Mumbai, Dec 11: Indian stock markets opened on a volatile note on Thursday, swinging between gains and losses even as the US Federal Reserve announced a 25-basis-point rate cut on Wednesday.

The Sensex, which began the day slightly higher, soon slipped into the red and was trading at 84,312 during early trade, down 79 points or 0.09 per cent. The Nifty also erased its early gains and inched down to 25,750, lower by 8 points or 0.03 per cent.

“From a technical standpoint, Nifty holds immediate support at 25,600–25,650, while the 25,850–25,900 zone continues to act as a strong resistance that has repeatedly halted upward momentum,” analysts said.

“A decisive breakout above this resistance band will be essential to re-establish bullish traction. Conversely, a sustained move below the identified support range may extend the ongoing consolidation phase,” they added.

Infosys, Eternal, Tata Steel, Maruti Suzuki, Adani Ports, HCL Tech, SBI, TCS, L&T, and Tech Mahindra were among the early gainers on the Sensex, rising up to 1.1 per cent. However, Titan, Power Grid, Bharti Airtel, NTPC, Asian Paints, ITC, Reliance Industries, Bajaj Finserv, and ICICI Bank dragged the market with mild losses.

In the broader market, the Nifty MidCap index slipped 0.17 per cent, while the Nifty SmallCap index dropped 0.32 per cent.

Among sectors, IT stocks led the gains, with the Nifty IT index rising 0.70 per cent. This was followed by the Nifty PSU Bank index, which was up 0.65 per cent, the Nifty Metal index up 0.4 per cent, and the Nifty Auto index up 0.12 per cent.

On the other hand, FMCG stocks came under pressure, pushing the Nifty FMCG index down by 0.26 per cent.

Analysts said that domestic markets tracked global cues cautiously as investors assessed the impact of the Fed’s latest rate cut on capital flows and economic growth.

Meanwhile, on the flows front, FIIs offloaded equities worth Rs 1,651 crore on December 10, while DIIs recorded net purchases of more than Rs 3,752 crore.

Mumbai: Mumbai woke up on Thursday to a winter chill, greeted by clear blue skies, light winds and a crisp coolness in the air. For many residents, the morning brought a refreshing break from the city’s usually warm and humid conditions. However, beneath the pleasant weather lingered a thin layer of haze, reflecting an ongoing environmental challenge that continues to plague the city, its steadily worsening air quality.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Thursday was expected to remain pleasant throughout the day, with temperatures ranging between a minimum of around 15°C and a maximum of 32°C. While these conditions offered comfort, the city’s air quality told a different story. Mumbai’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 144 early morning, as recorded by AQI.in, placing it firmly in the ‘poor’ category.

This level, though slightly better than last month’s alarming figures, is still unhealthy, especially for sensitive groups. Massive government-led projects such as metro lines, bridges, coastal road stretches and large-scale road widening, coupled with a surge in private construction, continue to throw up dust and fine particulate matter into the air.

Several pockets across the city emerged as major pollution hotspots. The Wadala Truck Terminal registered a shockingly high AQI of 368, categorised as ‘severe’, indicating dangerously polluted air that can pose serious health risks even to healthy individuals.

In Deonar and Bandra, AQI levels stood at 197 and 187, respectively, both marked as ‘poor’. Other areas, including Worli (180) and Chembur (177), also recorded air quality in the poor range, reflecting how both commercial hubs and residential areas remain heavily affected.

Suburban pockets showed comparatively cleaner air, though still not ideal. Govandi (63), Kandivali East (67) and Charkop (85) fell under the ‘moderate’ category, indicating that while the air is acceptable, pollution levels remain evident. Powai (123) and Juhu (127) also landed in the moderate bracket.

For reference, AQI values between 0–50 are Good, 51–100 Moderate, 101–150 Poor, 151–200 Unhealthy, and above 200 Hazardous.

Mumbai, Dec 10: The Mumbai Airport Customs in 15 cases over the past eight days have seized smuggled drugs worth ₹43 crore, gold worth ₹1.51 crore and diamonds valued at ₹87 lakh.

According to the Customs, during December 03 till December 10 they detected ten cases of smuggling of hydroponic weed.

“Based on spot profiling, a total of 37.26 kg of suspected hydroponic weed valued at approximately ₹37.26 crore in the illicit market were recovered under seven cases from nine passengers who had arrived from Bangkok via various flights and were arrested under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act,” said a Customs officer.

“The modus operandi used by the accused in these cases were that the passengers attempted to smuggle hydroponic weed by concealing the contraband inside the trolley bags and using the baggage tags of another flight to avoid detection by Customs Officers. In some cases, the passengers attempted to smuggle hydroponic weed by concealing the contraband inside the lumps of tamarind to avoid detection,” the officer said.

In three other cases, based on specific intelligence, a total of 6 kg of suspected hydroponic weed, valued at approximately ₹6 crore in the illicit market were recovered from three passengers who had arrived from Bangkok via various flights and were arrested under the provisions of the NDPS Act.

“Other than the NDPS cases, four gold smuggling cases were booked in which a total of 1,256 grams of gold valued at ₹1.51 crore were recovered and seized from four passengers. In one case, diamonds valued at ₹87.75 lakh were recovered and seized from one passenger,” the officer said.