Stock markets advance for 2nd day on buying in L&T; Sensex gains 144 pts
Mumbai, Jul 30 (PTI): Benchmark stock indices Sensex and Nifty closed higher on Wednesday driven by heavy buying in infrastructure major Larsen & Toubro.
Rising for the second day, the 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 143.91 points or 0.18 per cent to settle at 81,481.86. During the day, the barometer moved in a narrow range and rose by 281.01 points or 0.34 per cent to hit a high of 81,618.96.
The 50-share NSE Nifty rose by 33.95 points or 0.14 per cent to close at 24,855.05.
US trade deal uncertainty and foreign fund outflows restricted the gains to a large extent, analysts said.
Among Sensex firms, Larsen & Toubro jumped 4.87 per cent after the infrastructure major reported a 29.8 per cent rise in consolidated net profit at Rs 3,617.19 crore during the June quarter, driven by strong overseas order growth.
Sun Pharma, NTPC, Maruti, Bharti Airtel, Trent and Axis Bank were also among the gainers.
Tata Motors was the biggest loser among Sensex stocks, dropping by 3.47 per cent amid reports that the auto maker was in advanced talks to acquire the truck division of an Italian company in a USD 4.5 billion deal.
Stock exchanges have sought clarification from the company related to the reports.
"Tata Motors is down amid concerns linked to its acquisition of an Italian company," Gaurav Garg, Analyst, Lemonn Markets Desk, said.
However, Tata Motors, Power Grid, Eternal, Bajaj Finserv and Hindustan Unilever were among the laggards.
"The domestic market ended the session marginally positive after a range-bound trade, despite ongoing uncertainty around the delayed India-US trade agreement and mixed earnings.
"The investors turned more stock/sector specific based on the Q1 results; the industrial segment gained momentum after robust earnings from L&T. The auto sector underperformed, largely due to tariff-related pressures. Investors are now focusing on the US Fed’s policy meeting, as its stance on rates and inflation could shape global sentiment," Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited, said.
Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 4,636.60 crore on Tuesday, according to exchange data.
US President Donald Trump has said the trade deal with India is not finalised, as he stressed that India imposes more tariffs than almost any other country. Trump spoke to reporters on Tuesday on Air Force One on his way back to Washington from Scotland and was asked about the trade deal with India.
“No, it’s not,” Trump said when asked if the deal with India is finalised. He was also asked about reports that India is preparing to face higher US tariffs between 20-25 per cent, to which he replied, “I think so."
"Markets traded in a tight range and ended marginally higher amid mixed cues. After a flat start, the Nifty oscillated within a narrow band throughout the session and finally settled at 24,855.05.
"Sentiment remained subdued due to lingering uncertainty over the trade deal, following the latest statement from the US President about potential tariffs on India, amid delays in finalizing the agreement ahead of the August 1 deadline," Ajit Mishra – SVP, Research, Religare Broking Ltd, said.
BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices climbed 0.17 per cent each.
Among BSE sectoral indices, industrials jumped 1.31 per cent, followed by teck (0.35 per cent), BSE Focused IT (0.31 per cent), IT (0.30 per cent), capital goods (0.27 per cent) and commodities (0.26 per cent).
Realty dropped 0.99 per cent, services declined 0.75 per cent, metal (0.16 per cent), consumer discretionary (0.14 per cent).
In Asian markets, Japan's Nikkei 225 index and Hong Kong's Hang Seng settled lower while South Korea's Kospi and Shanghai's SSE Composite index ended in positive territory.
European markets were quoting on a mixed note. The US markets ended lower on Tuesday.
Global oil benchmark Brent crude declined 0.44 per cent to USD 72.19 a barrel.
On Tuesday, the Sensex jumped 446.93 points or 0.55 per cent to settle at 81,337.95. The Nifty climbed 140.20 points or 0.57 per cent to 24,821.10.
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Oppn, X users flag concerns over US envoy Sergio Gor’s visit to Army’s western command
New Delhi: A visit by the US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, to Chandigarh on Monday has triggered sharp criticism from opposition leaders and social media users, raising questions about national security and foreign policy.
On X, Ambassador Gor announced his visit, writing, “Just landed in Chandigarh. Looking forward to visiting the Western Command of the Indian Army.”
Just landed in Chandigarh. Looking forward to visiting the Western Command of the Indian Army
— Ambassador Sergio Gor (@USAmbIndia) February 16, 2026
Soon after, opposition voices questioned the broader implications of the visit. Congress Kerala, in a post, commented, “Why so much panic? We’ve already seen Pakistan's ISI getting access to Pathankot Airbase with this government's blessings. Didn't they say then ‘Modi ne kiya ho to kuch soch samajh kar kiya hoga?’ Compared to that, this is very small.”
Why so much panic? We’ve already seen Pakistan's ISI getting access to Pathankot Airbase with this government's blessings.
— Congress Kerala (@INCKerala) February 16, 2026
Didn't they say then "Modi ne kiya ho to kuch soch samajh kar kiya hoga?"
Compared to that, this is very small. pic.twitter.com/gNNuAGQBPC
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi also weighed in, writing, “Since India’s national strategic interests are now tied to what US wants India to do, this visit seems to sync with that.”
She further added, “India’s history will remember the de-escalation announcement between India and Pak was announced on social media by the US President before Indians got to know from their own government. US Ambassador is doing the job for his nation, who is doing for us? The answer is blowing in the wind.”
Since India’s national strategic interests are now tied to what US wants India to do, this visit seems to sync with that. India’s history will remember the de-escalation announcement between India and Pak was announced on social media by the US President before Indians got to… pic.twitter.com/rYMq5NhJHA
— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) February 16, 2026
The visit comes against the backdrop of the growing US-India defence partnership.
Writer and political analyst @rajuparulekar commented on ‘X’, “East India Company is back!”
“Is it allowed for an ambassador to visit any army unit in india?” asked another user.
Several X users expressed concerns over the appropriateness of the visit.
One asked, “Is it allowed for an ambassador to visit any army unit in India?” Another wrote, “Why an ambassador visiting our army places? To talk to Chandigarh lobby for F-35?”
Why an ambassador visiting our army places ? To talk to chandigarh lobby for f-35 ??
— Rohan Sagar (@RohanSagar03) February 16, 2026
“We have completely sold Indian sovereignty. Rothschild the evil Bankers will now control NSE. Modi sold Bharat Mata to Trump . And now American imperialist is visiting our army command . Scary,” wrote another user.
“The Indian Army isn’t part of geopolitics, so why is he interested in visiting there?,” opined another.
The Indian Army isn’t part of geopolitics, so why is he interested in visiting there?
— Aditya Pratap Singh (@Adi_IIMCIAN) February 16, 2026
On Sunday, Gor welcomed Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), highlighting efforts to expand the growing US-India defence partnership.
In a post on X, Gor wrote, “Delighted to have @INDOPACOM Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo in India to expand the U.S.-India defense partnership. Now is the time to strengthen vital cooperation between our two nations.”
On Monday, Admiral Samuel J. Paparo Jr visited the headquarters of India’s Western Army Command along with the American envoy Sergio Gor. The delegation was briefed on the formation’s capabilities, its past operations, and future plans.
The American delegation also visited Bengaluru, where they met three start-ups, two in the space sector and one in defence, and participated in an Indo-US conference.
