Sensex Plunges 961 Pts, Nifty Below 25,200 as Financials, Autos Drag Market

• Indian equity benchmarks closed sharply lower on Friday, with Sensex down 961.42 points (1.17%) to 81,287.19.
• Nifty 50 slid 317.90 points (1.25%) to settle at 25,178.65, with 44 of 50 constituents in red.
• Heavyweight financials like ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, HDFC Bank, and SBI bore the brunt of the decline.
• Auto stocks including Maruti Suzuki and Mahindra & Mahindra also contributed significantly to the market pressure.
• IT stocks like Infosys and HCL Technologies offered some support, capping the overall downside.