Benchmark Indian stock indices opened lower on Monday, reflecting a cautious start to the week as global developments weighed on investor sentiment.

As of 9:40 am, the S&P BSE Sensex fell 442.24 points to 83,128.11, while the NSE Nifty50 dropped 138.00 points to 25,556.35.

Dr. VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Investments, noted that global markets are likely to remain volatile in the near term due to geopolitical and geoeconomic developments. “The impact of President Trump’s policies on international trade and global economic growth is still uncertain. How European nations respond to the proposed Greenland tariffs will be key,” he said.

Among early movers, Tech Mahindra led the gainers with a 3.19% rise, followed by IndiGo (3.15%), Hindustan Unilever (1.07%), Axis Bank (1.04%), and Bajaj Finance (0.86%). On the downside, ICICI Bank fell 3.01%, Reliance Industries dropped 2.21%, Infosys declined 1.16%, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries slipped 0.85%, and Adani Ports & SEZ was down 0.84%.

Vijayakumar added that if Trump proceeds with the proposed 10% tariffs on eight European countries from February 1 and increases them to 25% from June 1, a trade war could ensue, negatively impacting global trade and markets. However, he also noted that past precedents suggest such threats may be postponed or softened.

For long-term investors, the current volatility can provide selective buying opportunities in high-quality large-cap stocks that are likely to withstand short-term market shocks.