India’s BSE Sensex extended its decline on Thursday, closing about 0.7% lower at 76,934 — its weakest finish since August 19 — and underperforming most other Asian markets. Selling pressure intensified toward the end of the session, dragging down almost all sectors, as investors stayed cautious amid persistent geopolitical uncertainty, despite Nvidia’s robust sales outlook.
Market participants shifted their focus to Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s upcoming speech at Jackson Hole for fresh signals on inflation, interest rates, and the broader policy trajectory. Any change in tone is seen as potentially pivotal for global risk sentiment and for capital flows into emerging markets.
Heavyweight HDFC Bank was among the biggest drags on the index, falling 2.1% after reports of a U.S. class-action lawsuit and ongoing uncertainty surrounding the tenure of CEO Sashidhar Jagdishan. Other major losers included NTPC (-2%), M&M (-1.8%), Bharti Airtel (-1.4%), HCL Tech (-1.4%), ITC (-1.3%), and Infosys (-1.3%).