Market Opening Bell: Sensex tumbles 1,953 points, Nifty sheds over 2% on worsening war in Middle East

Mumbai: After three days of rally, Indian equity benchmark indices, the Sensex and Nifty, started the trading session with a sharp decline on Thursday, March 19, 2026, amid weak global cues as oil prices surged after Iran struck Middle East energy facilities in retaliation for an Israeli attack on the South Pars gas field. While the 30-share BSE Sensex tumbled 1,953.21 points or 2.54 per cent to start the session at 74,750.92, the Nifty slipped 580.05 points to open at 23,197.75. In the last trading session, the Sensex closed at 76,704.13 and the Nifty 50 at 23,777.80. Similarly, the broader…