Mon Mar 03 04:10:00 UTC 2025: **Indian Markets Plunge as Trade War Fears and Block Deal Trigger Sell-Off**

**Mumbai, India (March 1, 2025)** – Indian equity markets experienced a sharp downturn on Friday, February 28th, extending their losing streak to eight consecutive days. The benchmark Nifty 50 index fell 1.66% to 22,170, while the BSE Sensex dropped 1.6% to 73,380. This significant sell-off was fueled by escalating global trade tensions and a large block deal impacting Jio Financial Services.

The dramatic decline saw a staggering 657 stocks hit their 52-week lows. Concerns over US President Donald Trump’s announced 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods, set to take effect on March 4th, significantly impacted investor sentiment. This looming trade war is particularly detrimental to IT companies, with the Nifty IT index suffering a 4% drop.

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a major player in the IT sector, plummeted 4.3% to its 52-week low of ₹3,457, marking its fourth consecutive day of decline. Other prominent companies also hit their 52-week lows, including Tata Technologies, Jio Financial Services, Railtel, and Asian Paints. The fall in Asian Paints’ share price reflects ongoing pressure from rising crude oil prices, increased competition, and weakened demand.

A large block deal involving 10.8 lakh shares of Jio Financial Services, announced on Thursday, further contributed to the market volatility. While details remain scarce, the deal’s timing, just before the stock’s inclusion in the Nifty 50 index, added to investor uncertainty.

Despite a recent order win for Railtel, the overall negative market sentiment overshadowed positive news for individual companies. The volatility index (India VIX) also increased, reflecting heightened market uncertainty. All sectoral indices traded in negative territory, highlighting the broad-based nature of the market decline. The sharp drop comes after a month that already saw share prices fall more than 15% for some companies.

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