Indian benchmark indices opened lower in early trade as selling pressure intensified in IT stocks, mirroring weakness in global technology shares. The S&P BSE Sensex slipped 216.98 points to 83,097, while the NSE Nifty50 fell 80.25 points to 25,562.55 by mid-morning trade, as investors remained cautious ahead of the Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decision on interest rates.

Market sentiment was weighed down by a broader risk-off mood across global markets. According to market experts, sharp declines in cryptocurrencies, precious metals and technology stocks have reduced risk appetite worldwide. The tech-heavy Nasdaq has weakened notably from its recent highs, adding pressure on Indian IT stocks that are closely linked to global technology spending trends.

In early trade, Bajaj Finance led the Sensex gainers, followed by Power Grid Corporation, Kotak Mahindra Bank, ICICI Bank and Bharti Airtel, all opening with modest gains. However, losses in heavyweight IT stocks dragged the market lower, with Tata Consultancy Services, Tech Mahindra and Infosys witnessing sharp declines. Weakness was also seen in select consumption and industrial stocks.

Experts caution that renewed selling by foreign institutional investors (FIIs), along with increased short positions in the derivatives market, signals further near-term volatility. While some strategists believe that a sustained cooling of the global AI trade could eventually benefit Indian markets in the medium term, they warn that further weakness in global tech stocks may be required before sentiment stabilises. For now, markets remain sensitive to global cues, RBI policy signals and foreign investor flows.