24.02.202611:33:39UTC+00Sensex Closes at Over 3-Week Low

India’s BSE Sensex closed about 1.2% lower at 82,320 on Tuesday, its weakest finish since early February, snapping a two-session winning streak. The decline was broad-based and led by IT stocks, as persistent global worries about AI-driven disruption weighed on sentiment. US-based AI company Anthropic recently unveiled advanced tools that automate coding, documentation, and data-related tasks — services that have traditionally been core offerings of Indian IT firms.

Auto and banking stocks also came under pressure amid renewed uncertainty over US tariff policy and ongoing geopolitical risks. Although foreign investors have been returning to Indian equities in recent weeks, their buying has been concentrated in sectors more closely tied to domestic growth.

Among the major laggards, Tech Mahindra slumped 6.3% and HCL Technologies fell 5.8%, while Infosys and TCS declined 3.6% and 3.5%, respectively. In the banking space, HDFC Bank (-1.3%), ICICI Bank (-1%), and Axis Bank (-0.2%) also finished lower. On the upside, NTPC gained 2.1% and Hindustan Unilever advanced 0.9%, highlighting a rotation toward defensive names and select cyclicals.