India Market Daily — 2026-04-30
Indian benchmark indices ended Thursday's session deep in the red, with the BSE Sensex falling 582.86 points to close at 76,913.50 and the Nifty 50 slipping below 24,000, dragged down by surging crude oil prices hitting multi-year highs and escalating geopolitical tensions stemming from the US-Iran conflict. Realty and financial stocks were the biggest drags, while select IT and pharma names held ground. FII outflows continued to weigh on sentiment, with domestic institutional investors providing only partial support.
India Market Daily — 2026-04-30
Market Snapshot
| Index | Close | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nifty 50 | Below 24,000 | Negative | ~−1.5% |
| Sensex | 76,913.50 | −582.86 | ~−0.75% |
| Bank Nifty | Lower | Negative | Dragged by Axis Bank |
| Nifty IT | Higher | Positive | Infosys, Tech Mahindra gained |
| Nifty Pharma | Higher | Positive | Sun Pharma gained |
Note: Intraday lows were significantly deeper — Sensex was down over 1,200 points at 76,280.45 around 10:58 am before partially recovering.
Top Gainers & Losers
Gainers
- Bajaj Auto — Rose amid broader auto sector resilience; one of the top Nifty gainers on the day.
- Sun Pharma — Pharma sector bucked the negative trend; Sun Pharma featured as a top gainer.
- Infosys — IT stocks outperformed the broader market; Infosys closed higher.
- Tech Mahindra — Gained alongside the IT pack as technology stocks provided refuge from geopolitical headwinds.
- Bajaj Finance — Financial sector was broadly weak, but Bajaj Finance managed to end in the green.
Losers
- Tata Motors (Passenger Vehicles) — Auto giant saw significant selling pressure, among top Nifty losers.
- Hindalco Industries — Metal stocks faced headwinds; Hindalco was among the session's biggest decliners.
- Eternal — Featured among top Nifty losers on the day.
- HUL (Hindustan Unilever) — FMCG heavyweight slipped; among notable losers.
- Axis Bank — Financial and banking stocks weighed on the indices; Axis Bank was a key loser.
FII & DII Activity
| Category | Net Buy/Sell (₹ Cr) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| FII (Foreign) | Net Selling | Persistent outflow streak continuing |
| DII (Domestic) | Net Buying | Providing partial cushion against FII exit |
FII outflows have been persistent, with foreign investors pulling money out amid the crude oil shock and geopolitical uncertainty around the US-Iran conflict; domestic institutional investors have been providing a partial buffer but have been unable to fully offset the selling pressure from overseas funds.
Sector Performance
- Banking & Financials: Dragged indices lower; Axis Bank among major losers, though Bajaj Finance bucked the trend.
- IT: Outperformed — Infosys and Tech Mahindra were top gainers, providing the market's brightest spot.
- Pharma: Resilient — Sun Pharma gained, with the sector acting as a defensive haven.
- Auto: Mixed — Bajaj Auto gained but Tata Motors was a major laggard.
- FMCG: Weak — HUL among notable losers.
- Realty: Dragged lower; identified as one of the key sectors pulling the market down.
- Metals: Under pressure — Hindalco Industries was one of the session's biggest losers.
IT and Pharma led gains, acting as defensive sectors amid the broader selloff. Realty and Metals lagged the most, with rising crude oil and global risk-off sentiment hitting commodity-linked and rate-sensitive sectors hardest.
Key Market Movers
1. Crude Oil Prices Hit Multi-Year Highs Brent crude surged to levels last seen in 2022, acting as the primary driver of Thursday's market selloff. Rising oil prices stoke inflation fears, widen India's trade deficit, and put further pressure on the rupee, creating a trifecta of headwinds for the economy. The sharp intraday decline — with Sensex down over 1,200 points at its worst — was directly attributed to crude's surge.
2. US-Iran Geopolitical Tensions Escalate Escalating tensions between the US and Iran continued to roil markets, with fears of potential disruption to oil shipping lanes adding a risk premium to crude prices. The conflict has been a persistent overhang on Indian equities, given India's dependence on Middle East oil supplies.
3. State Election Exit Polls Inject Political Uncertainty Exit polls for the second phase of state assembly elections were due on the evening of April 29, adding a domestic political dimension to market volatility. Analysts had flagged that election outcomes could add to market swings going into Thursday's and Friday's sessions.
4. Rupee Under Continued Pressure The rupee hit fresh lows during Thursday's session, with Moneycontrol reporting the currency touching 95.26 against the dollar intraday. Sustained FII outflows and high crude oil import bills have been the primary culprits for the currency's steep slide, according to analysis by The Hindu BusinessLine.
5. GDP Growth Risk from Oil Shock EY warned on April 29 that India's GDP growth could slip to 6% in FY27 if Indian crude oil averages $120 per barrel — down sharply from the RBI's earlier projection of 6.9%. The RBI had already revised its growth forecast to 6.9% for FY27 at its last monetary policy review, compared with an estimated 7.6% in FY26, citing Middle East conflict risks.
Macro & Global Cues
- Rupee: USD/INR hit a fresh low of 95.26 intraday during Thursday's session, reflecting sustained FII outflows and elevated crude oil import costs.
- Crude Oil: Brent crude climbed to multi-year highs last seen in 2022, directly triggering the day's equity selloff and raising fears of wider current account and fiscal deficits for India.
- US Markets: The US Federal Reserve maintained a cautious stance, which — combined with the ongoing Middle East conflict — kept global risk appetite suppressed and contributed to FII selling in emerging markets including India.
- Bond Yields: No specific India 10Y yield data available for this session.
Global factors are combining to create a challenging environment for Indian markets: surging crude oil prices raise inflation and current account deficit concerns, a cautious Fed limits the scope for global risk appetite recovery, and the escalating US-Iran conflict keeps geopolitical risk premium elevated. The rupee's weakness adds an additional layer of pressure by making FII equity returns less attractive in dollar terms.
What to Watch Tomorrow
- State Election Results: Assembly election results following exit polls will be closely watched — exit polls suggested a neck-and-neck fight in Bengal and advantage DMK+ in Tamil Nadu; actual results could trigger sharp moves in either direction.
- Crude Oil Price Trajectory: Any further escalation in US-Iran tensions or signals of Hormuz strait disruption could push Brent higher, extending pressure on Indian equities, the rupee, and inflation expectations.
- Rupee Stabilisation vs. Further Slide: The currency's reaction to election results and crude moves will be critical; a sustained breach of 95.26 could accelerate FII outflows and further equity selling.
- FII/DII Flow Data: Watch for whether FII selling intensifies or moderates after the election outcome, and whether DIIs step up their buying to provide market support.
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