India, March 30 -- India's stock market opened lower today to be on course for the biggest monthly loss in six years as an expanding Iran war sapped risk appetite.

The Nifty 50 fell 1.18% to 22,549.65 points and the BSE Sensex shed 1.38% to 72,565.22 as of 9:15 am. All 16 major sectors logged losses at the open. The broader small-caps and mid-caps dropped 1.2% and 1.3%, respectively.

Asian stocks declined 1.9%. The Brent crude hovered around $114 per barrel and headed for a record monthly rise amid the widening turmoil.

The US-Israeli war on Iran has entered its fifth week and spread further across the Middle East, with Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis launching attacks on Israel over the weekend and stoking fears of disruptions to shippin...