Last Updated on January 30, 2026 12:03 am by BIZNAMA NEWS
AMN / BIZ DESK
Benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty closed marginally higher on Thursday after recovering from sharp early losses, supported by a strong rally in Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and optimism generated by the Economic Survey 2025–26, which projected India’s GDP growth at 6.8–7.2 per cent for the next fiscal year.
The 30-share BSE Sensex rose 221.69 points or 0.27 per cent to settle at 82,566.37, rebounding from an intraday low of 81,707.94, when it had slipped nearly 637 points in morning trade. Similarly, the NSE Nifty 50 gained 76.15 points or 0.30 per cent to close at 25,418.90, after touching a low of 25,159.80 earlier in the session.
Market sentiment improved as global equities firmed up and fresh foreign institutional investor (FII) inflows helped domestic indices recover from intraday weakness, analysts said.
Sector-Wise Performance
Infrastructure & Capital Goods:
Shares of Larsen & Toubro emerged as a key driver, rising 3.66 per cent, after the engineering major reported a 10 per cent year-on-year increase in consolidated revenue to ₹71,450 crore for the October–December quarter. The stock’s rally boosted broader capital goods and infrastructure counters, reflecting expectations of sustained public capex momentum.
Metals:
The metal sector outperformed, with Tata Steel jumping 4.41 per cent, the biggest gainer on the Sensex, tracking improved global cues and optimism around infrastructure demand.
Banking & Financials:
Select banking stocks such as Axis Bank and ICICI Bank ended higher, aided by expectations of credit growth resilience despite tighter global financial conditions.
Power & Ports:
Stocks like NTPC and Adani Ports also closed in the green, supported by steady earnings outlook and infrastructure-linked demand.
Consumer & Aviation:
On the downside, Asian Paints, Maruti Suzuki, InterGlobe Aviation (IndiGo) and Bharat Electronics weighed on the indices, reflecting profit-taking and sector-specific concerns.
Macro and Market Indicators
The Economic Survey 2025–26, tabled in Parliament, said India’s economy remains on a stable footing, supported by reform-led growth, strong public investment and improving industrial performance.
Adding to the positive macro signals, Index of Industrial Production (IIP) surged 7.8 per cent in December 2025, marking its fastest growth in over two years.
However, broader financial markets reflected mixed signals. Gold futures jumped 6 per cent to a record ₹1.75 lakh per 10 grams, while silver surged to an all-time high of ₹4.07 lakh per kg, indicating risk-hedging amid global uncertainty. The rupee settled near its all-time low at 91.96 against the US dollar, highlighting external pressure from volatile capital flows.
Overall, analysts said markets are likely to remain range-bound in the near term, with Budget expectations, global cues and currency movements guiding investor sentiment.
