Debasis Mohapatra
Bengaluru, 30 April 2026
Indian equity market indices, Sensex and Nifty started Thursday trade on a negative note as fears of escalation in Middle East pushed up crude oil prices.
Nifty was down 1.43% (346 points) to trade at 23,829 at 10.15 AM (IST), while Sensex was down 1.42% to trade at 76,394.
Major factors influencing the investors’ behaviour was the surge in crude oil prices. Brent crude futures hit 4-year high of $124.67 per barrel as possibility of escalation in US-Iran emerged with reports suggesting that US & Israel could strike Iran again.
As crude oil price surged, Indian rupee again became the casualty. Rupee fell to a record low of 95.23 per US dollar in the early morning trade.
With monetary easing off the table amid inflation fears, Indian markets are bracing for a volatile session on Thursday.
