Indian equity benchmarks extended losses in morning deals, as the ongoing war in West Asia continue to rattle markets globally, driving crude oil prices higher. Unabated foreign fund outflows also added to the weakness in domestic equities. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 4,367.30 crore on Friday, according to exchange data. Traders remained cautious as the Finance Ministry flagged an uncertain near-term outlook, citing external shocks - particularly the West Asia crisis - as key downside risks due to elevated input costs and possible supply disruptions. Traders overlooked periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2025, released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, showed the India’s overall unemployment rate (UR) for individuals aged 15 years and above eased slightly to 3.1 per cent in 2025 as compared to 3.2 per cent a year ago. On the global front, Asian markets were trading mostly in red as the Middle East war entered its fifth week, with the conflict escalating despite efforts aimed at finding a diplomatic solution. 

The BSE Sensex is currently trading at 72649.46, down by 933.76 points or 1.27% after trading in a range of 72391.98 and 73165.32. There were 2 stocks advancing against 28 stocks declining on the index.

The top gaining sectoral indices on the BSE were Energy up by 0.49%, Metal up by 0.29% and Oil & Gas up by 0.19%, while Bankex down by 2.43%, Realty down by 2.36%, Telecom down by 1.95%, Consumer Disc down by 1.67% and Industrials down by 1.63% were the top losing indices on BSE.

The few gainers on the Sensex were Reliance Industries up by 0.60% and Bharat Electronics up by 0.30%. On the flip side, Kotak Mahindra Bank down by 3.35%, Axis Bank down by 2.79%, Bajaj Finance down by 2.47%, Bharti Airtel down by 2.27% and Tata Steel down by 2.12% were the top losers.

Meanwhile, periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2025, released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, showed the India’s overall unemployment rate (UR) for individuals aged 15 years and above eased slightly to 3.1 per cent in 2025 as compared to 3.2 per cent a year ago. It noted that the unemployment rate among females in the country remained unchanged at 3.1 per cent in 2025 as compared to the year-ago level, while for males it came down to 3.1 per cent in 2025 from 3.3 per cent in 2024. 

The survey showed in rural areas, the unemployment rate eased to 2.4 per cent in 2025 from 2.5 per cent a year earlier, while in urban areas it declined to 4.8 per cent in 2025 from 5 per cent in 2024. The female unemployment rate in rural areas remained low at 2.1 per cent, lower than the male unemployment rate in rural areas, which stood at 2.6 per cent. In urban areas, the male and female unemployment eased to 4.2 per cent and 6.4 per cent, respectively, contributed marginal decrease in overall urban UR to 4.8%.   

According to the survey, the percentage distribution of workers (in usual status) by status in employment indicates a modest shift in the composition of employment in 2025. The share of self-employment declined slightly from 57.5 per cent in 2024 to 56.2 per cent in 2025 at the overall level, with reductions observed for both male (52.9 per cent to 52 per cent) and female (66.5 per cent to 64.2 per cent). This moderation has been accompanied by an increase in the share of regular wage/salaried employment, which rose from 22.4 per cent to 23.6 per cent; the increase is visible for both male (25.4 per cent to 26.5 per cent) and female (16.6 per cent to 18.2 per cent). The share of workers engaged in casual labour has remained broadly stable at around one-fifth of total employment (20.0% in 2024 to 20.2% in 2025), with only marginal variations across gender.

It further highlighted that agriculture continues to account for the largest share of employment, though it has decreased from 44.8% in 2024 to 43% in 2025. The share of employment in construction has decreased marginally (12.3 per cent to 12 per cent), while manufacturing has seen improvement from 11.6 per cent to 12.1 per cent. Other services have also recorded an increase (12.2 per cent to 13.1 per cent).

The CNX Nifty is currently trading at 22556.30, down by 263.30 points or 1.15% after trading in a range of 22470.15 and 22714.10. There were 5 stocks advancing against 45 stocks declining on the index.

The top gainers on Nifty were Hindalco up by 4.14%, Coal India up by 2.61%, ONGC up by 1.44%, Reliance Industries up by 0.64% and Bharat Electronics up by 0.36%. On the flip side, Kotak Mahindra Bank down by 3.51%, Axis Bank down by 2.89%, Shriram Finance down by 2.81%, Bajaj Finance down by 2.58% and Grasim Industries down by 2.53% were the top losers.

Asian markets were trading mostly in red; Nikkei 225 slipped 1803.07 points or 3.38% to 51,570.00, Taiwan Weighted lost 485.14 points or 1.47% to 32,627.45, Jakarta Composite plunged 14.08 points or 0.2% to 7,082.98, KOSPI dropped 167.28 points or 3.08% to 5,271.59 and Hang Seng declined 232.88 points or 0.94% to 24,719.00.

On the flip side, Shanghai Composite strengthened 9 points or 0.23% to 3,922.72 and Straits Times rose 0.99 points or 0.02% to 4,899.17.