Covid fears, profit booking pulls indices; Sensex down 635 points

Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) were net buyers to the tune of Rs 1,119 crore, according to provisional data from exchanges

A combination of Covid-19 fears and profit booking pulled the Indian benchmark indices on Wednesday. The Sensex fell 635 points to end the session at 61,067 -- a decline of 1.03 per cent. The Nifty50, on the other hand, ended the day at 18,199, a decline of 186 points or 1.01 per cent.

The union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya chaired a meeting on the Covid-19 situation and urged for strengthening surveillance. India reported 131 fresh infections, according to news reports, on Wednesday.

"Covid scare is the only incremental negative newsflow that markets are grappling with at the moment. People are worried