New Delhi, July 1 -- Indian equities endured a turbulent first half of 2026 as geopolitical tensions, persistent foreign selling, earnings downgrades and concerns over artificial intelligence weighed on investor sentiment.

The war in West Asia heightened volatility in crude oil prices, bond yields, and the rupee, while an unusually harsh summer raised concerns about agriculture and rural consumption. Technology stocks bore the brunt of the sell-off as investors reassessed the outlook for traditional IT services amid rapid advances in generative AI.

Amid this backdrop, India ranked among the weakest-performing major equity markets in the first half of 2026. The Nifty 50 declined 8.7%, marking its worst first-half performance since 2022....