The benchmark BSE Sensex opened lower on Tuesday as investors booked profits in recent gainers amid mixed Asian cues and a rebound in crude oil.

After two sessions of gains, investors cashed profits in banking, auto and power shares that dragged down key indices.

Amazon.com Inc. surpassed Microsoft Corp. to become the world’s largest public company on Monday, in the latest example of the list of Wall Street’s biggest names being reordered. Shares of the e-commerce company rose 3.4 percent, a rally that gave it a market capitalization of $797 billion, according to Bloomberg data. While this is down from Amazon’s record market cap, which topped $1 trillion in September, it was enough to push it past Microsoft at $789 billion.

The Supreme Court on Monday asked Reliance Communications (RCom) and Reliance Jio Infocomm (RJio) to resolve among themselves as to who will pay the past liabilities of the former, once the spectrum trading deal between the two is cleared by the government. The court said this after Reliance Jio refused to give an undertaking that it will pay dues of the former, if any came to light, once the trading deal was through.

Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the Government on Monday decided to grant 10 percent reservation in education and government jobs to economically-weaker sections of upper castes across religions.

The decision taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, surpasses the 50 percent limit set by the Supreme Court.

Central Trade Unions Tuesday began a two-day nationwide strike to protest against the government's alleged anti-worker policies and unilateral labour reforms.

"The strike is quite visible in Assam, Meghalaya, Karnataka, Manipur Bihar, Rajasthan, Goa, Punjab, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Haryana -- particularly in the targeted industrial areas and different mines," Amarjeet Kaur, General Secretary of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), told PTI.

The rupee opened 12 paise lower at 69.80 against the US dollar on Tuesday amid mixed Asian cues. Minutes later, the currency depreciated further to surpass 70-mark at 70.08.

On Monday, the domestic currency pared early gains but managed to end four paise higher at 69.68 following dovish stance by the Federal Reserve and rising hopes of a thaw in ongoing US-China trade tiff.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed reducing the U.S. trade deficit with India and increasing their cooperation in Afghanistan in a telephone call on Monday, the White House said.

"The leaders agreed to strengthen the U.S.-India strategic partnership in 2019 and exchanged perspectives on how to reduce the U.S. trade deficit with India,

The setting up of a new city in the huge Mela area, has 250 km long roads and 22 pontoon bridges which will make it the largest temporary city of the world, informed Uttar Pradesh government on Monday while sharing details of the Prayagraj Kumbh.

It also informed that for the first time, the Mela area is being brightened up by installing over 40,000 LED lights there.

Oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan Monday said the government will allow state-owned ONGC and Oil India to induct private and foreign partners in oilfields to raise output and also give special incentive to make their discoveries in difficult areas viable.

Speaking at the launch of second bid round for 14 exploration blocks under open acreage licensing policy, Pradhan said Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) and OIL will have the freedom to decide which of their currently producing fields they want to retain and in the ones where they would like to induct a partner.

The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) will launch two new models next fiscal, a top company official said. The auto major, which has introduced two models in the current fiscal so far, is also in the process of upgrading its current portfolio to have safety features like airbags, seat belt reminder and reverse parking sensors by June to comply with new safety norms.

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