Nifty ends lower in volatile trade after budget

Mumbai: The Sensex and Nifty ended lower in a volatile session as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's pledge to narrow the fiscal deficit and open up sectors such as insurance and defence were offset by disappointment over the lack of major reforms.

Investors also booked profits, with some citing the lack of details on how the government would keep its promise to stick to the fiscal deficit target of 4.1 per cent of gross domestic product for the year ending March 2015 set by the previous government.

The Sensex provisionally ended 0.63 per cent lower at 25,284.47 points, while the broader Nifty closed down 0.23 per cent at 7,567.75 points.

State Bank of India provisionally closed 2.1 percent lower while Hero MotoCorp ended down 3.46 per cent.