India Pakistan tensions, Operation Sindoor impact:Investor wealth took a hit, plunging by Rs 7 lakh crore over the past two sessions, as escalating conflict between India and Pakistan made markets jittery and triggered a selloff. The NSE Nifty dropped 265.80 points, or 1.10 per cent, to settle at 24,008. The BSE Sensex fell for the second consecutive day on Friday, mirroring investor anxiety over rising geopolitical risks. The benchmark Sensex sank 880.34 points, or 1.10 per cent, to close at 79,454.47.In two sessions, the Sensex has lost 1,292.31 points or 1.60 per cent.The market capitalisation of BSE-listed companies eroded by Rs 7,09,783.32 crore, falling to Rs 4,16,40,850.46 crore (USD 4.86 trillion), as investors rushed to reduce exposure amid growing uncertainty.The selloff followed India’s swift response late Thursday to Pakistan’s renewed attempts to target military sites using drones and missiles in Jammu, Pathankot, and other regions—prompting fears of a broader conflict.“Rising tension due to the Indo-Pak conflict prompted investors to flee local equities, even though global indices remained relatively firm,” said Prashanth Tapse, Senior Vice President (Research), Mehta Equities Ltd.Among major Sensex laggards were ICICI Bank, Power Grid, UltraTech Cement, Bajaj Finance, HDFC Bank, Reliance Industries, Bajaj Finserv, and Adani Ports. On the other hand, Titan Company, Tata Motors, Larsen & Toubro, and State Bank of India posted gains.Sector-wise, the realty index was the worst hit, falling 2.08 per cent, followed by losses in utilities, financial services, power, bankex, FMCG, and services. However, capital goods, industrials, consumer durables, and metals posted gains.“While conflict was on the radar, the intensity has caught markets off guard. However, it’s still expected to be a short-lived escalation given India’s strategic advantage and the economic fragility of the adversary,” said Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services.Despite the volatility, Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) remained net buyers in Indian equities on Thursday, while retail investors appeared more cautious.On the BSE, 2,522 stocks declined, 1,343 advanced, and 145 remained unchanged, reflecting broad market weakness.
