Tue Jan 07 04:00:07 UTC 2025: ## Indian Stock Market Plunges on Renewed Fears of HMPV Virus

**Hyderabad, India** – The Indian stock market experienced a significant downturn on Monday, driven by renewed concerns over the HMPV (Human Metapneumovirus) virus. Initial reports of the virus being contained within China have been challenged by recent cases in India, specifically Karnataka and Gujarat. This resurgence sparked widespread investor anxiety, leading to a massive sell-off.

The benchmark Sensex index, which opened at 79,281.65 points, plummeted over 1200 points intraday before closing at 77,964.99, a loss of 1,258.12 points. The Nifty index also suffered, falling 388.70 points to close at 23,616.05. This resulted in investors losing over ₹12 lakh crore (approximately $145 billion USD) in market capitalization.

Several sectors were hit hard, with PSU banks experiencing a 4% drop, and metals, realty, energy, PSU, power, and oil & gas sectors each declining by approximately 3%. The BSE Midcap index fell by 2.4%, and the Smallcap index dropped 3%.

While companies like Apollo Hospitals, Tata Consumer, Titan Company, and HCL Technologies saw gains, major losses were recorded by Tata Steel, Trent, Coal India, NTPC, and BPCL.

The market’s sharp decline reflects the heightened sensitivity of investors to the potential economic impact of a renewed viral outbreak. The situation is being closely monitored for further developments.

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