Indian equity benchmarks ended in positive terrain, with both Nifty and Sensex closing over one percent gains, tracking positive cues from global markets, and ahead of the key meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin later this week.  Index made positive start and remained higher till end of the day, driven by rise in Healthcare, Metal, and Auto stocks.

Some of the important factors in today’s trade:

Retail inflation in July slows to 8-year low of 1.5%: Traders took some support with the Government data showing that retail inflation slowed to an 8-year low of 1.55 percent in July, falling below the Reserve Bank's comfort zone for the first time since January 2019, helped by subdued prices of food items. 

Negotiations for India-Oman trade pact concluded: Some support also came as the government said negotiations for India-Oman comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA), which would help boost bilateral trade and investments, have been concluded. 

Net direct tax mop-up falls nearly 4% to Rs 6.64 lakh crore this fiscal on higher refunds: Traders overlooked Government data showed that net direct tax collection dipped 3.95 percent to Rs 6.64 lakh crore so far this fiscal, mainly on account of higher refunds.

Global front: European markets were trading in green, as Germany's consumer price inflation remained stable in July. Asian markets ended in green boosted by Hong Kong and Japanese markets amid improved outlook for interest rates after US consumer price inflation for July came in line with expectations.

The BSE Sensex ended at 80539.91, up by 304.32 points or 0.38% after trading in a range of 80319.00 and 80683.74. There were 18 stocks advancing against 12 stocks declining on the index. (Provisional)

The broader indices ended in green; the BSE Mid cap index was up by 0.56%, while Small cap index up by 0.58%. (Provisional)

The top gaining sectoral indices on the BSE were Healthcare up by 1.76%, Metal up by 1.22%, Auto up by 1.18%, Capital Goods up by 1.01% and Consumer Discretionary up by 0.96%, while Oil & Gas down by 0.03% and FMCG down by 0.03% were the few losing indices on BSE. (Provisional)

The top gainers on the Sensex were Bharat Electronics up by 2.27%, Eternal up by 2.08%, Mahindra & Mahindra up by 1.76%, Kotak Mahindra Bank up by 1.54% and Power Grid Corp up by 1.48%. On the flip side, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone down by 0.82%, Titan Company down by 0.60%, ITC down by 0.53%, Tech Mahindra down by 0.52% and Ultratech Cement down by 0.41% were the top losers. (Provisional)

Meanwhile, the Commerce ministry has said that India's free trade pact with the UK will help boost shipments of garments, home textiles, carpets and handicrafts, with textile exports projected to rise 30-45 per cent by 2030. It said domestic exporters should leverage the trade agreement to significantly tap opportunities in Britain, which imports $27 billion worth of textiles annually, especially amid high US tariffs on the sector.

It said India had duty disadvantage compared to major competitors. With comprehensive economic and trade agreement (CETA), India's textile exports enter the UK duty-free immediately upon entry into force. This will especially benefit sectors like ready-made garments, home textiles, carpets, and handicrafts, creating strong opportunities to boost exports. It noted that this move removes previous tariff disadvantages and provides a competitive edge to Indian exporters vis-a-vis regional rivals like Bangladesh and China. It has the potential to double India's share of UK imports from 6 per cent to about 12 per cent (about $1.1-1.2 billion extra annually). In volume terms, the pact could boost textiles exports to the UK by 30-45 per cent by 2030, translating into an additional $500 million-$800 million in export value. 

The India-UK CETA was signed on July 24 in London. The UK is India's third-largest export destination, accounting for 5.80 per cent of textile exports in 2024. India's total export to the world is $37 billion. The country is the fourth-largest textile supplier to the UK, with a 6.6 per cent market share ($1.79 billion), behind China (25.4 per cent), Bangladesh (19.9 per cent), and Turkiye (7.9 per cent). The US has imposed 25 per cent tariffs on Indian goods, including textiles, from August 7. An additional 25 per cent will come into force from August 27, taking the import duty on Indian goods to 50 per cent.  

The CNX Nifty ended at 24619.35, up by 131.95 points or 0.54% after trading in a range of 24535.25 and 24664.55. There were 38 stocks advancing against 12 stocks declining on the index. (Provisional)

The top gainers on Nifty were Apollo Hospital up by 8.27%, Hindalco up by 5.01%, Dr. Reddy's Lab up by 2.71%, Hero MotoCorp up by 2.66% and Cipla up by 2.59%. On the flip side, Indusind Bank down by 1.16%, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone down by 0.72%, ITC down by 0.54%, Titan Company down by 0.43% and Ultratech Cement down by 0.39% were the top losers. (Provisional)

European markets were trading higher; Germany’s DAX gained 213.92 points or 0.89% to 24,238.70, France’s CAC rose 37.28 points or 0.48% to 7,790.70 and UK’s FTSE 100 increased 10.04 points or 0.11% to 9,157.85.