India VIX Closes at 17.13, Up 1.6%, After Touching 18.00 on Oil and Global Risks

Mumbai, 26 October 2026: India VIX closed at 17.13, rising 0.27 points or 1.6% on Monday, after touching an intraday high of 18.00. The volatility index opened at 16.86, matching its previous close, and remained within a day range of 16.86–18.00. The session unfolded amid elevated crude oil prices, fresh reports of attacks on Saudi infrastructure, weakness in Indian equities and uncertainty ahead of the US Federal Reserve’s scheduled policy decision on 28 October. 

India VIX Rises 1.6% as Intraday Volatility Reaches 18.00 

India VIX began Monday’s session at 16.86, unchanged from its previous close, before climbing to an intraday high of 18.00. It subsequently closed at 17.13, gaining 0.27 points or 1.6% for the day. The session’s low remained at 16.86, while the difference between the day’s high and low was 1.14 points. 

The index’s 52-week range stood between 8.72 and 28.90, placing Monday’s closing reading within that range. Its year-to-date return was reported at 80.70%. The technical rating for the daily timeframe was Neutral, while moving-average and technical-indicator readings were unavailable in the supplied market snapshot. 

India VIX measures expected market volatility over approximately the next 30 days, based on NIFTY options prices. Its movement reflects changes in the volatility implied by options premiums and does not independently indicate the direction in which the benchmark index will move. 

Saudi Infrastructure Attack Claims Put Crude Oil Supply Risks in Focus 

Reports on 26 October said Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement had claimed attacks on Saudi Arabia’s East-West crude oil pumping stations and Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport. Saudi Arabia had not immediately confirmed the reported attacks. Separately, the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted a missile directed towards Riyadh and destroyed two ballistic missile launchers in Sanaa. 

The developments added to concerns about the security of regional energy infrastructure. Saudi Arabia is a major oil producer, and uncertainty surrounding its infrastructure has implications for global crude oil supply. For India, elevated oil prices remain an important economic consideration because the country depends heavily on imported crude. 

The reports emerged against the backdrop of continuing Middle East tensions. Although the geopolitical risks predated Monday, the latest claims constituted a fresh development during the session covered by the market report. 

Brent Crude Falls 1.1% but Remains Above $115 

Crude oil prices declined during Asian trading on Monday after approaching six-month highs late the previous week. Brent crude futures fell approximately 1.1% to $115.40 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures dropped around 1.4% to $101.88 in the reported early-session snapshot. 

Despite the decline, Brent remained above $115 a barrel, keeping oil prices elevated. The retreat followed an earlier rally that had taken prices towards $117 a barrel. Continuing geopolitical concerns meant that the oil market remained sensitive to developments affecting regional supply. 

The combination of lower prices during Monday’s early trading and continuing supply uncertainty formed part of the broader international backdrop for Indian markets. The reported oil quotations were early-session snapshots and should not be interpreted as Monday’s closing prices. 

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NIFTY 50 Falls 0.46% as Thirteen Sectors Record Losses 

Indian equity benchmarks opened lower on Monday. The NIFTY 50 declined 0.46% to 22,499.30, while the Sensex fell 0.36% to 72,833.84 at the opening. Thirteen of the 16 major sectors recorded losses. The small-cap segment declined 0.3%, while mid-cap stocks fell 0.6%. 

The opening weakness coincided with continuing geopolitical concerns, elevated crude oil prices and uncertainty surrounding global monetary policy. The broad distribution of losses across sectors indicated that the opening decline extended beyond a single industry. 

India VIX subsequently recorded higher readings during the morning session. An early report placed the index at 17.86 at 9:37 am, up approximately 5.93% from its previous close. A later snapshot showed it at 17.41 at 10:12 am, up 3.32%, after an intraday high of 18.00 had been recorded. These were time-specific readings; the index ultimately closed at 17.13. 

