Mumbai, Feb. 13 -- Indian equities head into the next trading week under marked pressure and elevated volatility after a sharp late-week sell-off. Domestic benchmarks ended the week on a significantly weaker note, with the Nifty dipping below 25,500 and the Sensex dropping over 1,000 pts amid broad-based weakness, including tech and cyclical stocks.

Retail inflation in India rose to 2.75% in January, the first print under a revamped CPI series and within the RBI's target band - a factor that may temper expectations of near-term monetary easing. The rupee remained under strain, trading weaker against the U.S. dollar amid risk-off sentiment.

Globally, markets retreated from record highs as concerns around tech earnings and cautious positi...