26 percent; Reliance Industries, down 3.2 percent at Rs.2,004.10; Hindalco, down 3.11 percent at Rs.105.85, and Sterlite, down 2.97 percent at Rs.675.30.

At the Shanghai Stock Exchange, the main index plummeted 6.74 at 2,667.75 points.

The Nikkei, a key index of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, was dragged from its 11-month high due to currency fluctuations at 10,492.53 points, down 41.61 points.

The Hang Seng, a primary index of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, too ended on the losing side, slipping 374.43 points or 1.86 percent to 19,724.19 points.

Major European exchanges were ruling mixed.

In Britain, the FTSE 100 index was ruling 0.81 percent higher at 4,908.9 points.

Its French peer, the CAC 40, was down 0.6 percent at 3,670.88 points.

Germany's DAX was also ruling negative at 5,482.73 points, down 0.63 percent.