Mumbai, Dec 23: Indian benchmark indices opened in the red zone on Tuesday, weighed down by losses in the IT stocks after artificial intelligence (AI) stocks in the US showed revival.

As of 9.30 am, the Sensex declined 159 points, or 0.19 per cent to 85,407 and the Nifty lost 32 points, or 0.13 per cent to 26,139.

Main broad cap indices showed divergent trends, with the Nifty Midcap 100 down 0.18 per cent, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 added 0.07 per cent.

ONGC, Tata Steel and NTPC were among the major gainers in the Nifty Pack, while losers included Max Healthcare, TCS, Tech Mahindra, Asian Paints and ICICI Bank.

Sectoral indices on NSE were trading in the mixed zone, with IT leading losses down 1.21 per cent. Oil and gas as well as metal were the major gainers, up around 0.43 and 0.41 per cent, respectively.

Immediate resistance for Nifty is placed at 26,300–26,350, while key supports are located at 26,000–26,050 zone, said analysts.

Market watchers found two factors to affect the market in the near term, including positive macros or fundamentals and AI trade revival. Positive macro indicators may embolden bulls to push Nifty and Sensex to new highs. But the strong AI trade revival is a mild negative externally which may delay the anticipated FII outflow reversal, they said.

Defence stocks are seemingly recovering, with more room for growth in the segment, while the IT sector has also turned resilient, analysts said.

Asia-Pacific markets showed moderate gains on Tuesday, after AI trade lifted major Wall Street indexes overnight.

In Asian markets, China’s Shanghai index advanced 0.34 per cent, and Shenzhen edged up 0.65 per cent, Japan’s Nikkei added 0.02 per cent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index gained 0.33 per cent. South Korea’s Kospi added 0.45 per cent.

The US markets ended mostly in the green zone overnight, as Nasdaq advanced 0.52 per cent, the S&P 500 edged up 0.64 per cent, and the Dow moved up 0.47 per cent.

Investors are keen on rising geopolitical tensions between the US and Venezuela and delays in the Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations. The killing of a Russian army general in a bomb attack on Monday raised concerns over the peace process, lending support to crude oil prices.

On Monday, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold equities worth Rs 516 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers of equities worth Rs 3,898 crore.

Mumbai, December 23: Mumbai woke up to unhealthy air quality on Tuesday morning, with the city’s Air Quality Index recorded at 154, placing it firmly in the unhealthy category. The data showed particulate matter levels continuing to trouble residents, especially during early morning hours when pollution tends to peak.

PM2.5 levels were measured at 64 micrograms per cubic metre, while PM10 stood at 84 micrograms per cubic metre, both significantly above safe limits. While the overall AQI was marginally lower than the Maharashtra average, experts say prolonged exposure can still impact vulnerable groups, including children, the elderly and those with respiratory conditions.

Among major pollutants, particulate matter remained the primary contributor to poor air quality. Carbon monoxide levels were recorded at 284 parts per billion, while nitrogen dioxide stood at 21 parts per billion. Sulphur dioxide and ozone levels remained relatively low, offering little relief from the dominance of fine dust particles in the air.

Health professionals advise residents to avoid prolonged outdoor activity, particularly during peak traffic hours. Masks and indoor air purifiers are being recommended for those experiencing breathing discomfort or irritation.

Weather conditions across Mumbai remained mostly cloudy through the morning, with temperatures hovering around 23 to 25 degrees Celsius. Humidity levels ranged between 39 and 44 percent, keeping the air slightly heavy but comfortable for most of the day.

Wind speeds of 10 to 14 kilometres per hour offered limited dispersion of pollutants, which may have contributed to the stagnant air conditions. The UV index remained low at one, reducing concerns related to sun exposure.

The forecast for the coming week suggests stable weather with no major rainfall activity. Daytime temperatures are expected to rise to around 29 degrees Celsius, while nights will remain relatively cooler at 21 to 22 degrees Celsius.

Mostly sunny conditions are expected from mid week onwards, which could gradually improve visibility but may not immediately ease air pollution levels unless wind patterns change. Authorities continue to monitor pollution levels closely as winter conditions persist.

Lucknow, Dec 22: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday launched a tirade at the opposition over the codeine cough syrup controversy and hurled a ‘2 namoone’ jibe — pointed towards two ‘young’ leaders, one in Delhi and the other in Lucknow.

The Chief Minister, speaking in the Legislative Assembly, rejected any reports of death in the state due to codeine syrup and also vowed to take bulldozer action against those involved in its manufacture and illegal trade.

“No deaths have occurred from codeine cough syrup in Uttar Pradesh… There are two namoones inside the country, one sitting in Delhi and one in Lucknow. Whenever any discussion happens in the country, they immediately flee the country,” he said, taking a swipe at the Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Akhilesh Yadav, without taking names.

The Chief Minister added that strict action would be taken under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act against all those involved in illegal trade and also drew a link between the syrup’s licence with the then SP government.

“The biggest wholesaler, who was first caught by the STF, was issued a licence by the Samajwadi Party in 2016,” he pointed out.

CM Yogi’s remarks in the Assembly came on the back of opposition leaders staging a protest inside and outside the Assembly, demanding a discussion on the cough syrup matter.

The SP chief was, however, quick to respond to the Chief Minister’s diatribe and hit back with a twist.

Akhilesh Yadav interpreted CM Yogi’s remarks as “self-acceptance of two power centres” in the BJP and projected it as a fight between the two.

Insinuating that there was a power tussle between the BJP’s central leadership and the Yogi government, he said that it has come out in the open and the latter should be “wary of offending” the former.

“Self-Acceptance! No one expected the Delhi-Lucknow feud to escalate to this point. People holding constitutional positions should at least maintain some public decorum among themselves and not cross the bounds of propriety. BJP folks should not bring their party’s internal squabbles out to the crossroads. If someone takes offence somewhere, you might have to backtrack,” he wrote in a post on X.