Investors Lose Over ₹5.5 Lakh Crore in Minutes as Markets Plunge on US Tariff Shock

Indian equity markets witnessed a sharp selloff on Thursday morning, wiping out over ₹5.5 lakh crore in investor wealth within the first 15 minutes of trade, following the announcement of fresh US tariffs that rattled global sentiment.

According to The Economic Times, the total market capitalisation of BSE-listed companies dropped to ₹453.3 lakh crore, down from the previous session’s levels, as panic gripped Dalal Street.

All major sectors were deep in the red, with oil and gas stocks bearing the brunt of the selloff. The BSE Sensex nosedived 786.36 points to open at 80,695.50, while the NSE Nifty slipped 212.80 points to 24,642.25.

Data from the exchanges also revealed that Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth ₹850.04 crore on Wednesday, adding further pressure on the markets.

Among the worst-hit were oil companies, including Indian Oil Corporation, BPCL, Mahanagar Gas, ONGC, and Gujarat Gas, all of which opened in negative territory.

Heavyweights such as Reliance Industries, Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Bharti Airtel, Titan, and State Bank of India also suffered significant losses in early trading. However, a few stocks like Hindustan Unilever, Power Grid, and Eternal bucked the trend and traded in the green.

Globally, Asian markets painted a mixed picture. South Korea’s Kospi, Shanghai’s SSE Composite, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng were in the red, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 remained in positive territory, as per PTI.

Meanwhile, in currency markets, the Indian rupee showed a mild recovery after hitting an all-time low. It appreciated by 14 paise to trade at 87.66 against the US dollar in early hours. The rupee had opened at 87.66 and briefly touched a low of 87.74 during initial trade at the interbank foreign exchange market.