Mumbai/IBNS, Aug. 14 -- Indian equity benchmarks traded lower on Friday, with the BSE Sensex slipping nearly 300 points and the NSE Nifty 50 falling below the 24,350 mark as investors remained cautious amid heightened geopolitical tensions.

The market remained under pressure as concerns over the prolonged US-Iran standoff and its potential impact on global oil supplies weighed on investor sentiment. Brent crude was trading near $87 per barrel and had gained around 4% during the week.

Most sectoral indices traded in the red during morning trade. Metal stocks were among the worst performers, with the sectoral index falling around 1.3%, while IT and financial stocks also faced selling pressure.

The weak domestic opening came despite relat...