Sensex tumbles 585 points; Nifty drops below 14,600

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Extending its losing streak to the fifth consecutive session, equity benchmark Sensex tanked 585 points on Thursday, tracking losses in index majors Infosys, RIL and TCS.

After rallying nearly 500 points earlier in the day, the 30-share BSE index gave up all gains to end 585.10 points or 1.17% lower at 49,216.52. The broader NSE Nifty slumped 163.45 points or 1.11% at 14,557.85.

HCL Tech was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding around 4%, followed by Infosys, Dr Reddy’s, TCS, Reliance Industries, Tech Mahindra and NTPC.

On the other hand, ITC, Bajaj Auto, M&M, Maruti and Bharti Airtel were among the gainers.

“Having seen a brisk gap-up opening on positive global cues, domestic equities fell sharply for the fifth consecutive day as sharp rise in coronavirus cases in the country made investors jittery,” said Binod Modi, Head Strategy at Reliance Securities.

A sharp rise in daily COVID-19 cases in India has raised apprehensions about sustainability of ongoing rebound in corporate earnings, he noted, adding that the mounting concerns of possible fresh economic restrictions made enthusiasm of dovish commentary from Federal Reserve short lived for domestic markets.

After its two-day policy meeting, the U.S. Fed reassured investors that it expects to keep its key interest rate near zero through 2023.

Stock exchanges on Wall Street ended with gains in the overnight session.

Elsewhere in Asia, bourses in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul ended on a positive note.

Bourses in Europe were also trading higher in mid-session deals.

Meanwhile, the global oil benchmark Brent crude was trading 0.40% lower at $67.73 per barrel.

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Infosys, Accenture to cover Covid-19 vaccination costs for Indian workers – Times of India

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BENGALURU: Information Technology major Infosys Ltd and consulting and outsourcing services provider Accenture Plc said on Wednesday they would cover Covid-19 vaccination costs for their employees in India, as the country expands its massive vaccination drive.
India’s vaccination campaign ramped up on Monday, with people above the age of 60, and individuals 45 or older suffering from certain medical conditions, now eligible for shots.
Coronavirus: Live updates
Vaccines administered at government health facilities will still be free, while private facilities cannot charge more than Rs 250 ($3.43) per dose, the government has said.
“Infosys is looking at partnering with health care providers to vaccinate employees and their immediate families as eligible,” chief operating officer Pravin Rao said in an emailed statement.
For Accenture, costs for employees and dependents who are eligible and choose to receive the vaccination will be covered, the company said.
So far, the government has procured the two Covid-19 vaccines approved in India – AstraZeneca‘s shot being developed by the Serum Institute, and local player Bharat Biotech‘s Covaxin – at fixed prices and distributed them free of cost.
Several Indian companies, including autos-to-technology conglomerate Mahindra Group and consumer goods giant ITC Ltd, had already started considering buying Covid-19 vaccines for their employees as early as in January.

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