MUMBAI, India — Indian equity benchmarks ended Friday’s session in positive territory, supported by upbeat signals from the Reserve Bank of India following its latest monetary policy meeting.
The Sensex rose 266 points, or 0.32%, to close at 83,580, while the Nifty gained 50 points, or 0.20%, to finish at 25,693. The gains capped a steady end to the week after the central bank revised its economic growth projection upward for the first half of FY27.
Broader markets underperformed the benchmarks, reflecting cautious sentiment beyond large-cap stocks. The Nifty Midcap 100 slipped 0.02%, while the NSE Smallcap 100 declined 0.27%.
Sectoral performance was mixed. Consumer-focused stocks led the advance, with the FMCG index jumping 2.27% and consumer durables rising 0.96%. Private banks and real estate stocks each added 0.63%. Technology stocks weighed on the market, with the IT index falling 1.47%, while pharmaceuticals declined 0.72%.
Market participants said trading remained largely range-bound as investors assessed the central bank’s decision to keep interest rates unchanged. Analysts noted that the RBI signaled a preference for policy stability, citing improving global trade visibility following recent adjustments to U.S. tariff policies.
Sentiment improved later in the session after the central bank indicated that banks would be allowed to lend to real estate investment trusts, a move seen as providing greater long-term funding clarity for the real estate sector and the broader credit ecosystem.
Additional support came from a modest recovery in the Indian rupee, helped by softer corporate demand for dollars, which eased short-term currency pressures.
Banking stocks also found support, with the banking index rebounding after holding key technical levels around the 59,600–59,650 range, prompting short covering and fresh buying interest at lower levels, according to market observers.
Analysts said the near-term outlook remains constructive as long as key support levels hold. “We expect the consolidation to continue with a positive bias as long as the Nifty holds above the 25,400 level,” said Ajit Mishra, senior vice president of research at Religare Broking. (Source: IANS)
