SENSEX drops nearly 600 pts, NIFTY 50 opens at 23,462 amid West Asia crisis; L&T, HDFC Bank fall 2%

The benchmark stock indices BSE SENSEX and NIFTY 50 dropped after the opening bell on Friday, March 13, 2026, amid the looming geopolitical tensions. L&T, HDFC Bank, IndiGo (InterGlobe Avaition), Hindalco, were down on NSE in early market, while Power Grid Corp, Nestle India, Hindustan Unilever were among other gainers. At the opening bell, the BSE SENSEX index dropped 590.2 points or 0.77% to 75,444.22 points, compared to the previous market close level of 76,034.42 points, according to the exchange data. The NSE NIFTY 50 index opened 176.65 points or 0.74% lower a... [2676 chars]