Sensex tanks over 600 points in early trade; Nifty drops below 14,500
The Hindu
Elsewhere in Asia, bourses in Hong Kong and Seoul were trading on a negative note in mid-session deals.
Market benchmark Sensex plunged over 600 points in early trade on Monday, tracking losses in index-heavyweights Reliance Industries, HDFC twins and ICICI Bank amid a negative trend in Asian equities. The 30-share BSE index tanked 607.32 points or 1.24% to 48,175.04 in initial deals. Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty tumbled 152.45 points or 1.04% to 14,478.65.
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.












