India, March 12 -- Indian equity markets opened sharply lower on Thursday, extending the previous session's losses as soaring crude oil prices and renewed global trade tensions dampened investor sentiment.

The BSE Sensex tumbled 992.53 points to 75,871.18 in early trade, while the Nifty dived 310.55 points to 23,556.30.

By 9:18 am IST, the Nifty 50 was down 1.13 per cent at 23,596.2, while the Sensex slipped 1.23 per cent to 75,921.04, reflecting broad-based selling across sectors.

All 16 major sectoral indices opened in the red, with broader markets also under pressure. The small-cap and mid-cap indices declined 1.5 per cent and 1.3 per cent, respectively.

The sharp decline came as global oil prices surged past $100 per barrel amid e...