Mumbai, Oct 2: Indian equity markets extended their losing streak to an eighth consecutive week on Thursday as benchmarks fell about 3 per cent each amid persistent foreign fund outflows, elevated US bond yields and geopolitical concerns.

Nifty 50 closed at 22,421.95, a decline of 3.1 per cent against the previous Friday’s closing of 23,140.5.

Similarly, Sensex declined 2.7 per cent to 71,909.7 compared with 73,895.7 a week earlier.

Broader markets also declined with midcap and smallcap indices falling 3.5 per cent and 3.3 per cent, respectively.

Sector-wise, BSE IT index was the only gainer, rising 0.2 per cent over the week.

In contrast, auto sector was the worst-performing sector, falling 5.5 per cent followed by consumer durables, down 5.3 per cent. FMCG and metal indices declined 4.2 per cent each, while energy, healthcare and realty indices fell between 3.3 per cent and 3.6 per cent. While banking, capital goods and power indices declined 2.4 per cent, 2.4 per cent and 2.6 per cent, respectively.

The latest decline marks the longest weekly losing streak for the benchmark indices in nearly 25 years.

Moreover, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) continued to sell Indian equities, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) provided some support, cushioning the decline.

According to market experts, investor sentiment remained weak due to persistent geopolitical tensions, elevated crude prices, foreign fund selling and concerns over monetary policy.

Crude oil prices remained above $100 a barrel amid continued geopolitical tensions, while the US 10-year Treasury yield remained elevated, adding to pressure on emerging-market assets.

They further noted that the southwest monsoon ended with a 13 per cent rainfall deficit, raising concerns over agricultural output and food inflation.

The recent increase in minimum support prices for key rabi crops has also added to expectations of a cautious monetary policy stance, according to the experts.

Moreover, the Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee is scheduled to meet next week, with the policy decision due on October 7.

In addition, the coming week will also mark the start of the second-quarter earnings season.

The near-term market outlook could remain sensitive to global yields, crude oil prices, foreign fund flows and geopolitical developments, while the upcoming earnings season will provide further direction to equities, according to analysts.

Ahmedabad, Oct 1: Adani Green Energy Ltd (AGEL) on Thursday said it has expanded its operational Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) capacity to 6.63 gigawatt-hours (GWh) at Khavda, Gujarat, from 3.55 GWh in June 2026.

India’s largest renewable energy company now accounts for more than 50 per cent of the country’s operational BESS capacity of about 12.6 GWh.

“Reaching 6.63 GWh of operational battery storage in just 14 months is a significant milestone for AGEL and India’s clean energy transition. At this scale, storage can make renewable power firmer, more reliable and dispatchable when the grid needs it,” said Sagar Adani, Executive Director, Adani Green Energy.

“As India’s power demand grows, we will continue to scale energy storage solutions, both battery and pumped storage, to support a more resilient, lower-carbon grid,” he noted.

The 6.63 GWh BESS can store enough clean energy to power around two million homes a day, and support peak electricity demand of cities like Nagpur, Patna or Vizag for several hours.

This BESS capacity at Khavda is equivalent to battery storage capacity of more than 150,000 mid-sized EVs and can store enough energy daily to meet almost twice the Delhi Metro’s estimated daily electricity requirement, underscoring the unprecedented scale of the installation.

The scale-up to 6.63 GWh strengthens the integration of renewable energy into the grid by enabling clean power to be stored and dispatched when required, said the company.

This milestone also consolidates Khavda’s position as the world’s largest operational battery energy storage installation at a single location.

The BESS is integrated with AGEL’s renewable energy (RE) development at Khavda, where the company is developing a 30 GW RE plant across 538 square kms of barren land.

The BESS uses lithium-ion battery technology, integrated with an Energy Management Systems (EMS) and automated telemetry to manage charging and discharging, optimise system performance and support grid services. Battery storage can improve grid stability, manage peak demand, reduce energy curtailment, and enable renewable power to be delivered when required.

AGEL said it is on track to add over 10 GWh of BESS capacity in FY 2026-27 and is targeting 50 GWh of storage capacity over the next 5 years.

Mumbai, Oct 1: Domestic equity benchmarks opened lower on Thursday amid continued foreign fund outflows with auto and cement stocks leading sectoral losses.

Sensex opened at 72,192.89, down 287.39 points or 0.39 per cent. Nifty began trading session declining 76.75 points or 0.34 per cent to 22,543.70.

Among sectoral indices, Nifty Auto, Nifty Cement, Nifty Realty, Nifty Media and Nifty Healthcare were top laggards, plunging up to 2.76 per cent in early deals. Energy, metal and pharma indices also traded sharply lower, falling between 0.86 per cent and 0.95 per cent.

On the other hand, Nifty IT rose more than 1 per cent, while Nifty Private Bank also advanced 0.60 per cent.

The market remained under pressure after foreign institutional investors (FIIs) continued their selling streak.

On Wednesday, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) were net sellers for the fifth consecutive session and offloaded equities worth more than Rs 10,148 crore, according to provisional data.

Meanwhile, domestic institutional investors (DIIs) continued to provide support, purchasing equities worth Rs 11,271 crore during the session.

Analysts said sustained FII selling, coupled with rising US bond yields, could keep large-cap equities under pressure in the near term. FIIs sold equities worth Rs 45,536 crore through exchanges in September, while investing Rs 9,676 crore through the primary market, they added.

The experts further noted that the near-term market structure remains sideways to bearish, with immediate support for the Nifty placed around 22,500-22,550 and resistance at 22,800-22,900.

They said a sustained move above the resistance zone could improve sentiment, while a break below the support level may keep selling pressure intact.

Analysts also pointed to crude oil prices as a key factor to watch, noting that a decline in Brent crude below $98 a barrel could provide some relief to the market.