India’s BSE Sensex slipped about 1.3% to around 74,335 in early trade on Friday, erasing gains from the previous two sessions as weakness in global markets and volatility in crude prices continued to weigh on sentiment amid the protracted US–Iran standoff.
US President Donald Trump announced a 10-day pause in US strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure, saying Tehran had requested the break to allow more time for diplomacy, with the pause now extended until April 6. Iran, however, denied making such a request and has publicly rejected US proposals, leaving the status of negotiations uncertain.
Trading was broadly weak across sectors, led by declines in financials, energy, and consumer stocks, while only technology and miscellaneous shares managed modest gains. Early notable losers included HDFC Bank (-2.1%), Shriram Finance (-3.7%), Reliance Industries (-2.4%), and Bajaj Auto (-1.2%).
For the week, the Sensex edged down 0.2%, bringing its month-to-date loss to 8.5%.
