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Key gauges continue to trade higher in morning deals
Aug-20-2026

Indian equity benchmarks continued to trade higher in morning deals, tracking gains across Asian markets as global bond yields eased after the US Treasury announced steps aimed at bringing down borrowing costs. Traders took a note of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting minutes showing that the RBI's rate-setting panel broadly agreed that rising food and fuel prices posed inflation risks, but there was limited evidence of broad-based price pressures, warranting a wait-and-watch approach, while voting for the status quo on interest rates.

Both Sensex and Nifty traded higher in morning deals led by gains in IT, TECK and Realty stocks. Foreign fund inflows also added to markets optimism. Foreign institutional investors turned net buyers for a second consecutive session, purchasing Indian equities worth around Rs 407 crore on August 19. On the global front, Asian markets are trading mostly in green following the broadly positive cues from Wall Street overnight as a decline in bond yields improved appetite for risk assets.  

The BSE Sensex is currently trading at 77469.89, up by 560.21 points or 0.73% after trading in a range of 77375.75 and 77513.99. There were 28 stocks advancing against 2 stocks declining on the index.

The top gaining sectoral indices on the BSE were IT up by 1.52%, TECK up by 1.18%, Realty up by 1.09%, Bankex up by 0.82% and Consumer discretionary up by 0.57%, while Oil & Gas down by 0.29% and Energy down by 0.15% were the few losing index on BSE.

The top gainers on the Sensex were Eternal up by 2.22%, Infosys up by 1.92%, Axis Bank up by 1.55%, Bajaj Finance up by 1.41% and Tech Mahindra up by 1.23%. On the flip side, Asian Paints down by 0.26% and Sun Pharma down by 0.17% were the top losers.

Meanwhile, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal has said that building a comprehensive ecosystem focused on innovation, global design leadership and trust could help India’s gems and jewellery exports reach $100 billion by 2040, up from $28 billion recorded in 2025-26. He noted that by 2040, the sector is expected to contribute around 1.2% to India’s GDP and account for approximately 14% of the country’s total merchandise exports.

He emphasised that India’s strength lies not in mining gold, silver or rough diamonds, but in its vast pool of skilled craftspeople, and said that greater wealth creation would come from design, innovation and global branding rather than basic manufacturing. He stressed the need for India to move beyond low-margin OEM work and bridge the gap between institutions of learning and industry by partnering with academic incubators to address real-world industry challenges. 

He further emphasised the need to invest in human capital by upgrading skills, making careers in craftsmanship aspirational and leveraging advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and 3D printing to achieve product differentiation. He said that India’s rich history, culture and stories should be integrated into jewellery designs to strengthen the country’s soft power, while transparent and technology-driven trust networks should be established across domestic and export markets to respond to the evolving preferences of younger generations. He also called for developing greater risk appetite, addressing future-oriented industry challenges and mentoring young talent to build resilient supply chains and globally recognised Indian brands aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

The CNX Nifty is currently trading at 24210.15, up by 131.85 points or 0.55% after trading in a range of 24184.55 and 24226.85. There were 38 stocks advancing against 12 stocks declining on the index.

The top gainers on Nifty were Eternal up by 2.38%, Shriram Finance up by 2.24%, Infosys up by 1.71%, Kotak Mahindra Bank up by 1.50% and Bajaj Finance up by 1.30%. On the flip side, Hindalco Industries down by 1.75%, ONGC down by 0.83%, Asian Paints down by 0.76%, Max Healthcare down by 0.70% and Sun Pharma down by 0.46% were the top losers.

Asian markets are trading mostly in green; Nikkei 225 surged 863.58 points or 1.32% to 66,190.00, Taiwan Weighted added 15.39 points or 0.03% to 44,734.74, Jakarta Composite gained 91.1 points or 1.42% to 6,485.23, Shanghai Composite strengthened 13.65 points or 0.35% to 3,908.07, KOSPI increased 339.40 points or 5.24% to 6,810.57 and Hang Seng advanced 313.93 points or 1.23% to 25,809.00, while Straits Times fell 21.94 points or 0.39% to 5,672.30.
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