Realty, Autos Drag Markets; Nifty, Sensex Trade Lower by Mid-Morning
Mumbai, September 25, 2025 (11:20 AM IST) — Indian equities slipped in early trade on Thursday as weak global cues, continued foreign fund outflows, and sector-specific headwinds weighed on sentiment. Both benchmark indices were in the red by mid-morning.
At 11:20 AM, the NSE Nifty 50 was down 0.1% at 25,032.30, while the BSE Sensex slipped 0.11% to 81,629.98.
Sector Watch
- Realty and Autos Lead Declines: Realty stocks saw sharp selling pressure, while auto counters, led by Tata Motors, faced headwinds following reports of a cyberattack at its JLR unit.
- IT Under Strain: Investor concerns grew after the U.S. announced a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications, raising fears for Indian IT exporters.
- Energy & FMCG Resilient: In contrast, the Energy index rose around 0.4% on firm crude oil prices, while FMCG gained nearly 0.3% after broker upgrades for Britannia and Nestlé.
Stocks in Focus
- Fineotex Chemicals surged over 14% after announcing a board meeting to consider a stock split and bonus issue.
- Newgen Software advanced about 5% on news of new contract wins.
- Auto majors came under selling pressure, with Tata Motors in focus.
Currency & Macro
The Indian rupee stayed weak, with one-month non-deliverable forwards indicating levels around ₹88.74–88.77 per U.S. dollar.
Traders highlighted persistent foreign institutional investor outflows as a drag, while expectations are building that the RBI may hold its repo rate steady at 5.50% in the upcoming policy review.
Market Outlook
Analysts note that the morning weakness largely reflects profit booking after recent gains and cautious positioning ahead of key macroeconomic data and the RBI policy decision. Global market trends and sector-specific triggers are expected to guide near-term direction.
