Mumbai, July 29 - Even as corporate India's earning figures were trickling in, a key index of Indian equities markets was trying to crawl back into the green Wednesday afternoon.

The index which slipped more than 443 points around noon after Chinese bourses tanked, bounced back but was still 171 points in the red about 90 minutes before the closing bell.

The 30-scrip benchmark index of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the Sensex, which opened lower at 15,29319 points was ruling at 15,145.2 points -- 171.65 points or 1.12 percent lower than Tuesday's closing figure.

Around the same time, the S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE), too, was in the negative terrain, 1.29 percent down at 4,505.05 points.

Broader market indices were also down, with the BSE midcap index trading 1.25 percent lower and the BSE smallcap index moving down 1.71 percent.