Sensex, Nifty end marginally higher as profit-taking erodes sharp intra-day gains
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Mumbai (PTI): Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended marginally higher on Thursday, helped by robust buying in IT and tech stocks amid growing optimism on the US-India trade deal front.
After hitting a 52-week high, indices reversed most of their intra-day gains on fag-end profit-taking after sentiment turned cautious amid concerns over US sanctions against Russia's two largest oil companies.
Besides, an over one per cent decline in heavyweight Reliance Industries also pulled the markets lower.
The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 130.06 points or 0.15 per cent to settle at 84,556.40. During the day, it jumped 863.72 points or 1.02 per cent to 85,290.06.
The 50-share NSE Nifty ended 22.80 points or 0.09 per cent higher at 25,891.40.
"Domestic equities started on a positive note; however, they pared early gains as investors booked profits following sanctions on Russian oil and the possible postponement of India–US trade negotiations.
"Meanwhile, IT stocks advanced as sentiment improved after Trump’s softer tone on H1B visas...As the undercurrent vibes of the domestic market have improved due to a possible India-US deal and a rise in consumer demand, the broad market is expected to do much better henceforth," Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited, said.
FIIs are gradually returning to Indian markets, encouraged by expectations of earnings rebound in H2 FY26 supported by festive demand, tax benefits and GST reductions, he added.
From the Sensex firms, Infosys climbed 3.86 per cent. HCL Tech, Tata Consultancy Services, Axis Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Titan and Tech Mahindra were also among the gainers.
However, Eternal, UltraTech Cement, Bharti Airtel and Adani Ports were among the laggards.
In Asian markets, Shanghai's SSE Composite index and Hong Kong's Hang Seng settled higher, while South Korea's Kospi and Japan's Nikkei 225 index ended lower.
Markets in Europe were trading on a mixed note in mid-session deals.
US markets ended in negative territory on Wednesday.
Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) bought equities worth Rs 96.72 crore on Tuesday, according to exchange data.
The US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed further sanctions on Open Joint Stock Company Rosneft Oil Company (Rosneft) and Lukoil OAO (Lukoil) - Russia's two largest oil companies that the Trump administration accuses of helping fund the Kremlin's "war machine" in Ukraine.
Global oil benchmark Brent crude jumped 5.43 per cent to USD 65.99 a barrel.
Equity markets were closed on Wednesday on account of Diwali Balipratipada.
In a special one-hour Muhurat trading session on Tuesday, the Sensex rose by 62.97 points or 0.07 per cent to settle at 84,426.34. The Nifty went up by 25.45 points or 0.10 per cent to settle at 25,868.60.
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Trouble ‘Miyas’ everywhere only then they will leave Assam: Himanta Biswa Sarma
Says “Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP are openly against them, we are saying it openly
New Delhi: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that four to five lakh “Miya voters” would be removed from the electoral rolls in the state once the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists is carried out. He also made a series of controversial remarks openly targeting the Miya community, a term commonly used in Assam in a derogatory sense to refer to Bengali-speaking Muslims.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an official programme in Digboi in Tinsukia district, Sarma said it was his responsibility to create difficulties for the Miya community and claimed that both he and the BJP were “directly against Miyas”.
“Four to five lakh Miya votes will have to be deleted in Assam when the SIR happens,” Sarma said, adding that such voters “should ideally not be allowed to vote in Assam, but in Bangladesh”. He asserted that the government was ensuring that they would not be able to vote in the state.
The chief minister was responding to questions about notices issued to thousands of Bengali-speaking Muslims during the claims and objections phase of the ongoing Special Revision (SR) of electoral rolls in Assam. While the Election Commission is conducting SIR exercises in 12 states and Union Territories, Assam is currently undergoing an SR, which is usually meant for routine updates.
Calling the current SR “preliminary”, Sarma said that a full-fledged SIR in Assam would lead to large-scale deletion of Miya voters. He said he was unconcerned about criticism from opposition parties over the issue.
“Let the Congress abuse me as much as they want. My job is to make the Miya people suffer,” Sarma said. He claimed that complaints filed against members of the community were done on his instructions and that he had encouraged BJP workers to keep filing complaints.
“I have told people wherever possible they should fill Form 7 so that they have to run around a little and are troubled,” he said, adding that such actions were meant to send a message that “the Assamese people are still living”.
In remarks that drew further outrage, Sarma urged people to trouble members of the Miya community in everyday life, claiming that “only if they face troubles will they leave Assam”. He also accused the media of sympathising with the community and warned journalists against such coverage.
“So you all should also trouble, and you should not do news that sympathise with them. There will be love jihad in your own house.” He said.
The comments triggered reactions from opposition leaders. Raijor Dal president and MLA Akhil Gogoi said the people of Assam had not elected Sarma to keep one community under constant pressure. Congress leader Aman Wadud accused the chief minister of rendering the Constitution meaningless in the state, saying his remarks showed a complete disregard for constitutional values.
According to the draft electoral rolls published on December 27, Assam currently has 2.51 crore voters. Election officials said 4.78 lakh names were marked as deceased, 5.23 lakh as having shifted, and 53,619 duplicate entries were removed during the revision process. Authorities also claimed that verification had been completed for over 61 lakh households.
On January 25, six opposition parties the Congress, Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad, CPI, CPI(M) and CPI(M-L) submitted a memorandum to the state’s chief electoral officer. They alleged widespread legal violations, political interference and selective targeting of genuine voters during the SR exercise, describing it as arbitrary, unlawful and unconstitutional.
