The Indian stock market faced significant pressure on August 8, 2025, as the Nifty 50 index fell by 168 points, closing at 24,427.95. The Sensex also saw a decline, decreasing by 535 points to 80,087.67. This downturn was largely attributed to escalating trade tensions between the United States and India, following President Donald Trump‘s announcement of an additional 25% tariff on Indian exports, raising the total tariff rate to 50%.
Market analysts noted widespread selling across various sectors, including banking, information technology, textiles, and seafood exports. The Nifty Bank index dropped 411.45 points or 0.74% to 55,109.70, while the Nifty IT index fell 246.30 points or 0.71% to 34,480.50. The BSE SmallCap index also experienced a loss of 146.65 points or 0.28%, closing at 51,989.68.
Investors expressed concerns regarding the potential impact of the tariffs on export-oriented sectors. Notably, textiles were among the hardest hit, with companies like Gokaldas Exports, KPR Mill, and Trident experiencing declines ranging from 0.7% to 3%. Shrimp exporters also faced substantial losses, with Avanti Feeds dropping 4% and Apex Frozen Foods declining nearly 3%. Additionally, Adani Ports continued its downward trend, slipping 1.78% in today’s session.
Despite the overall market decline, a few stocks managed to show gains. NTPC rose by 2.09% to Rs. 336.65, while Titan Company advanced 1.53% to Rs. 3,468. Trent added 1.04% to close at Rs. 5,358.50, and HDFC Life gained 0.67% to Rs. 760.80. However, the number of losers far outweighed the gainers, with Adani Enterprises falling 3.28% to Rs. 2,175.90.
Corporate earnings reports added to the mixed sentiment in the market. Kalpataru Projects International reported a remarkable performance, with profits surging 154.4% to Rs. 213.6 crore and revenue increasing by 34.5% to Rs. 6,171.2 crore. In contrast, Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals saw a profit decline of 19.4% to Rs. 122.3 crore, as revenue dropped 6.5% to Rs. 1,998.3 crore.
Market participants are closely monitoring the technical indicators for signs of recovery. The Nifty 50 needs to close above 24,565 to avoid its sixth consecutive weekly loss, a streak not seen since early 2020. The Indian rupee remained stable, trading at 87.68 per dollar, showing resilience despite the market’s volatility.
The outlook for the Indian stock market remains cautious, with investors advised to focus on fundamentally strong, domestically oriented companies. The interplay of trade negotiations and corporate earnings will be crucial in determining future market direction. As the situation develops, stakeholders are keenly awaiting updates on US-India trade relations and any potential shifts in global market dynamics.
