Indian equity markets opened Tuesday, February 24, on a distinctly weak footing as global risk aversion spilled over into domestic trading. Benchmarks slipped sharply at the opening bell, reflecting investor unease over renewed uncertainty around US trade policy and a broader pullback in global equities. The early sell-off was broad-based, with declines visible across heavyweight stocks as well as the wider market.
Heavy selling pressure dominated early trade. The Nifty 50 began the session around 25,640, down about 70–75 points, while the BSE Sensex opened near 83,050, slipping roughly 230–240 points from its previous close. The weak start reflected lingering global uncertainty and a cautious risk-off mood at the opening bell.
The negative tone was set by overnight losses on Wall Street, where concerns over fresh tariff measures and their potential impact on global growth weighed heavily on sentiment. Asian markets largely followed suit, offering little support to Indian equities. Against this backdrop, traders moved quickly to cut exposure, particularly in sectors seen as vulnerable to external shocks, reinforcing the risk-off mood at the start of the session.
"Escalating US-Iran geopolitical tensions have heightened concerns over potential oil supply disruptions, while the rollout of Trump’s 10-15% global tariffs from today has injected fresh uncertainty into export-oriented sectors, despite recent calibrations in the US-India trade understanding," said R Ponmudi, a senior market analyst and CEO at broking and wealth tech firm Enrich Money.
Information technology stocks bore the brunt of the selling pressure, extending recent underperformance as worries over slowing global demand and structural challenges continued to cloud the outlook for the sector. Export-oriented stocks more broadly were also under pressure, reflecting fears that prolonged trade uncertainty could weigh on earnings visibility. Cyclical sectors such as autos and metals joined the decline, adding to the drag on headline indices.
The opening weakness also reflected heightened caution ahead of key derivatives-related activity later in the week, which tends to amplify volatility and encourage short-term positioning. With global cues unsettled and no immediate domestic triggers to offset the external headwinds, investors appeared reluctant to step in aggressively on the buy side during early trade.
That said, the market action suggested selling was driven more by sentiment than by any fundamental deterioration in the domestic outlook. Pockets of resilience were visible in select stocks with company-specific catalysts, indicating that investors remain willing to differentiate even in a falling market. However, such buying interest was limited and insufficient to counter the broader downward momentum.
Overall, the opening trend on Tuesday underscored the fragile balance in Indian markets, where improving domestic fundamentals continue to be overshadowed, at least in the near term, by global uncertainties. Until there is greater clarity on international trade developments and stability in global equities, market participants are likely to remain cautious, favouring selective exposure and capital preservation over aggressive risk-taking.
