Mumbai: A key index of the Indian equities markets started weak on Thursday and was 1.11 percent in the red about ten minutes into trade.
The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) opened higher at 15,926.13 points and, about 10 minutes after the opening bell, was at 15,735.25 points, 1.11 percent or 176.88 points below its previous close at 15,912.13 points.
Around the same time, the S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) was also in the negative zone at 4,672.35 points, down 0.82 percent from its last close.
Broader market indices were trading mixed with the BSE midcap index 0.09 percent down but the BSE small cap index 0.03 percent up.
Among the top Sensex losers, DLF was down by 3.7 percent, L&T 2.8 percent and ACC lost 2.6 percent.
IT bellwether Infosys Technologies shed 1.4 percent and was trading at 2206 rupees.
BSE realty index has also shed 2.2 percent while the BSE FMCG index was down by 1.8 percent at the time.
Other Asian markets too opened lower. Hong Kong share prices fell 0.67 percent in early trade today, with the benchmark Hang Seng
Index down 144.48 points at 21,470.29.
Similarly, Japanese share prices opened lower with the benchmark Nikkie-225 index falling 40.81 points or 0.41 percent, to 9,803.50 in the first minute of trading.
IANS with Bureau Inputs