MUMBAI, India — Indian equity benchmarks opened marginally higher on Thursday, extending a steady recovery seen over the past three sessions, as investor sentiment remained supported by ongoing high-level discussions at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi.
As of 9:30 a.m., the Sensex was up 35 points, or 0.04 percent, at 83,769, while the Nifty added 30 points, or 0.12 percent, to trade at 25,850.
Broader markets moved in line with the benchmarks. The Nifty Midcap 100 rose 0.20 percent, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 gained 0.34 percent in early trade.
Sectoral performance was mixed. The Nifty IT index led gains, rising 1 percent, followed by the metal index, which advanced 0.60 percent. The private bank index was the top laggard, slipping 0.15 percent.
Market participants placed immediate support for the Nifty in the 25,650–25,700 zone, with resistance seen in the 25,950–26,000 range. For the Bank Nifty, analysts see near-term support at 61,250–61,350, while the 61,750–61,850 band continues to act as a key resistance zone.
Analysts said the recent rally has been driven by sustained strength in banking and financial stocks, alongside momentum in select energy, metal, and consumer segments. Strong and consistent domestic institutional investor inflows continue to act as a stabilizing force, helping absorb volatility and support declines.
However, near-term sentiment is expected to remain cautious, with selective profit booking emerging in high-valuation segments and lingering uncertainty in the information technology space amid global concerns around AI-led disruption.
Most Asian markets remained closed on Thursday due to Lunar New Year holidays. In mainland China, the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges will remain shut until February 23, while the Hong Kong Stock Exchange is closed through February 19.
Overnight, U.S. equities ended higher, with the Nasdaq rising 0.78 percent, the S&P 500 gaining 0.56 percent, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average advancing 0.26 percent.
On February 18, foreign institutional investors were net sellers of Indian equities worth Rs 1,154 crore, while domestic institutional investors were net buyers to the tune of Rs 440 crore. (Source: IANS)
