New Delhi, Jan. 23 -- Indian equities ended the week battered and bruised, as sustained foreign portfolio investor (FPI) outflows, weakening earnings momentum and pre-budget jitters combined to drag benchmark indices sharply lower.

With the Nifty 50 and BSE Sensex ending down about 2.5% over the week, India stood out as the worst-performing major market in this period.

Alongside, the Nifty 50 slipped below the crucial support level of 25,100, closing the week at 25,048.65. This leaves the index exposed to a possible slide below 25,000, as sentiments are typically fragile ahead of the Union Budget, said Vikas Gupta, chief executive officer (CEO) and chief investment strategist at Omniscience Capital. The last time the Nifty 50 closed bel...