Stock market closing bell: What led to Sensex, Nifty crash today? Most impacted shares - Top losers and gainers list (24 Feb)

Indian equity benchmarks witnessed a sharp decline on Tuesday, weighed down by losses in technology, real estate and other heavyweight stocks amid resurfacing global trade concerns.

The 30-share BSE Sensex pack plunged 1,068.74 points or 1.28 per cent to close at 82,225.92. The NSE Nifty50 index also ended lower, falling 288.35 points or 1.12 per cent to settle at 25,424.65.

The sell-off eroded over Rs 3.3 lakh crore in investor wealth during the afternoon session. BSE market capitalisation (m-cap) dropped by Rs 3.33 lakh crore to Rs 465.85 lakh crore from Rs 469.19 lakh crore in the previous session.

Heavyweight stocks such as HDFC Bank Ltd, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), Bharti Airtel and ICICI Bank dragged the benchmark indices lower. IT majors including Infosys Ltd, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), HCL Technologies Ltd and Tech Mahindra Ltd also weighed on sentiment. Other key losers included Bharti Airtel Ltd, Eternal Ltd and Trent Ltd. The entire realty index ended the session in the red.

Among individual stocks, CarTrade Tech Ltd, SpiceJet Ltd, Le Travenues Technology Ltd, L&T Technology Services Ltd and Affle 3I Ltd emerged as top losers, falling up to 11.09 per cent. On the other hand, Natco Pharma Ltd, Fine Organic Industries Ltd, SKF India Ltd, Blue Jet Healthcare Ltd and Endurance Technologies Ltd gained up to 5.74 per cent.

The broader market also ended on a weak note. The Nifty Midcap 100 declined 0.32 per cent, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 fell 0.55 per cent.

Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Investments, said, "Domestic markets registered a sharp decline, led by significant weakness in IT stocks amid renewed global concerns over AI-driven disruption and margin pressures for traditional service providers. Global trade and tariff worries resurfaced as well, with additional pressure arising from Trump's warnings on trade deals and reports of possible national-security tariffs. Realty stocks also came under strain on expectations that prolonged stress in the IT sector could weigh on real estate demand and valuations. Meanwhile, escalating US–Iran tensions, marked by embassy staff evacuations and Iran's warnings of wider regional escalation, intensified risk aversion. Overall, markets remain highly sensitive to geopolitical risks and sector-specific pressures, driving investors toward defensive, domestically focused segments."

For Nifty50, Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money, stated, "The index maintained a negative bias today, slipping below its key EMAs and breaking immediate support levels, falling under 25,500 and marking an intraday low near 25,328. The index continued to form a clear lower-high, lower-low structure, with every recovery attempt facing selling pressure. The 25,500–25,600 zone remains a crucial resistance band; a decisive breakout above this area could trigger short covering toward 25,700, while a sustained move below 25,300 may intensify downside momentum toward 25,200 or lower."