The Indian equity benchmark indices opened lower on Monday following weakness in Asian peers as rising coronavirus cases and fresh lockdowns in some countries dented investor sentiment.
At 9:15 am, the Sensex opened 0.06 percent, or 28.51 points, lower at 46,932.18, while the Nifty50 index opened at 13,741.90, down 18.65 points, or 0.14 percent.
Broader markets, Nifty Smallcap100 and Nifty Midcap100, were down 0.48 percent and 0.68 percent, respectively.
All the sectoral indices were trading in the red with Nifty PSU Bank, Nifty Auto, Nifty Metal and Nifty Financial Services falling over 1 percent each.
Tata Motors, GAIL India, Axis Bank, Hindalco Industries and ICIC Bank were the top Nifty50 losers, while L&T, Reliance Industries, Sun Pharmaceuticals, Dr Reddy's Laboratories and Hero MotoCorp were the top index gainers.
Reliance Industries gained 1 percent after the company and British gas giant BP began gas production from the R-Cluster block in the KG-D6 basin. The project is expected to meet 15 percent of India's gas demand by 2023.
Meanwhile, Asian stocks faltered on Monday as unease over a new coronavirus strain that was shutting much of the United Kingdom offset news a deal had finally been struck on a long-awaited US stimulus bill.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan dipped 0.2 percent after hitting a string of record peaks last week. Japan's Nikkei reversed early gains to be down 0.6 percent, off its highest since April 1991.
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(Disclosure : Network18, the parent company of CNBCTV18.com, is controlled by Independent Media Trust, of which Reliance Industries is the sole beneficiary.)
