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Sensex tanks 600 points, erasing ₹4 trillion in investor wealth
30 Jan 2026

The Indian stock market witnessed a massive sell-off on Friday, with the Sensex and Nifty indices falling sharply from their recent peaks.

The decline was largely driven by investor caution ahead of the upcoming Union Budget, along with other factors such as global uncertainties, a weakening rupee, and foreign fund outflows.

The sell-off wiped out an estimated ₹4 lakh crore in investor wealth.

Sensex and Nifty indices experience significant drop
Market downturn

The Sensex fell as much as 625 points or 0.75%, to an intraday low of 81,941.03.

The Nifty 50 index also witnessed a similar decline, falling by nearly the same percentage to touch 25,224.35 and slipping below the crucial mark of 25,300.

This sharp fall in both indices indicates a broad-based sell-off across sectors on the Indian stock market today.

Investor wealth significantly impacted by market sell-off
Wealth erosion

The recent market downturn has had a major impact on investor wealth.

The total market capitalization of BSE-listed companies has fallen to ₹455.73 lakh crore, which means that the sell-off has wiped out nearly ₹4 lakh crore from investors' portfolios.

This highlights the severity of today's market correction and its effect on individual and institutional investors alike.

Union Budget and geopolitical issues impact market sentiment
Investor caution

The upcoming Union Budget, to be presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday, has prompted a rare special trading session.

Investors are wary as the budget is seen as crucial for indications of economic growth and corporate earnings in India's fast-growing economy.

Geopolitical issues such as tariff weaponization threats by Trump and rising Brent crude prices near $70 have also added to market headwinds.

Foreign investor behavior and rupee weakness influence market
Market influencers

Foreign investor behavior continues to be a major concern for the market.

Dr. VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Investments, said that unless there is a significant announcement in the Budget encouraging FIIs to return to India, they will continue selling in India, dragging the market down.

Meanwhile, the Indian rupee hovered near record-low levels against the US dollar amid persistent stress in the foreign-exchange market.