BSE Sensex
Tracks 30 large, financially sound companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange, serving as India's oldest broad market benchmark.
Operator
BSE Limited
Launched
1986
Country
India
Methodology
Free-float market-capitalization weighted.
How Investors Use This Index
As India's oldest stock index, the Sensex is frequently used in domestic and international media as shorthand for the health of the Indian equity market as a whole, even though it tracks only 30 companies. Its free-float weighting counts only shares actually available for public trading — excluding promoter and government holdings not in circulation — which is meant to better reflect the shares investors can realistically buy and sell rather than a company's full market value.
Major Sectors
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called "Sensex"?
It's a portmanteau of "Sensitive Index," reflecting its role as a barometer of the most actively traded, liquid BSE stocks.
Is the Sensex older than the Nifty 50?
Yes — the Sensex launched in 1986 with a base retroactive to 1978–79. The Nifty 50 launched in 1996.
What sectors dominate the Sensex?
Financial services and information technology represent the largest combined weighting, similar to the Nifty 50's sector profile.
How does global market sentiment affect the Sensex?
Through foreign institutional investor (FII) flows and via IT-sector constituents with heavy exposure to U.S. and European client spending.