Stock Market Mayhem Continues: Nifty Down 260 Pts, Sensex Crashes 900 Pts: Hindalco, Tata Steel, JSW Top Loser

Stock Market Crash: The Indian stock market continued to decline for the third straight session as the ongoing Iran-US war and escalating tensions in the Middle East continued to spook investors. Nifty 50 opened 290 points lower, whereas Sensex was down 900 points, mirroring the weaker sentiment prevailing across the global market.

As the Indian stock market crash continued on Friday, March 13, Hindalco, LT, Tata Steel, JSW Steel, TMPV, BEL, IndiGo, etc, emerged as the top Nifty 50 losers during Friday's opening trading session.

Stock Market Crash

The weakness in the Indian stock market came as investors continued to remain concerned about the spill over effect of the Iran-US war, oil supply crisis due to Strait of Hormuz closure, etc.

" Concerns around energy supply disruptions intensified with Brent crude surged nearly 9% to above $100 per barrel, following reports that Iranian explosive-laden boats had struck two fuel-oil tankers and oil ports had halted operations. The developments added to supply worries amid the ongoing U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran," stated Siddhartha Khemka - Head of Research, Wealth Management, Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd.

Elevated Crude Oil Prices To Keep Investors On Edge

The elevated crude prices and geopolitical uncertainty is likely to keep sentiment cautious, however, any positive developments indicating the end of Iran-US war and improvement of the geopolitical tensions may improve the investors sentiment.

"Elevated crude prices and geopolitical uncertainty may keep sentiment cautious in the near term, while any stabilisation in global conditions or signs of de-escalation in the conflict could help moderate outflows and support a gradual return of foreign flows into Indian equities," added Khemka.

India's CPI Inflation Jumps In February

India's year-on-year retail inflation rate based on the consumer price index (CPI) surged to 3.21% in February on account of rising food inflation, as data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation on Thursday, March 12. Subsequently, firm gold and silver prices contributed in keeping the core inflation higher. CPI Inflation, also known as retail inflation, remained at 2.74% in January 2026.

Weak Global Market Sentiment

Globally, sentiment remained mixed. US and European index futures inched higher, signalling some tentative optimism, while Asian markets stayed under stress. Japan's Nikkei 225 dropped 2% and the broader Topix slipped 1.4%. South Korea's Kospi declined almost 3%, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was down 0.7%.

The SSE Composite Index in Shanghai closes at 4,120.14, lower by 0.22 percent. Japan's Nikkei 225 falls 648.78 points, or 1.19 percent, to 53,804.18. The HANG SENG INDEX in Hong Kong ends at 25,593.25, down 0.48 percent within a day range of 25,475.44 to 25,697.17.