Nifty, Sensex kick off 2025 with a rough patch
India's stock markets have had their worst new-year start in a decade.
The Nifty 50 dropped about 2.5% in the first eight trading days of January, wiping out nearly ₹20 lakh crore in market value since the year's peak.
This marks the third straight year of negative returns for Indian stocks at the start of the year.
Why does this matter?
If you're investing or tracking your mutual funds, this broad drop hits home—30 out of 50 top Nifty companies are down so far this year.
It's not just one or two stocks struggling; it's pretty much across the board.
For investors, this broad drop likely means portfolios and NAVs are feeling the impact.
What's behind the slide?
Big names are leading the fall—ITC is down nearly 15%, Reliance Industries about 7%, and HDFC Bank and Trent have each slipped around 6%.
HDFC Bank even saw its worst week since January 2024, losing over ₹1 lakh crore in value.
How does India stack up globally?
While global markets have been booming with gains between 20% and 70%, Nifty managed only about a 5% return (in US dollars) in 2025.
So compared to peers worldwide, Indian investors may be feeling left out.