Mumbai, May 8 -- Indian equities head into the next trading week with heightened sensitivity to global macro and geopolitical developments. Escalating tensions in West Asia continued to keep energy markets volatile, with Brent crude remaining above $100 per barrel, raising concerns around imported inflation, currency stability and global growth.

Domestically, India's manufacturing activity remained resilient, though growth stayed near a four-year low, with the HSBC India Manufacturing PMI rising marginally to 54.7 in April from 53.9 in March, while war-driven fuel costs pushed input-price pressures to their highest level since August 2022.

Currency markets also remained under pressure, with the Indian rupee weakening toward record lows ...