The Indian benchmark indices opened marginally lower on Monday despite positive global cues. IT stocks led the losses due to concerns over new US H-1B visa rules. As of 9.26 am, the Sensex was down 189 points at 82,772, while the Nifty fell 40 points to 25,286.
IT giants including TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCL Technologies, Tech Mahindra, and Coforge slipped in early trade. The US government clarified that returning visa holders are exempt from the $100,000 fee, which provided partial relief to Indian IT companies. The fee will apply only to new applications from the March–April 2026 lottery cycle.
Among sectoral indices, Nifty IT led losses, down 2.68 per cent, followed by Nifty Pharma and Nifty Healthcare. Other indices showed marginal gains. Analysts noted that the Nifty continues to trade above its key moving averages, indicating a broader bullish trend. Immediate resistance lies at 25,500, 25,600, and 25,850, while support levels are at 25,150 and 25,000.
Global markets mostly rose, with Nasdaq up 0.72 per cent, S&P 500 up 0.49 per cent, and Dow up 0.37 per cent. Asia-Pacific markets were mixed, with Japan’s Nikkei gaining 1.45 per cent and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng down 0.82 per cent. On Friday, FIIs purchased Rs 390 crore in equities, while DIIs were net buyers of Rs 2,105 crore.
