Indian equities were under sharp selling pressure around midday on March 19, 2026, with benchmarks slipping decisively as global cues turned adverse and energy prices remained elevated. The Nifty was hovering near 23,230, down roughly 2.3%, while the Sensex was around 74,970, lower by about 2.2%.
The decline was broad-based, but even in a falling market, some pockets saw strong, almost stubborn buying interest, while others cracked under stock-specific developments.
Here are top movers and shakers at this hour:
HDFC Bank
HDFC Bank share price remained under pressure after the sudden exit of the Atanu Chakraborty.
The bank announced the resignation of its part-time chairman and independent director, Atanu Chakraborty, with immediate effect. In his resignation letter, he cited concerns that certain practices within the bank were not aligned with his personal values and ethics.
The Reserve Bank of India has approved Keki Mistry as interim part-time chairman for a period of three months. The development unsettled sentiment, with the bank’s ADR declining sharply earlier, and the domestic stock remaining in focus.
Natural gas stocks: Adani Total Gas, Gujarat Gas, GSPL, Mahanagar Gas, ONGC
Natural gas and upstream energy stocks moved higher despite the broader market weakness.
Adani Total Gas share price gained about 8.86% by midday.
Gujarat Gas share price was up around 0.63%.
Gujarat State Petronet share price was slightly lower by about 0.45% after early gains.
Mahanagar Gas share price rose about 0.86%.
Oil And Natural Gas Corporation share price gained around 2.15%.
The trigger was a sharp rise in crude oil prices, with Brent crude moving near $113 per barrel amid escalating tensions in West Asia. Disruptions to energy infrastructure and supply routes have tightened expectations around availability.
Adani Total Gas also saw strong volumes, even as exchanges placed the stock under the short-term surveillance framework due to heightened volatility. The company clarified that recent price movements were market-driven, while also acknowledging that supply curtailments from gas suppliers have affected industrial customers.
Bharat Forge
Bharat Forge saw a notable decline in its share price, falling by 5% by midday. The drop comes amid broader market weakness, with additional pressure stemming from challenges in the auto components sector. Rising crude oil prices have also contributed to the negative sentiment, as they tend to increase input and logistics costs, weighing on profitability expectations.
Oil marketing companies: HPCL, BPCL, IOC
Oil marketing companies remained under pressure.
HPCL share price fell nearly 6% by midday.
Bharat Petroleum Corporation share price declined around 3% to 4%.
Indian Oil Corporation share price also dropped about 3% to 4%.
Meanwhile, ONGC share price was up over 1%.
Rising crude oil prices are squeezing margins for refiners. Unlike upstream companies, which benefit from higher oil prices, refiners face cost pressures when crude rises sharply and retail prices do not adjust immediately.
The surge in oil prices followed attacks on energy infrastructure linked to the ongoing conflict involving Israel and Iran.
BEML
BEML share price gained around 3.19% in the previous session and remained in focus by midday.
The company secured an order worth about Rs 555 crore for supplying metro rolling stock to the African region. The contract includes designing, manufacturing, testing and commissioning stainless-steel standard gauge metro coaches. This is not a routine export order. It is the company’s first overseas deal in metro rolling stock, which changes how its international presence is viewed.
Separately, BEML has already approved an investment of around Rs 1,500 crore for a greenfield rail manufacturing facility in Madhya Pradesh. That project is expected to be executed over five years and is aimed at expanding manufacturing capacity. The order and the capex plan together point in the same direction.
Petronet LNG
Shares of Petronet LNG fell around 5% during midday on Thursday after reports of missile strikes on Qatar’s Ras Laffan industrial hub heightened concerns over potential disruptions to global LNG supplies.
ACME Solar Holdings
ACME Solar Holdings share price jumped 4.65% by midday.
The stock moved against the broader market trend and extended its recent rally, having already gained nearly 14% over the past month and over 9% so far this year. Over a longer period, the stock is up more than 27% in the past 12 months.
The gains are not driven by a single announcement in isolation. The company has been consistently adding operational updates, including commissioning of energy storage systems and expanding its renewable portfolio.
Indosolar
Indosolar share price surged 5% by midday, hitting its upper circuit.
The rally followed a policy move by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, which included ingots and wafers under the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers framework. Until now, the list covered modules and cells. The inclusion of upstream components signals a push to deepen domestic manufacturing.
The change will come into effect from June 1, 2028, but the market reaction was immediate.
West Asia tensions weigh on food delivery and QSR stocks
Shares of online food delivery companies Swiggy and Eternal, along with quick service restaurant (QSR) operators such as Jubilant FoodWorks and Devyani International, declined by as much as 6% in Thursday’s trading session. The fall was driven by rising concerns over potential operational disruptions linked to the escalating crisis in West Asia. Fresh worries surfaced after Qatar reported extensive damage to a complex housing the world’s largest liquefied natural gas facility following multiple Iranian strikes, an escalation that followed Israeli attacks on Iran’s South Pars gasfield.
DEE Development Engineers
DEE Development Engineers share price declined about 8.72% by midday.
The company stated that the West Asia conflict has started affecting its export orders. At the same time, the invocation of the Essential Commodities Act is expected to impact certain domestic supplies.
Swan Defence and Heavy Industries
Swan Defence and Heavy Industries share price dropped 5%, hitting its lower circuit by midday.
The fall followed approval for a promoter stake sale through the offer for sale route. The promoter entity, Hazel Infra Limited, received approval to offload shares, and the stock reacted immediately.