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Sensex, Nifty trade higher amid sharp drop in crude oil prices
Aug-26-2026

Indian equity markets made a positive start on Wednesday as investor sentiment got a boost from a drop in crude oil prices in international markets, along with firm trading in Asian markets. Crude oil prices fell after Iran said it had reopened talks with Oman on reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Some support also came from foreign fund inflows. Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) remained net buyers in Indian equities for the second straight session on Tuesday, purchasing shares worth Rs 1,593.53 crore.

Both benchmarks traded higher, but with a noticeable divergence in gains. The Sensex was outperforming the Nifty, garnering 0.41% in early deals, as gains in banking shares supported sentiment. The Nifty was trading 0.15% higher, as buying in select banking and insurance stocks outshined by selling in some index heavyweight stocks.

On the global front, Asian markets were trading mostly higher as investors remained focused on Nvidia's results, due after the US market close on Wednesday. The earnings are expected to provide fresh clues on the strength of the artificial intelligence investment cycle and the sustainability of elevated technology valuations.

The BSE Sensex is currently trading at 77973.99, up by 317.90 points or 0.41% after trading in a range of 77805.62 and 77978.70. There were 22 stocks advancing against 8 stocks declining on the index.

The top gaining sectoral indices on the BSE were Utilities up by 1.26%, Power up by 0.98%, PSU up by 0.80%, Bankex up by 0.75% and Realty up by 0.51%, while TECK down by 0.29% and Telecom down by 0.07% were the only losing indices on BSE.

The top gainers on the Sensex were Kotak Mahindra Bank up by 1.43%, ICICI Bank up by 1.39%, Eternal up by 1.37%, State Bank of India up by 1.30% and Adani Ports & SEZ up by 1.29%. On the flip side, Infosys down by 1.01%, Bharti Airtel down by 0.70%, Larsen & Toubro down by 0.52%, Bharat Electronics down by 0.24% and Tata Steel down by 0.21% were the top losers.

Meanwhile, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has pitched India as a compelling destination for data centres, and said that the country can work with Japanese companies to develop the sector. He added that India has already received investment commitments of about $200 billion from major hyperscalers globally. During his meeting with Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Akazawa Ryosei, Goyal said the partnership could be summarised around four pillars: increasing trade, strengthening technology cooperation, boosting investments and promoting tourism.

Between October and December 2025, Google announced a $15 billion investment, Microsoft $17.5 billion, Amazon $35 billion and Digital Connexion $11 billion in AI infrastructure, including data centres, in India. The government has proposed boosting investments in the data centre segment by offering a tax holiday until 2047. Goyal also informed the Japanese minister about his interactions with representatives of several top Japanese companies, who showed tremendous interest in expanding cooperation with India.

Separately, Goyal said Japan has significant demand for caregivers, nurses, plumbers, electricians, masons, carpenters and drivers, as well as highly skilled professionals such as AI specialists, PhDs, engineers and chartered accountants. He suggested that the community encourage people to learn the Japanese language. He added that remittances from Japan to India contribute to the country's growth. There are more than 60,000 people in the Indian diaspora in Japan.

The CNX Nifty is currently trading at 24370.00, up by 35.45 points or 0.15% after trading in a range of 24309.50 and 24378.60. There were 25 stocks advancing against 25 stocks declining on the index.

The top gainers on Nifty were Kotak Mahindra Bank up by 1.52%, HDFC Life Insurance up by 1.51%, Adani Enterprises up by 1.38%, SBI Life Insurance up by 1.38% and ICICI Bank up by 1.32%. On the flip side, Apollo Hospital down by 1.20%, Bharti Airtel down by 1.08%, Infosys down by 1.02%, Bharat Electronics down by 0.81% and Shriram Finance down by 0.73% were the top losers.

Asian markets were trading mostly in green; Taiwan Weighted jumped 633.91 points or 1.4% to 45,803.37, Nikkei 225 surged 398.57 points or 0.61% to 66,255.00, Hang Seng rose 196.9 points or 0.77% to 25,708.00, KOSPI strengthened 135.37 points or 2.01% to 6,878.11, Shanghai Composite gained 27.39 points or 0.7% to 3,916.83 and Jakarta Composite was up by 4.28 points or 0.07% to 6,505.95, while Straits Times fell 6.11 points or 0.11% to 5,729.57.
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