Indian Stock Market Today: Sensex Falls 300 Pts, Metals Tumble

Indian stock market today: Sensex down 299.99 pts (0.39%) to 76,964.52. Nifty down 111.25 pts to 24,064.40. VIX up 4.59% to 11.17.

Updated: 31 Aug 2026 • 2:54 pm

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Indian Stock Market Today: Sensex Falls 300 Pts, Metals Tumble

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The Indian stock market today remained under pressure through the session, with the Sensex down 299.99 points, or 0.39 percent, at 76,964.52 and the Nifty falling 111.25 points to 24,064.40. Selling was broad-based across sectors, with Nifty Media plunging nearly 3 percent, Metal down close to 2 percent, and IT and Realty each losing more than 1.5 percent. Market breadth stayed weak throughout the day, with declining stocks outnumbering advancers, while India VIX jumped over 4 percent, signalling rising near-term volatility expectations.

The Indian stock market today struggled to find its footing through the trading session, with benchmark indices staying firmly in the red despite a partial recovery from the day's lows. The Sensex was down 299.99 points, or 0.39 percent, at 76,964.52, while the Nifty fell 111.25 points, or 0.46 percent, to 24,064.40.

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Selling in the Indian stock market today was broad-based, with market breadth remaining weak throughout the session; 1,591 shares advanced against 2,381 declines, while 187 stocks remained unchanged. Sectorally, Nifty Media was the worst performer, plunging nearly 3 percent, while Metal, IT and Realty stocks all lost more than 1.5 percent.

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Indian Stock Market Today: Sector Performance

Most BSE sectoral indices traded lower in the Indian stock market today, with BSE Metals falling 2.06 percent, the steepest decline among major sectors. Nifty Media was even harder hit on an intraday basis, plunging 2.89 percent, while Metal fell 1.94 percent, IT declined 1.68 percent and Realty lost 1.63 percent. PSU Bank stocks were down 1.21 percent, extending the weakness seen across the broader banking pack.

Utilities declined 1.49 percent, Services fell 1.46 percent and IT lost 1.30 percent on the BSE sectoral count, while Power and Realty declined 1.16 percent and 1.15 percent respectively. Private banks stood out as the sole sectoral pocket of strength on the NSE side, gaining 0.15 percent, and Telecom and Auto also managed modest gains of 0.38 percent and 0.09 percent respectively, offering some pockets of resilience within an otherwise weak Indian stock market today.

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Indian Stock Market Today: Midcaps, Smallcaps and Volatility

Broader market segments also struggled in the Indian stock market today, with the Nifty Midcap 100 falling 0.63 percent to 63,669.05 and the Smallcap 100 declining 0.60 percent to 19,960.25. Notably, India VIX, the volatility gauge often referred to as the market's fear index, jumped 4.59 percent to 11.17, signalling that traders are pricing in a higher probability of sharp near-term price swings.

The benchmarks did stage a partial recovery from their late-morning lows during the session; at one point the Sensex was down as much as 388 points before paring some losses to settle closer to the 300-point mark by the afternoon, while the Nifty recovered from an intraday low near 24,027 to trade closer to 24,065.

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Indian Stock Market Today: Individual Stock Highlights

Despite the broader weakness, a few stocks bucked the trend in the Indian stock market today. ICICI Bank emerged as the top Sensex gainer, up 1.12 percent to Rs 1,441.15, followed by Mahindra and Mahindra, which rose 0.83 percent. Maruti Suzuki gained 0.33 percent and Reliance Industries advanced 0.26 percent, while Bharti Airtel and HCL Tech were marginally higher, providing some offsetting support to the index even as the broader market stayed in negative territory.

Investors tracking the Indian stock market today should watch whether the late-session recovery extends into Tuesday's trade, or whether the elevated VIX reading foreshadows continued volatility tied to ongoing global rate-hike concerns and geopolitical developments in the Middle East.

Investments in the securities market are subject to market risks. Read all related documents carefully before investing. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Uniresearch Global Pvt Ltd is a SEBI Registered Research Analyst, Registration Number INH000013776. Uniresearch Global Pvt Ltd is a subsidiary of Univest Communication Technologies Private Limited.

FAQs

How did the Indian stock market perform today?

Ans. The Sensex closed down 299.99 points, or 0.39 percent, at 76,964.52, while the Nifty fell 111.25 points, or 0.46 percent, to 24,064.40.

Which sectors fell the most in the Indian stock market today?

Ans. Nifty Media plunged nearly 3 percent, while Metal, IT and Realty each fell more than 1.5 percent, marking broad-based sectoral weakness.

What happened to India VIX today?

Ans. India VIX jumped 4.59 percent to 11.17, signalling rising expectations of near-term market volatility.

Which stocks gained in the Indian stock market today?

Ans. ICICI Bank led Sensex gainers, up 1.12 percent, followed by Mahindra and Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki and Reliance Industries.

How did midcap and smallcap stocks perform today?

Ans. The Nifty Midcap 100 fell 0.63 percent and the Smallcap 100 declined 0.60 percent, reflecting weakness beyond just the large-cap benchmarks.

Did the market recover from its lows during the day?

Ans. Yes, the benchmarks pared some losses from a steeper 388-point Sensex decline seen in late-morning trade, though they remained firmly in the red by the close.