Indian shares fluctuated in a narrow range on Thursday before finishing marginally lower for the day, following disappointing earnings from the likes of Hindustan Unilever and SBI Life Insurance.
Also, a cautious undertone prevailed due to investor anxiety over the impending U.S. election and heightened tensions in the Middle East.
A new national poll has indicated that former President Donald Trump was gaining an edge over Vice President Kamala Harris in the race to succeed President Biden in the White House. However, markets still expect a hotly contested race.

Oil prices were up nearly 2 percent in European trade after Israel reportedly launched strikes on the Syrian capital Damascus and a military site near the western city of Homs early Thursday, causing casualties.

Elsewhere, North Korea has allegedly sent troops to support Russia's war on Ukraine, marking a significant escalation in Russia's war against its neighbor.

The benchmark S&P/BSE Sensex ended the session down 16.82 points, or 0.02 percent, at 80,065.16 while the broader NSE Nifty index closed at 24,399.40, down 36.10 points, or 0.15 percent, from its previous close.

Bajaj Auto, Nestle India, Hindalco, SBI Life and Hindustan Unilever plunged 3-6 percent in the Nifty pack while UltraTech Cement rallied 2.7 percent on strong outlook.

Grasim, Titan Company, Mahindra & Mahindra and Shriram Finance rose 1-2 percent.