week lows, including Tata Motors, Titan, Bajaj Auto, TCS, RIL, ONGC, Hindalco, L&T, Hero Moto, Dr Reddy’s, Infosys, and Cipla.

Metals and IT Lead the Fall

The Nifty Metal index was the worst hit, plunging over 7% amid worries about reduced global demand and retaliatory tariffs. The Nifty IT index followed closely, declining nearly 6% as fears of a global recession weighed on export-driven tech companies.

The Nifty Auto and Nifty Realty indices also dropped 5% each. The Nifty Bank, Nifty Financial Services, Nifty PSU Bank, and Nifty Private Bank indices all fell over 3%. Meanwhile, the Nifty Pharma and Nifty FMCG indices showed relative resilience, losing 2.7% and 1.6%, respectively.

Conclusion 

Monday’s steep sell-off underscores the vulnerability of Indian equities to global shocks, especially amid rising geopolitical and economic uncertainties. The massive erosion of ₹20 lakh crore in market wealth reflects deep investor unease, with all major sectors and indices reeling under pressure.

Until clarity emerges on global trade tensions, particularly involving the U.S., markets are likely to remain volatile, prompting investors to adopt a cautious and risk-averse approach in the near term.

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