Sensex, Nifty Slip in Early Trade as Blue-Chip Selling Weighs; Tariff Concerns Add Pressure

Benchmark Indices Open Lower​

Indian equity benchmarks opened on a weak note on Tuesday, with the Sensex and Nifty slipping in early trade as heavy selling in select blue-chip stocks weighed on market sentiment. Fresh concerns around the possibility of higher US tariffs on India added to the cautious tone.

The 30-share Sensex declined 431.95 points to 85,007.67 in early deals, while the Nifty fell 105.6 points to trade at 26,144.70.

Blue-Chips Drag Markets Lower​

Among Sensex constituents, Trent tumbled over 7 percent despite reporting a 17 percent year-on-year growth in standalone revenue to Rs 5,220 crore for the December quarter.

Other stocks that remained under pressure included Reliance Industries, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, Eternal, HDFC Bank, and Adani Ports.

Select Stocks Buck the Trend​

Buying interest was seen in a few counters, with ICICI Bank, Bajaj Finserv, Asian Paints, and Tata Steel trading higher in early trade.

Institutional Activity Remains Mixed​

Foreign institutional investors were net sellers in the previous session, offloading equities worth Rs 36.25 crore after a brief pause. In contrast, domestic institutional investors continued to provide support, purchasing shares worth Rs 1,764.07 crore.

Global and Macro Cues​

Market sentiment stayed guarded amid ongoing volatility linked to geopolitical developments and tariff-related uncertainties. At the same time, stable domestic macro conditions and consistent institutional participation continued to offer some underlying support.

Concerns resurfaced after US President Donald Trump indicated that Washington could raise tariffs on India quickly, expressing dissatisfaction over India’s purchases of Russian oil.

Overseas Markets and Commodities​

Asian markets were largely positive, with South Korea’s Kospi, Japan’s Nikkei 225, Shanghai’s SSE Composite, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng trading higher. US markets ended the previous session on a firm note.

Brent crude prices eased marginally, dipping 0.24 percent to USD 61.61 per barrel.

Previous Session Recap​

On Monday, the Sensex had declined 322.39 points, or 0.38 percent, to close at 85,439.62. The Nifty, after hitting a record intra-day high of 26,373.20, failed to sustain gains and ended 78.25 points, or 0.30 percent, lower at 26,250.30.