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Indian equities remained under heavy selling pressure for the second straight session on Tuesday; Know key reasons
Why is the Indian stock market falling?
Why Is Indian Stock Market Falling? The Indian stock market remained under heavy selling pressure for the second straight session on Tuesday, January 20, as weak global cues, rising trade-war concerns and muted Q3 earnings dampened investor sentiment.
A day after both benchmark indices fell about 0.40 per cent, the Sensex plunged over 1,200 points, or nearly 1.5 per cent, to an intraday low of 82,010.58. The Nifty 50 also slipped below the 25,200 mark, hitting an intraday low of 25,171.35.
By the close, the Sensex settled 1,066 points, or 1.28 per cent, lower at 82,180.47, while the Nifty 50 ended at 25,232.50, down 353 points, or 1.38 per cent.
Broader markets saw sharper losses, with the BSE Midcap index tumbling 2.52 per cent and the Smallcap index plunging 2.74 per cent.
Over the past two sessions, the Sensex has declined more than 1,390 points, or 1.7 per cent, while the Nifty 50 has shed 1.8 per cent. Investor wealth eroded by nearly Rs 12 lakh crore during this period, as the total market capitalisation of BSE-listed companies slipped to about Rs 456 lakh crore from nearly ₹468 lakh crore on Friday.
Why did the Indian stock market fall today?
1) Trade-war concerns
Trade-war worries resurfaced after renewed uncertainty over US tariff policies dented global risk appetite. Rising US Treasury yields and fears of an escalation in trade tensions between the US and Europe triggered selling across global markets, spilling over into Indian equities.
VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Investments, said volatility is likely to persist until clarity emerges on the US-Europe standoff over tariffs linked to Greenland. He added that geopolitical and geoeconomic developments will continue to guide market direction.
2) Mixed Q3 earnings
Corporate earnings for Q3 have been mixed so far, partly due to the one-time impact of new labour codes. While results have largely been stable, the absence of positive surprises has failed to revive sentiment already weakened by global uncertainties.
“Early Q3 results do not indicate a recovery in earnings growth. This may change when auto companies report results, as the sector has performed well in Q3 and continues to show growth momentum,” Vijayakumar said.
3) Persistent FII selling
Foreign institutional investors continued to remain net sellers. FIIs sold equities worth Rs 3,262.82 crore on Monday, marking the 10th straight session of net outflows this month, barring marginal buying on January 2. Sustained foreign selling has kept pressure on frontline indices.
4) Weak global cues
Global markets offered little support. While South Korea’s Kospi traded higher, Japan’s Nikkei 225, Shanghai’s SSE Composite and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng were in the red. US markets were shut on Monday due to a federal holiday, while Wall Street futures were trading more than 1 per cent lower on January 20.
Devarsh Vakil, Head of Prime Research at HDFC Securities, said US futures declined after President Donald Trump threatened fresh tariffs on NATO allies, adding to geopolitical uncertainty ahead of key corporate earnings this week.
5) Shift toward safe-haven assets
Rising geopolitical and geoeconomic risks have reduced appetite for equities, pushing investors toward safe-haven assets. The sharp rally in gold and silver has prompted profit-booking in stocks, with precious metals attracting increased inflows amid tariff concerns and expectations of US Fed rate cuts.
6) Union Budget 2026 in focus
Market participants are also cautious ahead of the Union Budget on February 1. Expectations are high for measures to boost growth, jobs and consumption. However, concerns that excessive focus on fiscal consolidation could restrict capital expenditure are keeping investors on edge.
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January 20, 2026, 13:37 IST
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