Mumbai, Jan 7: The Indian benchmark indices posted mild losses early on Wednesday amid rising geopolitical tensions and fresh tariff-related concerns, tracking mixed cues from Asian markets.

As of 9.30 am, Sensex slipped 156 points, or 0.18 per cent to 84,907 and Nifty eased 54 points, or 0.21 per cent to 26,124.

Main broad-cap indices showed clear divergence with benchmark indices, with the Nifty Midcap 100 up 0.22 per cent, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 gained 0.25 per cent.

Sectorally, Nifty Auto was the top loser down 0.49 per cent. Sectors such as consumer durables, IT and metal gained 1.15 per cent, 0.91 per cent and 0.53 per cent, respectively.

Immediate support lies at 26,000–26,050 zone, and resistance placed at 26,300–26,350 zone, market watchers said.

Analysts said that recent market movements have been devoid of any trend and clear direction with few mega stocks disproportionately affecting the market. Despite positive institutional buying, Nifty fell 71 points yesterday due to sharp declines in two stocks, they said.

These two stocks’ large derivative and cash market volumes indicated settlement day activity, which were technical rather than fundamental, they added.

Events and news may cause high volatility in the future with US President Donald Trump’s tweet or action remaining a key watch point. Investors also closely watch the US Supreme Court verdict on Trump tariffs. If the verdict goes against the reciprocal tariffs, it will create huge volatility in stock markets, market watchers said.

Asian region traded mixed with defence stocks snapping the two-day winning streak. Investors weighed in geopolitical risks after the US attack on Venezuela and renewed rhetoric over Greenland.

In Asian markets, China’s Shanghai index added 0.29 per cent, and Shenzhen gained 0.35 per cent, Japan’s Nikkei lost 0.64 per cent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index shed 1.01 per cent. South Korea’s Kospi advanced 1.18 per cent.

The US markets were in the green zone overnight as Nasdaq added 0.65 per cent. The S&P 500 gained 0.62 per cent, and the Dow moved up 0.99 per cent.

On January 6, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold net equities worth Rs 106 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers of equities worth Rs 1,749 crore.

New Delhi, Jan 6: Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Tuesday that as many as 10.41 crore LPG connections have already been provided for the supply of subsidised cooking gas to poor families under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana as the government steadily progresses to achieve its target of covering 10.6 crore families under the scheme.

Puri further stated that the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana has succeeded in building a nationwide system that delivers clean cooking fuel reliably with every refill.

“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ujjwala has transformed clean cooking from a welfare measure into a reliable everyday infrastructure,” the minister said in a post on X.

LPG is being made affordable for the poor through a targeted subsidy of Rs 300 per 14.2 kg cylinder for up to nine refills per year under the PMUY scheme. This intervention has resulted in a steady rise in LPG consumption. The average per capita consumption increased from about three refills in 2019-20 to 4.47 refills in FY 2024-25 and further to a pro-rated level of about 4.85 refills per annum during FY 2025-26, indicating sustained adoption of clean cooking fuel, according to figures compiled by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

To clear pending applications and achieve saturation of LPG access, the government approved the release of 25 lakh additional LPG connections during FY 2025-26. Subsidy targeting and transparency were improved with the acceleration of Aadhaar authentication. As on December 1, 2025, biometric authentication covered 71 per cent of PMUY consumers and 62 per cent of non-PMUY consumers, according to an official statement.

Consumer safety was strengthened through the nationwide Basic Safety Check campaign. More than 12.12 crore free safety inspections were conducted at customer premises, and over 4.65 crore LPG hoses were replaced at discounted rates, significantly enhancing awareness and safety standards in domestic LPG usage, the statement added.

Mumbai, Jan 6: Indian benchmark indices posted mild losses on Tuesday, weighed down by losses in oil and gas stocks. Amid impressive corporate updates that had lifted expectations of stronger quarterly earnings, concerns of potential additional tariffs by US weighed on the domestic markets.

As of 9.30 am, Sensex slipped 246 points, or 0.29 per cent to 85,193 and Nifty eased 70 points, or 0.27 per cent to 26,180.

Main broad-cap indices performed almost in line with benchmark indices, with the Nifty Midcap 100 down 0.08 per cent, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 shed 0.02 per cent.

Immediate support lies at 26,100–26,150 zone, and resistance placed at 26,400–26,450 zone, market watchers said.

The US markets rallied overnight ignoring Venezuela crisis. As crude prices fall due to increased supply from Venezuela, the market appears to be betting that the Venezuela crisis will be positive in medium to long term, analysts said.

However, geopolitical surprises are likely, so it is too early to decide and investors should consider increasing their cash position, they added.

The banking sector have strengthened due to increasing credit growth, even though deposit mobilisation remains a challenge.

Asian defence stocks showed strong surge for a second straight session, even as the region traded mixed, with investors assessing geopolitical risks after the US attack on Venezuela.

In Asian markets, China’s Shanghai index added 1.14 per cent, and Shenzhen gained 0.79 per cent, Japan’s Nikkei added 0.69 per cent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index inched up 1.68 per cent. South Korea’s Kospi declined 3.99 per cent.

The US markets were mostly in the green zone on the last trading day even as Nasdaq added 0.69 per cent. The S&P 500 gained 0.64 per cent, and the Dow moved up 1.23 per cent.

On January 5, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold net equities worth Rs 36 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers of equities worth Rs 1,764 crore.