The Indian benchmark indices opened higher on Wednesday amid mixed global cues as buying was seen in the pharma, auto, PSU bank and financial service sectors in the early trade.

At around 9.35 am, Sensex was trading 296.53 points or 0.37 per cent up at 81,482.97 while the Nifty added 88.90 point or 0.36 per cent at 24,772.80

Nifty Bank was up 98.55 points or 0.18 per cent at 54,975.90. The Nifty Midcap 100 index was trading at 56,028.55 after declining 154.10 points or 0.27 per cent. Nifty Smallcap 100 index was at 17,419.35 after dropping 63.65 points or 0.36 per cent.

According to analysts, Indian equity benchmarks declined sharply on Tuesday amid reports of increasing COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asian countries, like Singapore and Hong Kong.

The Indian stock markets witnessed a sharp fall on Tuesday amid weak global cues as FII selling was among the key factors that weighed on investors' sentiment.

The Sensex dropped 872.98 points, or 1.06 per cent, to close at 81,186.44. During the day, the index moved between an intra-day high of 82,250.42 and low of 81,153.70.

Similarly, the Nifty slipped 261.55 points, or 1.05 per cent, to settle at 24,683.90.

"The Nifty slipped after two days of consolidation, dragged down by broad-based selling and weakening market breadth,” Rupak De of LKP Securities said.

With urban wireless tele-density already at 131.45 per cent and telecommunications contributing over 6.5 per cent to GDP, India has reached a pivotal moment where connectivity transcends its traditional boundaries, the Digital Infrastructure Providers Association (DIPA) said on Tuesday.

The digital economy is projected to reach $1 trillion by end-2025, yet this figure only hints at the profound transformation underway as connected living redefines sectors from healthcare to agriculture, education to transportation.

"We're witnessing the birth of ambient intelligence, where connectivity becomes the invisible force empowering every aspect of daily life," said Manoj Kumar Singh, Director General, DIPA.

India's telecommunications infrastructure is no longer just about communication — it's becoming the neural network of society itself.

The domestic benchmark indices opened lower on Tuesday amid mixed global cues, as selling was seen in the auto, PSU bank and financial service sectors in the early trade.

At around 9.31 am, Sensex was trading 40.79 points or 0.05 per cent down at 82,018.63 while the Nifty declined 22.10 point or 0.09 per cent at 24,923.35.

Nifty Bank was down 51.40 points or 0.09 per cent at 55,369.30. The Nifty Midcap 100 index was trading at 56,943.00 after declining 162.45 points or 0.28 per cent. Nifty Smallcap 100 index was at 17,606.90 after dropping 42.75 points or 0.24 per cent.

According to analysts, from a technical perspective, the Nifty formed a bearish candle on the daily chart while trading within an inside bar pattern, closing just below the crucial 25,000 level.

The Indian stock market began the week on a weak note as benchmark indices ended lower on Monday, mainly due to profit booking at higher levels.

The Sensex fell by 271.17 points, or 0.33 per cent, to close at 82,059.42. The Nifty also ended in negative territory, falling by 74.35 points or 0.30 per cent to settle at 24,944.85.

“Technically, the index appears to be in a consolidation phase, which may continue for the next few days. The index may remain under pressure unless it reclaims the 25,000 level,” Rupak De of LKP Securities said.

“On the downside, the Nifty could drift toward the 24,800–24,750 zone. A deeper correction may be likely if it breaks below 24,750. Conversely, a move above 25,000 could trigger a rally toward the 25,250–25,350 range," he added.

Real estate marketplace Square Yards’ total expenses rose by over 32.21 per cent to Rs 1,613 crore in FY25, from Rs 1,220 crore in FY24, according to its financials.

The increase was mainly driven by higher employee costs, commission payouts, and finance costs, according to the company’s provisional financial statement.

Employee benefit expenses remained the largest cost head, accounting for nearly 38 per cent of the total spend.

These costs increased by 15 per cent, rising from Rs 535 crore in FY24 to Rs 618 crore in FY25.

The company also spent significantly more on commissions, which jumped from Rs 330 crore to Rs 556 crore.

Finance costs rose from Rs 154 crore to Rs 201 crore, while other operational expenses moved up slightly from Rs 141 crore to Rs 159 crore.

India’s GDP growth is expected to increase to 6.9 per cent in Q4 FY2025 from 6.2 per cent in Q3 FY2025 despite the enhanced global uncertainty due to the US tariff turmoil during the quarter, according to an ICRA report released on Monday.

The report also highlights an increase in consumer sentiment in both the rural and urban areas.

ICRA chief economist Aditi Nayar said, “In a quarter characterised by enhanced uncertainty on the global front, ICRA estimates India’s GDP growth to have risen to 6.9 per cent in Q4 FY2025 from 6.2 per cent in Q3 FY2025. Both private consumption and trends for investment activity were uneven in Q4 FY2025, with the latter partly owing to tariff-related uncertainty.”

While the robust increase in the output of most rabi crops is likely to have boosted the agri-GVA growth in Q4 FY2025, the tepid pace of expansion in the industrial volume growth as well as the deterioration in the performance of several service-sector indicators is expected to have weighed on the GVA growth of these segments,” she added.

Smartphones have officially become India’s top exported good in FY25, overtaking traditional heavyweights like petroleum products and cut diamonds, as per latest government figures.

Backed by government support and strong local manufacturing by tech giants like Apple and Samsung, smartphone exports rose 55 per cent to $24.14 billion in 2024-25, compared to $15.57 billion in the previous fiscal and $10.96 billion in 2022-23.

According to the data, the United States and Japan saw the biggest jump in shipments over the last three years.

Exports to the US grew nearly five times -- from $2.16 billion in FY23 to $10.6 billion in FY25.

Similarly, shipments to Japan shot up fourfold, from just $120 million to $520 million during the same period.

The mutual fund (MF) industry ended fiscal 2025 on a high note, with assets under management (AUM) hitting a record Rs 65.74 lakh crore in March 2025, as per the Association of Mutual Funds in India’s (AMFI) annual report released on Monday.

This marked a strong 23.11 per cent rise compared to Rs 53.40 lakh crore in March 2024.

This growth came despite a volatile stock market, showing that investors stayed committed to their financial goals.

Venkat N Chalasani, CEO of AMFI, said the outlook remains positive, with more investors entering the market and macroeconomic conditions staying supportive.

India has made notable progress in enhancing its competitiveness and making its manufacturing sector more attractive to global investors, an S&P Global report said on Monday.

While manufacturing value added accounts for a modest 17.2 per cent of the country’s real gross domestic product (GDP), the government has implemented targeted policy interventions to build domestic manufacturing capacity and strengthen India’s role in global supply chains.

Beyond the near-term impact, therefore, India can benefit from the increasing trade protectionism, which may catalyse supply-chain diversification, according to the report.