Indian stock markets joined the tumble in bourses around the world Friday after Dubai government-owned holding company Dubai World, which manages that country's portfolio of businessess, said it had asked creditors for an extension of six months on debt repayments.

Indian benchmark equity indices plummeted on the opening bell with the sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) falling 2.67 percent or 451 points at 16,403.3 points. It had closed Thursday at 16,854.93 points.