Thu, Sep 24, 2026: $NIFTY -1% to ~23,600, $SENSEX -1%. Crude >$102 and IRDAI's insurer proposal were the two stories that mattered.

SEBI's Tuhin Kanta Pandey wants a balanced derivatives market — more guardrails, not a ban. Expect option volumes to cool, but index futures still set the tone. Financials and insurers were the pain trade: IRDAI proposal + crude >$102 squeezed the sector. Watch banks and insurance names for follow-through. $NTPC paid ₹3,394 crore final FY26 dividend; $ASSETGRO filed DRHP for a ₹2,000-2,500 crore IPO. $NSE got Macquarie's "Dominator" tag with Outperform. Dollar near two-month high and hot PMI feed rate-hike bets, bad for FPI flows. Nifty must hold 23,600; lose it and tomorrow's open gaps down. Watch: $2.4-BILLIO

SEBI's Tuhin Kanta Pandey wants a balanced derivatives market — more guardrails, not a ban. Expect option volumes to cool, but index futures still set the tone.