Mumbai, March 6 -- The bearish dominance returned to the Indian stock markets on Friday's opening session as both benchmark indices opened in the red, with rising crude oil prices continuing to influence investor sentiment.

The Nifty 50 index opened at 24,656.40 with a decline of -109.50 points or -0.44 per cent, while the BSE Sensex also opened lower at 79,658.99, losing -356.91 points or -0.45 per cent.

Experts noted that crude oil prices remain a key factor influencing the direction of the markets amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainties.

VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Investments, said, "As the war continues to rage and uncertainty looms large, markets will be influenced by the crude prices. It is important to...