Mumbai, July 28 -- Key equity benchmarks ended sharply lower today, marking their third straight day of losses as investor sentiment remained fragile amid uncertainty over the US-India trade deal. The downbeat mood was compounded by weaker-than-expected quarterly results from Kotak Mahindra Bank, persistent foreign fund outflows, and mixed cues from global markets. Adding to the pressure, IT stocks continued to drag, with TCS spooking the Street by announcing a 2% cut in its global workforce. The Nifty closed below the 24,700 mark, underscoring the market's cautious tone. Realty and private bank stocks bore the brunt of the sell-off, while pharma, healthcare, and FMCG names defied the broader trend and closed in positive territory.

The S...