Indian stock markets witnessed another day of volatile trading, with benchmark indices opening lower and experiencing significant swings throughout the session. The BSE Sensex initially dropped over 230 points after opening down by 155.94 points at 81,395.69. Similarly, the NSE Nifty started the day 25.50 points lower at 24,800. This choppy start mirrored the previous day’s performance, indicating continued profit booking by investors. While some stocks showed resilience, major players like ITC faced a steep decline, contributing to the overall market jitters.

The rollercoaster ride continued for both Sensex and Nifty. After an initial dip, the Sensex attempted a recovery, briefly touching 81,613.36, only to fall back into the red zone, trading around 81,326 at the time of reporting. Nifty followed a similar pattern, fluctuating between 24,765 and 24,864 before ultimately declining. Among the hardest hit were ITC shares, which plummeted by 4.33% to ₹415.10 on the BSE, reportedly due to a large block deal involving British American Tobacco (BAT) offloading a 2.3% stake. This significant institutional activity, coupled with upcoming economic data releases like industrial production figures and Q4 GDP numbers, kept investors on edge, leading to a cautious market sentiment.