Stock Markets Crash for Third Day; Sensex Falls 1,470 Points, Nifty Drops 488

Indian stock markets witnessed a sharp decline for the third consecutive day on March 13, mainly due to rising global tensions following the Israel–Iran conflict.

The BSE Sensex, which opened at 75,444.22, dropped nearly 1,000 points during early trade. By the end of the session, the Sensex plunged 1,470.50 points (1.93%) to close at 74,563.92.

Similarly, the NSE Nifty fell 488.05 points (2.06%) to settle at 23,151.10.

Reports indicate that investors lost around ₹9.5 lakh crore in market value in a single day, and this week is being described as the worst week for the stock market in the past four years.

The Nifty Midcap and Smallcap indices also declined sharply by 2.62% and 2.52% respectively.

Sector-wise, the Nifty Metal index dropped about 5%, while most other sectors ended in negative territory. Among the Sensex 30 stocks, only Hindustan Unilever and Bharti Airtel closed in the green, while the rest declined.

Meanwhile, Brent crude oil prices rose slightly by 0.25% to $100.7 per barrel, adding pressure on global markets.

The Indian rupee also weakened against the US dollar, falling to 92.44.

Overall, the markets have been under pressure for three consecutive weeks, with reports suggesting that more than ₹20 lakh crore in market value has been wiped out this week alone.