Infosys Falls 3.4% After Cutting Revenue Growth Guidance 

Infosys shares declined 3.4% at the opening after the company lowered its annual revenue-growth forecast. The revision came as weakness in its key North American market outweighed higher-than-expected revenue. The information technology sector fell 2.3% in the reported opening-session snapshot. 

The updated outlook brought attention to demand conditions in the North American market, which is important to Indian information technology services companies. The movement in Infosys and the wider sector formed part of Monday’s domestic market developments, alongside the weakness in the major equity benchmarks. 

Infosys is an Indian information technology services company headquartered in Bengaluru. It provides consulting, technology, outsourcing and digital transformation services to clients across industries and international markets. Its shares are listed on Indian stock exchanges under the ticker INFY. 

Fed Decision on 28 October Adds to Global Policy Uncertainty 

The US Federal Reserve’s scheduled policy decision on 28 October 2026 remained an important upcoming event during Monday’s Indian session. The decision had not yet been announced. Economists broadly expected the Federal Reserve to leave interest rates unchanged at its October meeting, while the possibility of a rate increase in December remained under discussion amid inflationary pressures. 

The policy outlook was relevant to global financial conditions, including the US dollar, emerging-market currencies and international capital flows. For India, these considerations coincided with elevated oil prices and concerns about the rupee. 

The rupee had settled at ₹94.94 per US dollar on Friday, 23 October, after previously reaching a six-week high of ₹94.30. The ₹94.94 figure was the previous session’s closing rate, rather than a verified Monday opening quotation. 

Friday’s US Market Losses Set a Cautious Starting Point 

The latest completed US equity session before Monday’s Indian market opening was Friday, 23 October. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.23%, the S&P 500 declined 0.52%, and the Nasdaq Composite lost 0.21%. 

Asian markets subsequently delivered mixed-to-negative signals during Monday’s trading. Japan’s Nikkei 225 was lower, while South Korea’s Kospi and Kosdaq were under pressure. The MSCI Asia-Pacific index excluding Japan also declined in early trading, although some regional markets and US equity futures showed more resilient movements. 

GIFT NIFTY was around 22,608 at 7:46 am IST, close to the NIFTY 50’s previous close of 22,600. This indicated a relatively muted pre-market signal before domestic benchmarks opened lower. Friday’s US market movements were background developments, not fresh US closing losses recorded on Monday. 

Bond Yields Reach 7.474% as Rate Expectations Remain Relevant 

India’s 10-year government bond yield closed at 7.474% on Friday, 23 October, following a rise of nine basis points during the week. Market conditions remained influenced by elevated crude oil prices, domestic liquidity conditions and expectations concerning possible Reserve Bank of India rate increases. 

The yield figure represented the previous session’s close, rather than a confirmed Monday reading. It provided additional context for the domestic financial environment in which Indian equities and volatility measures traded. 

Foreign institutional investors were reported as net buyers of approximately ₹887.65 crore on Friday, while domestic institutional investors purchased approximately ₹3,235.36 crore. These figures also relate to 23 October, not Monday’s trading flows. Separately, Kotak Mahindra Bank and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories reported stronger-than-expected quarterly profits, with their shares gaining 2.3% and 3%, respectively, in the reported market snapshot. 

India VIX October Seasonality Shows Nearly Flat Average Change 

Historical seasonality data showed that India VIX had delivered positive returns in 9 out of 18 years during October. The index’s average October change was -0.02%, with a maximum positive change of 27.13% and an average positive change of 13.63%. 

The maximum negative change was -30.99% in 2013, while the average negative change was -13.66%. These figures describe historical monthly movements and are separate from India VIX’s reported 80.70% year-to-date return as of 26 October 2026. 

India VIX closed at 17.13, up 1.6%, after reaching 18.00 during Monday’s session. Saudi infrastructure attack claims, crude oil above $115 a barrel, domestic equity weakness and the upcoming Federal Reserve decision formed the day’s key developments. The index’s 16.86–18.00 trading range and historical October data provide context for interpreting the reported session. 

Source 

• https://www.nseindia.com/reports-indices-historical-vix