The Indian stock market's losing streak extended for a fifth consecutive session on Thursday, as widespread selling pressure dragged the benchmark indices significantly lower. A final-hour sell-off erased the day's recovery, with the Nifty 50 closing below the crucial 24,900 mark amid persistent concerns over the U.S. H-1B visa fee hike and a potential JLR cyberattack impacting Tata Motors.
The S&P BSE Sensex plummeted 555.95 points (0.68%) to settle at 81,159.68. The NSE Nifty 50 also saw a sharp decline, falling 166.05 points (0.66%) to end the day at 24,890.85.
Key Market Highlights
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Sensex: Closed at 81,159.68, down by 556 points.
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Nifty 50: Ended the session below the 24,900 level.
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Market Sentiment: The bears tightened their grip on Dalal Street, with selling seen across most sectors. The broader markets also faced significant pressure, with the Nifty Midcap 100 and Smallcap 100 indices declining by 0.7% each. More than 90 stocks on the BSE hit their 52-week lows, including prominent names like TCS and Praj Industries.
Top Gainers and Losers
While metal and select defence stocks saw buying interest, auto and IT heavyweights were among the biggest drags on the market.
| Top Gainers |
Top Losers |
| Bharat Electronics (BEL) |
Tata Motors |
| Hindalco Industries |
Trent |
| Axis Bank |
Shriram Finance |
| ONGC |
Power Grid |
| Hero MotoCorp |
TCS |
Sectoral Performance
The metal sector was the lone survivor in a sea of red, with most other indices ending with significant losses.
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Top Gainer: The Nifty Metal index was the only sectoral gainer, closing with a modest rise of 0.22%.
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Top Losers: The Nifty Realty index was the worst performer for the second day in a row, falling by 1.65%. The Nifty Consumer Durables, Auto, Power, and IT indices also dropped by around 1% each.
Major News and Stock-Specific Action
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Tata Motors Plunges on JLR Cyberattack Fears: Tata Motors was a top Nifty 50 loser, falling 2.7%. The decline was fueled by reports suggesting that a recent cyberattack on its subsidiary, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), could result in a revenue loss of over £3.5 billion.
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Defence Stocks Rally: Defence sector stocks, including Bharat Electronics (BEL) and Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL), rose up to 3%. The rally was driven by the Defence Ministry signing a massive ₹62,370 crore deal with HAL for 97 LCA Tejas Mk-1A jets.
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Hindustan Copper Jumps: Shares of Hindustan Copper surged 6.5% after copper prices hit a multi-month high in the international market.
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Polycab India Slips on Block Deal: Polycab India shares declined 2% following a large block deal in which a promoter group entity likely sold shares.
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KPI Green Energy Gains: KPI Green Energy shares gained 2% after the company secured a sanction of ₹3,200 crore from the State Bank of India.
IPO Market Update
The primary market remained active with the closure of 4 Mainboard IPOs and several others seeing continued investor interest.
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IPO Closures: The public subscription for the IPOs of Seshaasai Technologies, Jaro Institute of Technology, Solarworld Energy Solutions and Anand Rathi Share and Stock Brokers closed today, September 25.
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Ongoing IPOs: The IPO market in 2025 has seen a strong comeback, with 145 listings so far, marking a significant revival after a subdued start to the year.
Global Market Summary
Global stocks paused their recent rally as bond yields crept higher and investors awaited further cues from U.S. economic data.
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Global Stocks: Asian markets took a breather, and European stocks were muted. Overnight, Wall Street had posted its second consecutive decline as investors booked profits from record highs.
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U.S. Market Outlook: Investor attention is now shifting to the U.S. Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) report, the Fed's preferred inflation gauge, and the final second-quarter GDP data. The possibility of a U.S. government shutdown also remains a key concern.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why did the market fall for the fifth straight day?
The market's decline was driven by continued profit-booking after a recent strong rally. Negative sentiment from a potential multi-billion-dollar hit to Tata Motors' JLR and the lingering impact of the U.S. visa fee hike on IT stocks further dampened the mood.
Which stock was the top loser today and why?
Tata Motors was among the top Nifty 50 losers, falling 2.7%. The drop was due to concerns that its subsidiary, Jaguar Land Rover, could face a significant financial impact from a recent cyberattack.
Which sectors were the most affected?
The Nifty Realty index was the worst performer, falling 1.65%. The Auto, Power, and IT sectors also saw significant declines of around 1% each.
What's the latest in the IPO market?
The IPO market is very active. The subscription windows for the Seshaasai Technologies, Jaro Institute of Technology, Solarworld Energy Solutions and Anand Rathi Share and Stock Brokers IPOs closed today. The IPO market has seen a strong revival in 2025, with 145 companies already listed.