The domestic benchmark indices experienced a notable decline on Monday, largely influenced by a steep drop in IT stocks. This downturn was precipitated by the US government’s announcement to raise the H-1B visa fee to $100,000, a decision that has sparked concerns regarding increased operational costs for Indian IT firms dependent on these visas.
During the trading session, the Sensex and Nifty 50 witnessed falls of 475 points and 115 points, respectively. By 1:20 PM, the Sensex was at 82,412.99, down 213.24 points (0.26%) from the previous close of 82,626.23. The Nifty 50 decreased by 42.30 points (0.17%), settling at 25,284.75, compared to the prior close of 25,327.05.
The smallcap index fell by 0.45%, while the midcap index experienced a slight dip of 0.02%.
Sectoral performance revealed a mixed landscape. IT stocks saw a near 3% decline, with telecom, pharma, healthcare, and consumer durables also reporting losses. In contrast, the realty sector gained 1%. More resilient sectors included media, metal, banking, auto, and oil & gas, with some stocks benefiting from recent GST reforms.
Top Gainers & Losers
On the Nifty 50, Adani Enterprises, Bajaj Auto, Eternal, Adani Ports, and Hero Motocorp were among the top gainers. Conversely, IT heavyweights such as Tech Mahindra, TCS, Infosys, Wipro, and HCL Tech ranked as the major laggards.
A total of 3,080 stocks were traded on the National Stock Exchange at the time, comprising 1,429 stocks that advanced, 1,535 that declined, and 116 that remained unchanged. The market recorded 102 stocks reaching their 52-week highs, including Grasim Industries, Hyundai, JSW Steel, and Canara Bank, while 39 stocks hit their 52-week lows. Additionally, 103 stocks, including Adani Power, Inox Green, and E2E Networks, were in the upper circuit, while 57 stocks, such as Sejal Glass, fell into the lower circuit.
Midcap & Smallcap Movers
Midcap stocks HUDCO, Aditya Birla Fashion, MRF, Muthoot Finance, and Paytm rose between 2-5%. However, Mphasis, Persistent Systems, Coforge, Glenmark, and Voltas faced declines of 3-4%.
In the smallcap sector, Hindustan Copper, Anant Raj, NBCC (India), GRSE, and PEL surged between 3-7%, while Zensar Tech, Cyient, Sagility, IKS, and Lal Path Labs dipped by 3-4%.
In spite of the broader market downturn, some stocks, notably from the Adani group, demonstrated resilience, with Adani Enterprises among those gaining ground. On the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), shares of Adani Power, Adani Total Gas, and Adani Green surged between 9-20%. Borosil Renewables and AWL also reported gains of 7-8%. On the losing side, Zydus Wellness, Mphasis, Cartrade, Zensar Tech, and Alivus suffered losses exceeding 4%.
Published on September 22, 2025.
