Sensex drops over 150 points in early trade; Nifty below 14,650
The Hindu
Elsewhere in Asia, bourses in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul were trading on a positive note in mid-session deals.
Equity benchmark Sensex opened on a positive note on Friday, but soon pared initial gains and dropped over 150 points, tracking losses in index majors HDFC twins, ICICI Bank and TCS. The 30-share BSE index was trading 158.99 points or 0.33% lower at 48,531.81. Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty fell 59.50 points or 0.40% to 14,637.
The latest Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) by MoS&PI reveals a transformative shift in India’s economic landscape. For the first time in over a decade, granular data on Monthly Per Capita Expenditure (MPCE) highlights a significant decline in the proportional share of food spending—a classic validation of Engel’s Law as real incomes rise. Between 1999 and 2024, both rural and urban consumption pivoted away from staple-heavy diets toward protein-rich foods, health, education, and conveyance. As Indian households move beyond subsistence, these shifting Indian household spending patterns offer vital insights for social sector policy, poverty estimation, and the lived realities of an expanding middle-income population.












