Mumbai, Nov 11: The Indian benchmark indices opened mildly in red on Tuesday, amid progress on the US shutdown bill and optimism regarding an India-US trade deal soon.

As of 9.25 am, the Sensex was down 177 points, or 0.21 per cent at 85,338 and the Nifty inched down 51 points, or 0.20 per cent to 25,523.

The broadcap indices performed better than benchmarks, with the Nifty Midcap 100 down only 0.09 per cent and the Nifty Smallcap 100 losing 0.06 per cent.

TCS, Tech Mahindra and Dr Reddy’s Labs were among the major gainers in the Nifty Pack, while losers included Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Finserv, Shriram Finance and Asian Paints.

Sectoral indices were trading mixed with most of them trading with mild negative bias. Nifty IT was the standout gainer up 0.31 per cent, while financial services, FMCG, Pharma and PSU Bank down 0.71 per cent, 0.49 per cent, 0.16 per cent and 0.57 per cent respectively.

“Nasdaq bounced back 2.2 per cent after the AI trade was weak last week. The return from AI stocks may take longer than expected, but there is no bubble in AI stocks, unlike the Tech bubble that crashed in 2000,” said market watchers.

They noted that Nasdaq PE was above 70 and many tech stocks were above 150 in March 2000, and AI stock PE valuations now range from 28 to 51, while Nasdaq’s PE is 32.

Most of the Asia-Pacific markets rose in early trading sessions on Tuesday tracking Wall Street gains on revived optimism regarding artificial intelligence stocks.

The US markets ended in the green zone overnight, as Nasdaq jumped 2.27 per cent, the S&P 500 added 1.54 per cent, and the Dow inched up 0.81 per cent.

In Asian markets, China’s Shanghai index lost 0.46 per cent, and Shenzhen dipped 0.67 per cent, Japan’s Nikkei added 0.43 per cent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index eased 0.29 per cent. South Korea’s Kospi jumped 1.38 per cent.

On Monday, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold equities worth Rs 4,889 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers of equities worth Rs 1,787 crore.

Mumbai: The city greeted Tuesday morning under clear skies laced with a thin veil of smog, as cold breezes mixed with particulate haze blurred its skyline and reduced visibility across major pockets. From Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) to South Mumbai, a greyish hue lingered over the city’s skyline, signalling a sharp deterioration in air quality after a brief spell of improvement.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Mumbai will continue to experience clear skies throughout the day, though the early hours witnessed low visibility due to the smog blanket. Daytime temperatures are likely to hover around 33°C, while the minimum is expected to dip to around 19°C, adding a winter-like chill to the morning air.

The worsening air quality comes just days after the city enjoyed a short respite when heavy rainfall had briefly cleaned the atmosphere. The downpour had washed away pollutants, improving both humidity and particulate matter levels. However, the relief proved temporary as the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) surged back to poor and unhealthy levels within a week.

As per fresh data released by AQI.in on Tuesday morning, Mumbai’s overall AQI stood at 190, categorised as poor. This marks a steep decline from the good-to-moderate levels recorded earlier this month. Several residents reported hazy horizons and a faint burning odour during morning hours, common indicators of rising fine particulate concentrations (PM2.5).

Among the city’s key monitoring zones, Chembur reported the worst air with an AQI of 257, placing it in the unhealthy category. It was closely followed by BKC (237) and Vile Parle West (233). Other areas such as Kurla (223) and Chakala (210) also registered worrying pollution levels.

In comparison, the western suburbs fared slightly better. Kandivali East recorded an AQI of 95 (moderate), while Malad West (153), Borivali East (157), Santacruz East (163) and Mumbai Airport (167) remained between moderate and poor levels. Despite marginal differences, most of the city continued to be enveloped in smog.

According to AQI classifications, readings between 0–50 are considered Good, 51–100 Moderate, 101–150 Poor, 151–200 Unhealthy, and anything beyond 200 falls under Severe or Hazardous. With pollution levels once again on the rise, health experts have advised Mumbaikars to restrict outdoor activities, especially during early mornings and late evenings and to use protective masks while commuting.

New Delhi: A car explosion near Gate No. 1 of the Red Fort Metro Station on Monday evening caused widespread panic. The force of the blast was so intense that a part of the car landed on the Lal Mandir, located near the Red Fort. The temple’s glass shattered, and doors and windows of several nearby shops were damaged. Several people were reported injured in the incident.

Immediately after the blast, fires were reported in nearby shops. Tremors were felt as far as the Bhagirath Palace area of ​​Chandni Chowk, and shopkeepers were seen calling each other to inquire about the situation. Several buses and other vehicles were also reported to have caught fire.

The fire department received a call about the car explosion in the evening. Following this, it immediately dispatched six ambulances and seven fire tenders to the scene. Relief and rescue operations are underway, and efforts are underway to control the fire.

The cause of the explosion is still unknown. Police have cordoned off the area, and investigating agencies are gathering evidence at the scene. Initial reports suggest the explosion occurred in a car, but its nature and cause are still unclear. Security has been increased throughout the Red Fort and Chandni Chowk areas following the incident.