Sensex slips 200 pts, Nifty dips below 24,700; FMCG & IT stocks drag. Rupee touches all-time low vs USD

Indian benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty, retreated after a positive opening on Friday, pressured by weakness in FMCG and IT counters. Nifty IT and FMCG shares led the downturn, pulling the benchmarks into the red despite a steady start. Auto, pharma, and midcap indices offered limited support with marginal gains. The rupee hit a historic low of 88.36 against the U.S. dollar. Global Market Updates S&P 500 futures gained 0.2% as of 1:28 p.m. Tokyo time Japan’s Topix advanced 0.5% Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.4% Hong Kong’s Hang Seng climbed 0.6% Shanghai Composite added 0.3% Euro Stoxx 50 futures edged up 0.2%