Sensex Drops 2.4% on Mar 23; SBIN, BEL & More in Red

Indian equity markets witnessed a sharp decline during the morning session on March 23, 2026, with the benchmark BSE Sensex falling significantly amid widespread selling across sectors. 

At around 10:21 AM, the index was trading at 72,752.45, down by 1,780.51 points or 2.39%. The market opened lower at 73,732.58 and continued to remain under pressure during early trade, touching an intraday low of 72,760.75.

Market Performance

The Sensex had closed the previous session at 74,532.96 but opened sharply lower. The index also recorded an intraday high of 73,732.58 before sliding further. The decline was largely driven by heavy selling in banking, financial and metal stocks, which weighed on the broader market indices.

Sectoral indices also reflected similar weakness, with the BSE Bankex trading at 58,334.64, down by 1,838.67 points or 3.06%. Meanwhile, the BSE Sensex 50 index declined 572.58 points or 2.37% to trade at 23,578.93, indicating pressure across large-cap stocks.

Stocks Showing Gains

Despite the overall market weakness, some information technology stocks managed to remain in positive territory. Shares of HCLTech were trading around ₹1,343, gaining 0.67%, while Tata Consultancy Services rose 0.53% to ₹2,403.25. Similarly, Tech Mahindra was marginally higher by 0.23% at ₹1,388.05.

Major Declining Stocks

Several large-cap stocks witnessed notable declines during the session. Shares of State Bank of India fell 3.96% to ₹1,016.50, while Bharat Electronics Limited dropped 4.12% to ₹408.50. Financial services major Bajaj Finance declined 4.42%, and jewellery retailer Titan Company slipped 4.44%.

Other stocks such as Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone and Tata Steel also witnessed losses of 4.51% and 4.75%, respectively.

Conclusion

Overall, the sharp fall in the Sensex during the session highlights continued volatility in the equity markets. Weakness in banking, financial and metal stocks weighed heavily on the benchmark indices, while limited gains in IT stocks provided only modest support. Market participants are likely to closely monitor global cues, sectoral movements and investor sentiment in the upcoming sessions.

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