Share markets in India open on a cautious note:Nifty slides to 23,450; Sensex loses 500 points; rupee drops to record lows

The Indian stock markets opened on a cautious note on Wednesday, 20 May, 2026. Sensex lost 500 points. Similarly, Nifty declined to 23,450 points. Stocks like Tata Steel, BEL, Eternal, MM, Maruti, Bajaj Finance and SBI were among the major losers on the Sensex. Mixed sector-wise performance: Among the sectors, indices like Nifty Media, Realty, Chemicals and PSU Bank were among the losers. While, at the other side of the spectrum, Nifty Pharma was the highest gainer rising 0.23%. Sticky oil prices; rupee falls to all-time-low Additionally, crude oil remained sticky above the $110 per barrel mark. Meanwhile, the rupee has opened 20 paise weaker against the dollar. For the first time, it has reached 96.90. Asian markets mostly fall on Wednesday US markets ended lower overnight Foreign investors sold shares worth ₹2,458 crore Sensex closed yesterday with a fall of 114 points On May 19, Sensex closed at 75,201 with a decline of 114 points. Nifty also fell by 32 points, closing at 23,618. Not a single Indian company among the world’s top-100 companies Based on market value, not a single Indian company remains in the list of the world’s top-100 companies. According to a Bloomberg report, three Indian companies – Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank, and TCS – were included in this global list at the beginning of 2025, but now not a single company is included in this list. The value of these Indian companies has decreased due to continuous decline in the domestic stock market.