A broad-based sell-off in domestic equities has severely impacted India's market heavyweights, resulting in a substantial erosion of investor wealth. The combined market valuation of nine of the nation's **top-10 most valued firms** saw a sharp slump last week, collectively plunging by over **Rs 2.51 lakh crore**. This sharp correction reflects elevated pressure across the broader market, driven by persistent selling in key sectors. Reliance Leads the Decline **Reliance Industries (RIL)**, the market leader by valuation, bore the brunt of the correction. The conglomerate's market capitalization tumbled by a massive **Rs 96,960.17 crore**. This heavy loss underscores the volatility facing large-cap stocks following mixed corporate results and broad profit-booking sentiment. Despite the recent dip, RIL retains its position as the country's most valued company, holding a current market capitalization exceeding **Rs 18.75 lakh crore**. Sectoral Impacts The rout was comprehensive, affecting firms across finance, technology, and telecom. **Financial stocks** contributed significantly to the overall loss. **ICICI Bank** saw its valuation erode by **Rs 48,644.99 crore**, while **HDFC Bank** tanked by **Rs 22,923.02 crore**. The downward pressure was also prominent in the technology space. **Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)** dropped **Rs 16,588.93 crore** in valuation, and **Infosys** saw its MCap dive by **Rs 7,810.77 crore**. This reflects sector fatigue and global softness in IT demand. **Bharti Airtel** also diminished, losing **Rs 17,533.97 crore**, with **Bajaj Finance** recording a decline of **Rs 14,093.93 crore**. Index Performance and Key Drivers The sell-off in large-cap stocks directly translated into sharp declines for benchmark indices. The BSE Sensex tanked over **2,032 points**, registering a weekly fall of **2.43%**. Meanwhile, the Nifty 50 also dropped significantly, reflecting the depth of the market correction. The core reasons fueling this downturn included escalating global geopolitical tensions and a highly cautious stance from foreign institutional investors (FIIs). FIIs continued to be net sellers, withdrawing substantial capital from Indian equities in January. Further pressure stemmed from a depreciating rupee and reports of subdued performance in corporate earnings across various sectors. The confluence of these factors has unsettled investor confidence and kept bears firmly in control of the trend. The Single Outlier Amidst the widespread losses, only one firm among the top ten managed to post gains. The consumer goods giant, **Hindustan Unilever (HUL)**, bucked the negative trend, climbing by **Rs 12,311.86 crore** in valuation. This highlight suggests a flight towards defensive, consumption-focused sectors during times of market uncertainty.