₹78,000 Crore Gone in a Week: Big Hit for India’s Top Companies: Reliance Suffers the Most

India’s stock market had a rough week, and it showed in the numbers. Six of the country’s ten most valuable companies together lost over ₹78,000 crore in market value — that’s ₹78,166 crore to be exact. Reliance Industries, one of India’s biggest corporate giants, took the biggest hit.

What Happened?

The week ending May 23 wasn’t kind to investors or to some of India’s most well-known companies. Overall, the market was under pressure due to global tensions, rising interest rates, and general nervousness among investors. As a result, several top companies saw their share prices go down, which caused their market values to fall.

Reliance Industries Takes the Hardest Blow

Reliance Industries, owned by Mukesh Ambani, lost a staggering ₹74,563 crore in value. Its total market capitalization (or “mcap” — the total worth of all its shares) fell to ₹17.37 lakh crore. That’s a massive drop, and it played a major role in pulling down the overall market mood.

Other Big Names Also Felt the Pain

Reliance wasn’t alone. Five other big companies also saw their values drop:

• Bharti Airtel lost ₹26,275 crore, now valued at ₹8.94 lakh crore.

• ICICI Bank fell by ₹22,255 crore to ₹8.88 lakh crore.

• ITC dropped ₹15,449 crore to ₹5.98 lakh crore.

• Hindustan Unilever saw a dip of ₹6,567 crore to ₹5.11 lakh crore.

• LIC (Life Insurance Corporation) lost ₹4,462 crore, ending the week at ₹6.49 lakh crore.

These losses show that even the most trusted and well-established companies aren’t safe when the market mood turns sour.

Not All Bad News: Some Companies Gained

Interestingly, while six companies saw their value drop, four others actually gained during the same week:

• Infosys was the biggest gainer, adding ₹44,227 crore to reach ₹6.55 lakh crore.

• TCS (Tata Consultancy Services) added ₹35,801 crore, now at ₹12.70 lakh crore.

• HDFC Bank went up by ₹12,592 crore to ₹13.05 lakh crore.

• State Bank of India (SBI) also saw a minor increase.

So, while some companies were sinking, others managed to stay afloat — or even grow — despite the overall market weakness.

Why Is This Happening?

There’s no single reason, but a mix of global and local factors are to blame:

• Investors are worried about international economic issues like high interest rates and a possible slowdown in the U.S.

• Some experts think the Indian market had risen too quickly in recent months, so this dip is just a natural correction.

• Many investors are now choosing to book profits — meaning they’re selling their shares after a good run — which adds to the fall.

What Does This Mean for Regular People?

If you’re someone who invests in mutual funds or stocks, you might have noticed your portfolio losing value recently. Don’t panic — ups and downs are part of the stock market. But yes, it’s a reminder that markets are unpredictable, and even the biggest companies can lose value fast.

For long-term investors, experts generally advise staying calm and not making decisions out of fear. For now, it’s clear that market sentiment is shaky, and people are being more cautious with their money.