Mumbai: Domestic equity benchmarks traded lower in early deals on Tuesday as a spike in crude oil prices above $91 a barrel weighed on investor sentiment amid fading hopes of the US-Iran peace deal.

In the morning trade, Sensex declined 365 points or 0.47 per cent to 77,362, hitting an intraday low. While Nifty traded 76 points or 0.31 per cent lower at 24,211.

Sector-wise, Nifty IT was top loser and slumped more than 1 per cent. Meanwhile, Nifty MidSmall IT & Telecom fell 0.62 per cent, while Nifty Realty declined 0.4 per cent.

Similarly, financial services, private banks, media, metals and FMCG indices also traded marginally lower. On the other hand, Nifty Auto gained 0.40 per cent, PSU Bank rose 0.29 per cent.

Ahead of market opening, analysts said the rise in Brent crude and the increase in US 10-year Treasury yields likely weigh on equities in the near term.

The US 10-year bond yield has risen to 4.73 per cent, which could be negative for foreign institutional investor flows, they said.

However, analysts noted that a resilient Indian economy and signs of an earnings growth turnaround could provide support to domestic equities.

They further stated that domestic institutional investors which have substantial funds, could step in to buy significant dips, while retail investors may use market declines to gradually accumulate quality stocks for the long term. However, heightened geopolitical is likely to keep markets volatile.

The selling in the markets came after reports highlighted Iran’s indication that it could adopt a more offensive posture and US President Donald Trump’s ruling out an extension to the ceasefire arrangement have intensified concerns over potential disruptions to energy supplies.

After that, Brent crude — the international oil benchmark — rose 0.60 per cent from the previous close to trade above $91 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude also gained more than 1 per cent to $85.37 a barrel.

New Delhi: India’s leading office markets continued to record healthy occupier demand in Q2 2026, with Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi‑NCR collectively leasing 9.8 million square feet of office space, a report said on Monday.

The report from Knight Frank said leasing moderated from the exceptionally high levels seen in 2025, but remained robust, supported by stable vacancy levels despite over 7 million square feet of new completions.

Bengaluru recorded the strongest rental growth among Indian cities at 10.7 per cent YoY, followed by Delhi-NCR at 7.6 per cent and Mumbai at 4 per cent.

Prime office rents in Bengaluru reached Rs 163 per sq ft per month. Prime rents of Bengaluru’s office market grew 7.9 per cent YoY to Rs 148 per sq ft per month in Q2 2025.

Global Capability Centres (GCCs) continued to anchor occupier demand across India’s gateway office markets. Further, flex space operators accounted for over 30 per cent of leasing volumes across Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR and Mumbai, overtaking financial services as one of the largest occupier groups.

The increasing adoption of flexible workplace strategies by large occupiers reflects a structural shift in portfolio planning as organisations seek greater agility while navigating evolving workplace requirements.

Across the Asia-Pacific region, prime office rents increased 0.6 per cent QoQ during Q2 2026, with 19 of the 24 tracked cities recording stable or increasing rental levels.

Bengaluru, Hong Kong SAR and Tokyo led annual rental growth across the region, while technology and AI-related occupier companies continued to generate demand for premium office space.

“India’s office market continues to demonstrate remarkable depth and resilience. Demand remains healthy despite the elevated leasing base established last year, reflecting the country’s enduring appeal as a global business destination,” said Shishir Baijal, International Partner, Chairman and Managing Director, Knight Frank India.

Baijal said that stable vacancy levels alongside rental growth indicates a market that continues to absorb new supply efficiently.

“While organisations continue to adapt to AI adoption and evolving macroeconomic conditions, India’s talent advantage, business ecosystem and strategic role in global corporate operations continue to underpin long-term office demand,” he added.

Visakhapatnam : Commercial flight operations commenced at the newly developed Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram district from midnight as Visakhapatnam Airport in Andhra Pradesh slipped into history.

All commercial operations at the Civil Enclave at Visakhapatnam Airport (INS Dega) shifted to Bhogapuram Airport, about 45 km away, with effect from 00.01 hours on Monday (August 17).

The International Air Transport Code “VTZ” for Visakhapatnam Airport was transferred to Bhogapuram International Greenfield Airport. Scoot Airlines’ flight to Singapore was the first to take off from the new airport around midnight.

IndiGo flight from Hyderabad landed at Bhogapuram Airport at 6.45 a.m. GMR representatives, airport and Vizianagaram district officials welcomed the flight. Passengers were presented with Etikoppaka toys as mementoes.

First domestic flight from the new airport took off for Hyderabad at 7.30 a.m. Later flights to Bengaluru, Delhi and Hyderabad were operated.

Earlier, teary-eyed staff at Visakhapatnam Airport bid an emotional farewell to the last flight, which took off at 10.45 p.m. on Sunday. IndiGo 6E 2018 was the last flight to take off for Delhi.

Built during World War II and opened to civilian operations in 1962, the airport has been a key part of Visakhapatnam’s aviation history. However, the shifting of airport operations to Bhogapuram has rendered about 1,000 people unemployed at Visakhapatnam Airport. The workers have appealed to the state and Central governments to provide them alternate jobs.

According to the notification issued by the Civil Aviation Ministry late last month, the commercial operations at the Civil Enclave at Visakhapatnam Airport (INS Dega) will cease for 30 years, except for airport activity at time of national emergency or by aircraft owned or operated by or for the Indian Air Force or other Armed Forces of India or police or any such other authorities or for transportation of dignitaries by special government owned, leased or hired VIP aircraft.

Authorities are operating 20 electric buses from Visakhapatnam to Bhogapuram Airport for the convenience of air travellers.

IndiGo, Air India Express and other airlines are operating services to domestic destinations like Hyderabad, Tirupati, Chennai, Bengaluru, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai. Scoot Airlines and Air India operate flights to Singapore while IndiGo operates flights to Abu Dhabi.

All airlines shifted their operations from Visakhapatnam Airport to Bhogapuram Airport.

According to officials, 31 flights will be operated from Bhogapuram Airport on the first day. About 6,000 to 7,000 passengers will travel by these flights.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Bhogapuram Airport on August 1.

Developed and operated by GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Limited (GVIAL) under the Public Private Partnership model at a cost of nearly Rs 4,727 crore, Bhogapuram is among the fastest-completed Greenfield international airports in India. It was completed within 31 months, nearly five months ahead of schedule.

The airport has been designed to handle six million passengers annually in the first phase, with a master plan to expand capacity to 40 million passengers annually in the future.

Its airside infrastructure includes a 3,800-metre Code 4E runway, capable of handling wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 777, Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Airbus A330 and Airbus A340, a parallel taxiway, rapid-exit taxiways and 18 aircraft stands.

The airport is also equipped with advanced airfield lighting, navigation aids and CNS/ATM infrastructure to support both domestic and international operations.

The project is expected to play a pivotal role in boosting economic growth, tourism, industrial investment, exports, logistics, and the aerospace and defence sectors across the erstwhile Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, and Srikakulam districts.

The integrated project spans 2,703.26 acres, including 2,203.32 acres for the airport, 500 acres for the aviation hub, and 136.63 acres for Aviation University/EduCity.