‘Operation Sindoor’: India-Pakistan Tensions Drag Down Stock Markets

Indian markets opened lower on Friday as geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan escalated following Operation Sindoor.

The Nifty50 dropped below the 24,150 mark, while the BSE Sensex slipped under 80,000.

At 9:16 AM, Nifty50 was trading at 24,113.30, down 161 points or 0.66%, and the BSE Sensex was at 79,863.96, down 471 points or 0.59%.

Indian Markets Show Resilience Despite Geopolitical Stress

Despite the ongoing tensions, the Indian stock market has shown remarkable resilience.

Since the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, both Nifty50 and Sensex have moved higher, indicating underlying market strength.

In contrast, the Pakistan Stock Exchange has witnessed a sharp crash amid the crisis.

Experts Urge Investors To Stay Calm

Dr VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services, highlighted that the market would typically face deeper cuts under such circumstances.

However, he attributed the limited impact to two key reasons: “One, the conflict so far has shown India’s clear superiority in conventional warfare, deterring further escalation. Two, the market remains fundamentally strong, buoyed by robust global and domestic macroeconomic factors,” he said.

He also pointed out that weakness in the US dollar, along with signs of slowing US and Chinese economies, are favourable for India. High GDP growth forecasts and an easing interest rate environment further strengthen domestic fundamentals.

“Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) have been aggressively buying for 16 consecutive sessions. Investors should stay invested and monitor the developments rather than panic,” he added.

Thursday’s Volatility Wipes Out ₹5 Lakh Crore In Market Cap

Markets ended lower on Thursday due to ongoing volatility from border tensions and caution ahead of key US trade announcements.

The day’s sell-off resulted in a ₹5 lakh crore erosion in investor wealth.

Global Markets Trade Mixed; Gold Gains

US stocks closed higher on Thursday after progress in US-UK trade talks and President Trump’s remarks hinting at comprehensive trade discussions with China.

Asian equities edged up on Friday, buoyed by these developments.

Meanwhile, gold prices strengthened as investors sought safe-haven assets ahead of weekend trade talks between the US and China.

Rupee Suffers Steepest Fall In Over Two Years

The Indian rupee posted its biggest one-day fall in 30 months on Thursday, declining by 81 paise to close at ₹85.58 against the US dollar.

The drop was largely driven by heightened geopolitical tension.

Anuj Choudhary, Research Analyst at Mirae Asset Sharekhan, commented, “We expect the rupee to trade with a negative bias due to the strong dollar and India-Pakistan tensions. Any further escalation may worsen the pressure on the rupee, though FII inflows could offer some support.”

He expects the USD-INR spot rate to remain in the 85.20–86.00 range.

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