New Delhi, 01 April (H.S.):

India’s benchmark equity indices began the new financial year on a sharply positive note today, as easing geopolitical tensions in West Asia and robust global cues sparked a broad‑based rally in early trading. The BSE Sensex and the NSE Nifty 50 both opened with gains of over 2 percent, reflecting a strong risk‑on mood among investors.

Indices open with strong upside

At the opening bell, the BSE Sensex surged to 73,762.43, climbing 1,814.88 points, or about 2.5 percent, from its previous close of 71,947.55 on Monday, March 30. Within minutes of the start, the index rose further to 73,964.58, before trimming some of the gains during intermittent profit‑booking moves. By 10:30 a.m. IST, the Sensex was trading 1,508.97 points higher at 73,456.52, still well in the green and reflecting resilient buying interest.

On the NSE, the Nifty 50 opened at 22,899.00 after a previous close of 22,331.40, marking an initial jump of 567.60 points, or roughly 2.5 percent. The index quickly advanced to 22,941.30, breaching the 22,940 level early in the session. Although some profit‑taking trimmed the peak, the Nifty remained solidly elevated, trading up 466.15 points at 22,797.55 by 10:30 a.m.

Broad‑based buying across sectors

The rally cut across the market breadth, with the vast majority of listed stocks trading higher. During the early session, 2,839 scrips showed active trading on the BSE, out of which 2,732 were in the green, indicating a strong bias toward buying, while only 107 were in the red.

Within the benchmark indices, all 30 Sensex constituents were trading in the green, underlining the uniformity of the upswing. Among the Nifty 50, 49 stocks were positive, with only HDFC Life marginally in the red, posting a nominal decline of about 0.01 percent.

Key gainers drive optimism

Several large‑cap stocks led the rally, with strength concentrated in select consumer, aviation, ports and technology names. Early movers included InterGlobe Aviation, Bharat Electronics, Trent Limited, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone, and Adani Enterprises, whose shares rose between 5.50 and 8.74 percent by 10:30 a.m.

The sharp rebound in these heavyweight counters supported the broader gain in the Sensex and Nifty, while also lifting sectoral indices such as banking, IT, metals and real estate, which extended their gains as risk appetite improved.

Geopolitics and global cues as key triggers

The sharp upswing builds on Monday’s sharp slide, when the Sensex had closed 1,635.67 points, or 2.22 percent, lower at 71,947.55 and the Nifty 50 fell 488.20 points, or 2.14 percent, to 22,331.40 amid heightened uncertainty over the West Asia conflict.

The turnaround on April 1 has been attributed to improving sentiment following indications that the US‑Iran war may be nearing a de‑escalation phase, alongside strong gains in global markets. Wall Street ended Tuesday with broad advances, while Asian indices also opened higher, providing a positive external backdrop for Indian equities.

With de‑escalation hopes lifting risk appetite and volatility measures such as the India VIX receding, analysts expect the rally to draw in both domestic and institutional investors, although they caution that the pace of gains may see periodic pauses if geopolitical cues turn adverse or global macro data disappoints.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar