India, March 9 -- Indian stock markets opened sharply lower on Monday, mirroring a global sell-off triggered by surging oil prices, escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and a sharp fall in the rupee. The BSE Sensex fell more than 2,400 points in early trade, while the Nifty 50 dropped over 700 points, reflecting widespread selling across sectors.

The sharp decline comes as global markets tumble and crude oil prices surge to their highest levels since 2022.

The biggest trigger for the market decline is the massive spike in crude oil prices after the United States-Israel war with Iran intensified.

Brent crude jumped more than 25 per cent to around $116 per barrel, while US benchmark West Texas Intermediate also surged abov...