Indian equity markets witnessed a sharp decline on Thursday, October 30, 2025, as the Sensex plummeted by 592.67 points and the Nifty dipped to the 25,877.85 mark. This considerable fall was attributed to renewed foreign fund outflows and a lack of clear guidance from the U.S. Federal Reserve on its upcoming interest rate policy, which collectively dampened investor confidence.
Throughout the trading day, the 30-share BSE Sensex experienced a significant drop, closing 0.70% lower at 84,404.46. At one point, it fell even further, by 684.48 points, to touch 84,312.65. Similarly, the 50-share NSE Nifty saw a 0.68% reduction, shedding 176.05 points to finish at 25,877.85.
Among the Sensex-listed companies, major underperformers included Bharti Airtel, Power Grid, Tech Mahindra, Infosys, Bajaj Finance, and Reliance Industries. Conversely, a few stocks managed to defy the broader market trend, with Larsen & Toubro, Bharat Electronics, UltraTech Cement, and Maruti emerging as gainers.
According to exchange data, Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were net sellers, offloading equities worth ₹2,540.16 crore on Wednesday, October 29, 2025. This outflow contrasts with Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs), who provided some buying support, purchasing equities valued at ₹5,692.81 crore during the same period.
Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Investments Limited, commented on the situation: “As anticipated, the U.S. Fed proceeded with a 25 basis point interest rate cut. However, the market reacted with consolidation after Chair Jerome Powell hinted that this might be the final rate cut for 2025. This statement tempered expectations of further monetary easing, leading to a stronger US dollar and a general risk-off sentiment across emerging markets, including India.”
Globally, Asian markets presented a mixed picture. Shanghai’s SSE Composite index and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index closed lower, while South Korea’s Kospi and Japan’s Nikkei 225 index registered gains. European markets were trading down, and U.S. markets concluded Wednesday on a mixed note.
Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money, an online trading and wealth tech firm, added, “Markets experienced widespread selling pressure on Thursday. Uncertainty surrounding the U.S. Federal Reserve’s future rate cut trajectory overshadowed initial optimism, creating a cautious mood among global investors. Continued profit-booking by FIIs, along with selective buying from DIIs, prevented a more significant market decline.”
Meanwhile, the global oil benchmark, Brent crude, saw a slight dip of 0.59%, trading at $64.54 a barrel.
This downturn follows a positive close on Wednesday, where the Sensex had risen by 368.97 points (0.44%) to 84,997.13, and the Nifty had gained 117.70 points (0.45%) to reach 26,053.90, highlighting the volatility currently present in the markets.