India, March 13 -- The key equity benchmarks ended with steep losses on Friday, extending their sharp slide for the third consecutive session. Market sentiment remained deeply fragile amid relentless selling by foreign institutional investors (FIIs), a surge in crude oil prices, and intensifying geopolitical tensions as the Middle East conflict entered its 14th day. Brent crude hovered around the psychologically critical $100-per-barrel mark, amplifying investor anxiety and further eroding market confidence. The Nifty closed below the 23,200 level, dragged down by heavy selling in metal, PSU banking, and auto stocks.

The S&P BSE Sensex slumped 1,470.50 points or 1.93% to 74,563.92. The Nifty 50 index plummeted 488.05 points or 2.06% to 2...