History of BSE SENSEX in Timeline

The BSE SENSEX is a stock market index of 30 major companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). Representing diverse sectors of the Indian economy, it is calculated using a free-float market-weighted methodology. Introduced on January 1, 1986, it is considered a benchmark for the Indian stock market. The index's base value was set at 100 on April 1, 1979, referencing the base year 1978-79. In 2001, BSE launched DOLLEX-30, a dollar-linked version of the SENSEX.

April 1979: SENSEX Base Value

In April 1979, the base value of the SENSEX was established at 100, setting the foundation for tracking its performance over time.

April 1979: Long-run Rate of Return

Using information from April 1979 onwards, the long-run rate of return on the S&P BSE SENSEX works 18.6% per annum.

January 1986: S&P BSE SENSEX Publication

In January 1986, the S&P BSE SENSEX, an Indian free-float market-weighted stock market index, was first published, marking a significant milestone for the domestic stock markets in India.

1989: Sensex Coined

In 1989, the term 'Sensex' was coined by stock market analyst Deepak Mohoni, derived from 'Sensitive' and 'Index', when the BSE Sensitive Index was around 750 points.

June 1990: Index Increase

From June 1990, the S&P BSE SENSEX has increased by over twenty five times to the present.

July 2001: Launch of DOLLEX-

In July 2001, BSE launched DOLLEX, a dollar-linked version of the SENSEX.

May 2004: Trading Suspension

In May 2004, trading was suspended for the first time.

May 2006: SENSEX Plunges, Trading Suspended

In May 2006, specifically on the 22nd, the SENSEX plunged by 1,100 points during intra-day trading, leading to a trading suspension for the first time since May 2004, causing investors to lose ₹6 lakh crore (US$131 billion) within seven trading sessions.

August 2006: India's manufacturing sector grew

In August 2006, India's manufacturing sector grew by 11.1%.

October 2006: SENSEX All-Time High

In October 2006, specifically on the 16th, the SENSEX closed at an all-time high of 12,928.18 with an intra-day high of 12,953.76, driven by increased confidence in the economy and a reported 11.1% growth in India's manufacturing sector in August 2006.

July 2007: SENSEX Touches New High and Declines

In July 2007, specifically on the 23rd, the SENSEX touched a new high of 15,733 points, but on the 27th, it witnessed a huge decline due to selling by Foreign Institutional Investors and global cues, falling to 15,160 points by noon.

August 2007: SENSEX Falls on Global Cues

On August 1, 2007, the BSE SENSEX fell by 615 points in a single day, following global cues and heavy selling in the international markets.

October 2007: SENSEX Crashes and Recovers

In October 2007, specifically on the 17th, the SENSEX crashed by 1,744 points or about 9% of its value within a minute of opening trade, leading to the automatic suspension of trade for one hour. Finance Minister P. Chidambaram issued clarifications, and the index ended the day at 18715.82, down 336.04 from the last day's close.

October 2007: SENSEX Tumbles Further

In October 2007, specifically on the 18th and 19th, the SENSEX continued to fall, tumbling by 717.43 points on the 18th to close at 17,998.39 points and then falling another 438.41 points on the 19th to settle at 17,559.98, reaching a low of 17,226.18 during the day.

October 2007: SEBI Proposes Curbs on Participatory Notes

On October 16, 2007, SEBI (Securities & Exchange Board of India) proposed curbs on participatory notes, which accounted for roughly 50% of FII investment in 2007, due to concerns about the ownership of underlying securities and potential volatility caused by hedge funds.

January 2008: Trading Halted Due to Lower Circuit

In January 2008, specifically on Friday, March 13, 2020, trading was halted for 45 minutes for the first time in 12 years due to a lower circuit, with the Sensex touching a low of 29,687.52, down by 3090.62 points (or 9.43%). However, after the halt, the index saw its biggest intra-day recovery by 5,380 points to end up by 1325 points.

January 2008: SENSEX Experiences Highest Ever Loss

In January 2008, specifically on the 21st, the SENSEX experienced its highest ever loss of 1,408 points at the end of the session, recovering to close at 17,605.40 after tumbling to a day's low of 16,963.96 due to high volatility and investor panic from weak global cues amid US recession fears.

February 2008: SENSEX Loses Points

In February 2008, specifically on the 11th, the SENSEX lost 833.98 points when Reliance Power fell below its IPO price in its debut trade.

March 2008: SENSEX Experiences Significant Falls

In March 2008, the SENSEX began with a loss of 900.84 points on the 3rd due to concerns about growing credit losses in the US, followed by another fall of 770.63 points on the 13th due to global economic jitters.

March 2008: SENSEX Sheds Points

On March 31, 2008, the SENSEX ended the month by shedding 726.85 points due to heavy selling in blue-chip stocks amidst global economic fears.

January 2009: SENSEX Drops on Satyam Fraud

On January 7, 2009, the SENSEX dropped by 749.05 points following the revelation of the Satyam fraud.

May 2009: SENSEX Surges

On May 18, 2009, the SENSEX surged up 2,110.79 points to close at 14,285.21, from its previous closing of 12,174.42, for its largest single day rally.

June 2009: SENSEX Crosses 15,000 Mark

In June 2009, specifically on the 4th, the SENSEX crossed the 15,000 mark.

July 2009: SENSEX Plunges on Budget Day

On July 6, 2009, the SENSEX plunged by 869.65 points on the day of the Union Budget presentation in Parliament due to concerns over a high fiscal deficit, marking the biggest Budget-day loss for the index.

August 2009: SENSEX Loses Points

On August 17, 2009, the SENSEX lost 626.71 points.

September 2009: SENSEX Crosses 16,000 Mark

On September 7, 2009, the SENSEX crossed the 16,000 mark, closing at 16,016.32 points.

September 2010: SENSEX Crosses 19,000 Mark

In September 2010, specifically on the 13th, the SENSEX crossed the 19,000 mark, closing at 19,208.33 points.

August 2015: Index Plummets

On August 24, 2015, the index plummeted by over 1,624.51 points, marking the worst one-day point plunge in the index's history at that time.

March 2020: Sensex Tumbles Amid Pandemic and Bank Crisis

In March 2020, specifically on the 9th, the Sensex tumbled down by 1941.67 points amid fears of the coronavirus pandemic and the Yes Bank crisis, resulting in investors losing ₹6.50 lakh crores ($91 billion). Then on the 12th, it plunged down by 2919.26 points, ending in red to a 33-month low at 32,778.14, wiping off ₹11.2 lakh crores wealth ($160 billion).