Indian equity markets opened sharply lower on Thursday, extending the previous session’s losses as soaring crude oil prices and renewed global trade tensions dampened investor sentiment.. Traders in Kolkata react to movements in stock market. (PTI). The BSE Sensex tumbled 992.53 points to 75,871.18 in early trade, while the Nifty dived 310.55 points to 23,556.30.. By 9:18 am IST, the Nifty 50 was down 1.13 per cent at 23,596.2, while the Sensex slipped 1.23 per cent to 75,921.04, reflecting broad-based selling across sectors.. All 16 major sectoral indices opened in the red, with broader markets also under pressure. The small-cap and mid-cap indices declined 1.5 per cent and 1.3 per cent, respectively.. The sharp decline came as global oil prices surged past $100 per barrel amid escalating tensions in West Asia. Iraqi security officials said Iranian explosive-laden boats had struck two fuel-oil tankers, worsening supply disruptions linked to the ongoing US–Israeli war on Iran. Officials added that oil ports had “completely stopped operations,” fuelling fears of a supply crunch.. Higher crude prices typically weigh on oil-importing economies such as India by pushing up inflation and widening the country’s import bill.. Investor sentiment was also hit after the United States opened new unfair-trade investigations into 16 countries, including India, in a move seen as reviving tariff pressure associated with US President Donald Trump’s trade policies.