Indian Equities Stage Sharp Reversal, Close Lower as Banking, Tech Stocks Drag; Nifty 50 Sheds 1.8%

Indian equities ended sharply lower on Friday, reversing early gains, as a broad sell-off in banking and technology stocks triggered a late-session plunge. The Nifty 50 index fell 1.8% to close at 22,450, while the BSE Sensex dropped 1.7% to 74,120, wiping out intraday advances of over 0.5%. Heavyweights HDFC Bank and Infosys led declines, with the Nifty Bank and IT indices dropping 2.1% and 2.3%, respectively. The reversal tracked weak cues from regional markets and a surge in profit-taking after recent highs. The volatile session highlighted fragile investor confidence ahead of the Reserve Bank of India's upcoming policy review.