₹3 Lakh Crore Wipeout: Sensex Crashes Nifty Slips Below 25,550—6 Triggers That Spooked Dalal Street

Indian equities faced a brutal sell-off on Tuesday, as ₹2.94 lakh crore in investor wealth vanished within hours, triggered by a violent IT sector meltdown, fresh Trump tariff threats, a global tech rout, and weekly expiry volatility.

The Sensex plunged over 750 points to an intraday low of 82,481, while the Nifty cracked below the crucial 25,550 support, shattering bullish momentum and forcing traders into aggressive risk-off positioning.

The sell-off was fast, deep, and structurally damaging, flipping intraday sentiment from dip-buying → sell-on-rise.

Market Damage Snapshot

Reasons Behind Today’s Sharp Market Fall

1. IT Sector Bloodbath: AI Shock Reprices Valuations

The Nifty IT index collapsed over 2%, as Infosys (-3%), HCL Tech, Mphasis, Persistent (-2%+), and TCS saw heavy institutional selling.

The trigger: Anthropic’s Claude Code AI, capable of automating COBOL modernization, threatens long-term Indian IT outsourcing demand, especially in legacy system upgrades.

In the US, IBM plunged 13% overnight, confirming global tech derating pressure.

Market Signal:
 Structural valuation reset risk for Indian IT
“Buy the dip” → Sell on rallies

2. Trump Tariff Shock: Global Trade Risk Back on Table

Former US President Donald Trump reignited tariff fears, warning that countries “gaming the Supreme Court ruling” would face steep tariffs, including a proposed 15% global import duty.

This instantly revived trade war risk, pressuring export-heavy sectors like IT, auto ancillaries, and manufacturing.

Market Signal:
Risk-off flows → EM selling
Export sectors face earnings downgrade risk

3. Global Tech Rout → Asian Markets Slide

Overnight US tech stocks sold off sharply:

• S&P 500: -1.0%

• Nasdaq: -1.1%

Asian markets followed lower, dragging India into a synchronized global de-risking cycle.

Market Signal:
Weak global risk appetite = fragile Indian bounce
High-beta stocks under pressure

4. Weekly Derivative Expiry → Volatility Explosion

With Nifty weekly expiry, traders aggressively unwound long positions and added fresh hedges, triggering:

• Sharp intraday swings

• Forced liquidation

• Gamma-driven volatility

Market Signal:
 Intraday spikes unreliable
 Breakdowns get exaggerated

5. Weak Rupee Adds Macro Pressure

The rupee slipped to 90.95/USD, reviving fears of:

• FII outflows

• Imported inflation

• Margin pressure on corporates

Market Signal:
 Rupee weakness = equity pressure
 Exporters outperform defensives

6. Auto Stocks Crack → Consumption Worries Rise

Auto heavyweights also came under pressure, reinforcing domestic demand caution and amplifying broad-based selling.

Nifty Technical Outlook

Trend Bias:
Sell on rallies | Intraday volatility elevated | Trend turning corrective

Why This Matters for Traders Today

This is not just a routine dip.

This move signals:

• Structural risk to IT earnings

• Global macro shock from Trump tariff revival

• Shift from momentum → defensive market positioning

Smart Strategy:
✔ Book profits on rallies
✔ Reduce IT overweight
✔ Trade light, protect capital

Final Market Verdict

Today’s sell-off marks a critical inflection point.

Markets are re-pricing global risk, AI disruption, and trade uncertainty simultaneously, a combination that demands defensive trading strategy and disciplined risk management.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why did Indian markets fall sharply today?

Markets crashed due to the IT sector selloff, Trump’s tariff threats, the US tech rout, rupee weakness, and derivative expiry volatility.

2. Which sectors were worst hit?

IT and auto stocks led the fall, followed by global cyclicals.

3. Is this correction or trend reversal?

This signals short-term trend reversal with corrective structure, not just a normal dip.

4. What are key Nifty levels now?

Support: 25,300–25,250, Resistance: 25,850–25,900