India's stock markets went into a freefall on Monday after the US-China trade tensions grew exponentially following US President Donald Trump's last week announcement of hefty tariffs. The ripple effect was immediate - the BSE Sensex and Nifty 50 both sank over 5 per cent, one of the sharpest single-day crashes in recent memory.
By 12:30 pm, the Sensex tanked 3,222 points, resting at 72,142.89. The Nifty 50 followed suit, dropping 1,041 points to hit 21,863.80.
As investors stared at red screens and empty portfolios, meme-makers found comic relief. Social media platform X exploded with jokes and memes, with some even calling it an "Orange Monday."
An X user wrote, "When Donald Trump intentionally crashes the stock market, you don't call it Black Monday. It's Orange Monday."
When Donald Trump intentionally crashes the stock market, you don't call it Black Monday. It's Orange Monday. pic.twitter.com/LHCzYq7FN3
— Piyush Mittal ???????????????????????????????????????????? (@piyushmittal) April 7, 2025
Another wrote, "Orange Monday tomorrow in the markets. Remember who made this crash happen," alongside a GIF of Trump dancing.
Orange Monday tomorrow in the markets.
— Shawn in WI (@ShawnFetta) April 7, 2025
Remember who made this crash happen: pic.twitter.com/KzXpES13Bi
A caption read, "Retail investors to the Stock Market," with a meme of a man saying, "Will you kill me today?"
Retail investors to the Stock Market.#nifty #stockmarketcrash #sensex #BlackMonday pic.twitter.com/75OkEQruag
— Oreo (@TigerVishkit) April 7, 2025
"Close the stock market immediately, can't see the Nifty Sensex going down like this anymore," read another.
Close the stock market immediately, can't see the Nifty Sensex going down like this anymore ????????#stockmarketcrash pic.twitter.com/qBvmbSNKnP
— ????eena Jain (@DrJain21) April 7, 2025
Other memes:
Me after seeing my portfolio nowadays:#stockmarketcrash #Nifty #Sensex pic.twitter.com/D9TaDOjh2W
— Dogesh (@dogesh_bhai) April 7, 2025
#Nifty50 #sensex #stockmarketcrash #stockstobuy pic.twitter.com/S2BctjLqR3
— Siddalinga Swamy(ಮೋದಿಜೀ ಪರಿವಾರ)???????? (@swamy_js) April 7, 2025
Sensex waiting to open today???? pic.twitter.com/9ZMbMQE1OJ
— @Smita (@Smita09122) April 7, 2025
Monday's stock market crash erased investor wealth worth over Rs 20 lakh crore in just the early hours of trade. Heavyweights like Tata Steel, Tata Motors, L&T, HCL Tech, and Infosys were among the worst performers.
No sector was safe - tech stocks, especially those with strong US exposure, fell over 7 per cent. Metal, auto, real estate, and oil & gas counters also took a beating. The small-cap index crashed nearly 10 per cent, and mid-caps fell over 7 per cent.
The sell-off wasn't limited to India. Major Asian markets were deep in the red: Hong Kong's Hang Seng plummeted nearly 11 per cent, Tokyo's Nikkei fell 7 per cent, Shanghai's SSE lost over 6 per cent, and South Korea's Kospi dipped 5 per cent.
Last week, too, Indian indices took a massive fall, with Sensex and Nifty dropping over 2.6 per cent each.
The trigger was a flare-up in US-China trade tensions. After Donald Trump imposed hefty tariffs, China retaliated with a 34 per cent levy on American goods, fuelling fears of a prolonged trade war that could derail global growth.
Analysts called it a phase of "extreme uncertainty," warning that market direction would now hinge on whether trade talks see reconciliation or further retaliation.
For now, the best advice from experts is to "wait and watch."
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