India’s BSE Sensex edged down 0.1% to 78,422 on Monday, giving back gains from the previous session as broad-based weakness overshadowed upbeat quarterly results from major private lenders HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank. Market sentiment was weighed by renewed US–Iran tensions following the US seizure of an Iranian cargo ship, which has rekindled concerns over a fragile ceasefire and heightened the risk of supply disruptions and increased oil price volatility.
Investors were also awaiting India’s March infrastructure output data, due later in the day, after the indicator slowed to 2.3% in February. The reading is closely watched for its implications for overall economic activity and corporate earnings, especially in infrastructure-linked sectors such as industrials, materials, and banking.
Most sectors traded lower, with only producer manufacturing, utilities, and miscellaneous sectors managing to post gains. On the downside, early notable decliners included Indian Energy (-6.5%), Gujarat Mineral (-5.7%), and Jio Financial (-2.9%).
