Indian equity markets head into Monday, March 2, on shaky ground — but there’s a glimmer of hope. After a brutal week where both indices shed over 1.5%, traders are cautiously watching geopolitical flashpoints, AI sector turbulence, and a data-heavy calendar.

Friday’s Damage Report:

Index	Close	Change
Sensex	81,287.19	▼ 961.42 pts (-1.17%)
Nifty 50	25,178.65	▼ 317.90 pts (-1.25%)
Nifty Futures (NSE IX)	25,375	▲ +90 pts (+0.36%)

The silver lining? Nifty futures on the NSE International Exchange rose 90 points (+0.36%), hinting at a cautiously positive open on Monday.

The Big Risk: Israel Strikes Iran

On Saturday, Israel carried out what it called a “pre-emptive strike” against Iran, targeting nuclear infrastructure and military sites in what has been dubbed Operation Lion’s Roar. This dramatically escalates Middle East tensions and could rattle crude oil prices — a direct pain point for India as a major oil importer.

As per geopolitical risk analysis on Wikipedia, such conflicts historically trigger sharp moves in emerging market equities, energy prices, and safe-haven assets.

“Near-term direction will hinge largely on US–Iran geopolitical tensions, which remain a prominent global risk factor.” — Hariprasad K, SEBI-registered research analyst, Livelong Wealth.

AI Chaos: OpenAI vs Anthropic Drama

The tech world is buzzing with contradictory AI news that directly impacts Indian IT stocks:

OpenAI signed a landmark deal with the US Department of War to integrate its AI models into classified government networks.
Anthropic (maker of Claude AI) was labeled a “supply chain risk” by the Pentagon, with Trump ordering all federal agencies to stop using Anthropic’s products. Anthropic has vowed to challenge this designation in court.

Indian IT has already corrected over 20% through February, and sentiment will stay guarded until earnings clarity improves. For context on how this hits Indian tech, check out our coverage on AI’s impact on Indian IT outsourcing at TechnoSports.

What Else to Watch: Key Events This Week

Event	Details
Holi Holiday	Markets closed Tuesday, March 3
Weekly Nifty Expiry	Shifted to Monday, March 2
Auto Sales Data	Monthly numbers due this week
HSBC Manufacturing PMI	Key sentiment indicator
Q3 FY26 GDP	India likely to post ~8.1% growth

The shifted expiry due to Holi could amplify short-term volatility — traders beware of compressed positioning moves.

Key Levels to Watch

Nifty 50:

Support: 25,000 (critical psychological level)
Resistance: 25,350–25,500

Sensex:

Support zone: 81,000–81,200
Resistance: 82,000–82,500

Trading Strategy for Monday

Ajit Mishra, SVP of Research at Religare Broking, recommends avoiding aggressive leverage. Focus on fundamentally strong large-caps in sectors with stable earnings visibility — banking, healthcare, pharma, metals, and energy.

Corporate earnings also offer some optimism: Indian companies could deliver 8–10% YoY revenue growth in Q4 FY26, supported by resilient rural demand and recovering urban consumption.

For more stock market strategies and tech-finance crossovers, visit TechnoSports Market Coverage.

FAQs

Q: Why is the Nifty weekly expiry on Monday, March 2 instead of Thursday?

Markets are closed on Tuesday, March 3 for Holi, so the weekly Nifty expiry has been shifted to Monday — expect amplified volatility in the last trading hours.

Q: How will the Israel-Iran conflict affect Indian stock markets?

Rising tensions push crude oil prices higher, which hurts India as a major importer — adding inflationary pressure and dampening risk appetite in equities, especially in rate-sensitive sectors.