Sensex was introduced on January 2, 1986, at 549 points, with the index seeing massive volatility, which mostly tracked global uncertainties. Sensex saw its most volatile year in 2008 during the global financial crisis, swinging 55-60% through the year. It swung 45% during the 2000 dot-com bust, 38% during the COVID-19 pandemic and 35% during the 1998 Asian financial crisis.