India, March 31 -- The Indian markets ended FY26 on a forgettable note, with benchmark indices logging their worst annual performance since the Covid-19 pandemic six years ago. A sharp selloff on the last trading day sealed the weak finish.

The Nifty 50 fell 5% in FY26, while the Sensex declined 7%, reflecting broad-based weakness across sectors, with the West Asia war, a weakening rupee, and sustained foreign outflows weighing on sentiment.

In contrast, key Asian peers posted strong gains, with South Korea's Kospi surging 109%, Taiwan's Taiex rising 53% and Japan's Nikkei 225 advancing 45% in FY26.

According to Siddarth Bhamre, head of institutional research at Asit C Mehta Investment Intermediate, markets navigated two major shocks t...