Last Updated on February 13, 2026 7:12 pm by BIZNAMA NEWS
AMN BIZ DESK
Indian equity benchmarks suffered a massive sell-off today, as a “risk-off” sentiment gripped Dalal Street. The Sensex crashed by 1,048 points to close at 82,626.76, while the Nifty 50 slumped 336 points to settle at 25,471.
The downfall was primarily triggered by a global technology rout and growing anxieties regarding the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the Indian IT services model. Weak global cues ahead of critical US inflation data further dampened investor appetite.
Executive Summary: Key Market Indicators
- Sensex: 82,626.76 (▼ 1,048 pts)
- Nifty 50: 25,471 (▼ 336 pts)
- Market Breadth: Deeply negative; over 2,700 stocks declined on the BSE.
- Broader Markets: Midcap and Smallcap indices both dropped by over 1%.
Sector-Wise Performance Analysis
1. Information Technology (IT): The Epicenter of the Sell-off
The IT sector remained the biggest drag for the second consecutive session. The Nifty IT index declined by 1.44%, following a brutal 4.72% crash on Thursday.
- Key Losers: TCS, Infosys, Wipro, and Coforge.
- The “AI Threat”: Markets are increasingly worried that Indian IT firms, traditionally reliant on labor arbitrage, may face stiffer competitive pressure from AI-driven disruptions compared to their US-based Nasdaq peers.
2. Banking & Financial Services
The heavyweight financial sector saw mixed action but skewed toward the downside.
- Laggards: HDFC Bank and HCL Tech (Financial arm) saw selling pressure.
- Outperformers: In a sea of red, Bajaj Finance and State Bank of India (SBI) emerged as the only gainers among Sensex constituents.
3. FMCG, Consumer Durables & Retail
Consumer-centric stocks faced the heat of valuation concerns and volatile domestic sentiment.
- Major Laggards: Hindustan Unilever (HUL), Titan, and Asian Paints.
4. Energy, Metals & Industrials
Global macro headwinds and a stronger dollar (following robust US jobs data) impacted commodities and heavy industries.
- Major Laggards: Reliance Industries (RIL), Tata Steel, Adani Ports, PowerGrid, and Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL).
- Auto Sector: Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) also featured among the top laggards of the day.
Expert Commentary
“Domestic equities ended lower following a highly volatile session, weighed down by weak global cues. Sentiment gains from the US-India trade deal have faded as renewed AI-driven disruption fears weigh on risk appetite,” said Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Investments Ltd. He noted that markets worry Indian IT firms may face tougher pressure than Nasdaq peers due to the evolving labor model.
Global Context
The Indian markets were reacting to a 2% fall in the Nasdaq and strong US jobs data, which has effectively dampened hopes for immediate interest rate cuts. This global “tech rout” has forced brokerages to re-evaluate the incumbency risks for Indian software exporters.
