The Indian equity benchmarks fell for the second consecutive day on Friday, extending a very volatile trading session. The benchmark BSE Sensex fell 143 points, or 0.24 percent, to end the day at 58,645, while the broader NSE Nifty down 44 points, or 0.25 percent, to 17,516.

In a budget-driven rally, both indices posted their first weekly increase in three weeks.

Mid- and small-cap stocks ended the day in the red, with the Nifty Midcap 100 index down 0.76 percent and small-cap stocks falling 0.92 percent.

The highest Nifty loss was Hero MotoCorp, which fell 2.25 percent to 2,719. On the NSE index, however, Hindalco, ONGC, Sun Pharma, Asian Paints, and Divi's Lab were among the gainers. Sectorally, On the NSE Nifty PSU Bank and Nifty Auto fell 1.92 percent and 1.05 percent, respectively.

The total market breadth on the BSE was modest, with 1,595 shares rising and 1,743 falling.

SBI, Mahindra & Mahindra, NTPC, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Bajaj Finserv, PowerGrid, and HDFC were among the major laggards in the Sensex pack, with their shares falling as high as 1.83 percent.

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