Indian equity markets continued to trade higher in late afternoon session supported by renewed interest of foreign investors in Indian equity. The foreign institutional investors (FIIs) were the net buyers on yesterday’s trade, buying equities worth Rs 1,308.16 crore. Besides, trading sentiments remained upbeat as Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in its latest survey has said that India's manufacturing sector is poised for strong growth and expansion with 87 per cent of respondents reporting higher or same production levels for the September quarter (Q2FY26). However, gains remained capped as markets participant remained cautious about the ongoing US government shutdown.

On the global front, Asian equity markets were trading mostly in red as investors booked some profits in the technology sector amid worries of stretched valuations. European equity markets were trading mostly in green ahead of quarterly earnings season.

The BSE Sensex is currently trading at 82536.96, up by 364.86 points or 0.44% after trading in a range of 82072.93 and 82654.11. There were 22 stocks advancing against 8 stocks declining on the index.

The broader indices were trading in green; the BSE Mid cap index gained 0.34%, while Small cap index was up by 0.64%.

The top gaining sectoral indices on the BSE were Realty up by 1.72%, Telecom up by 1.26%, Bankex up by 1.05%, Utilities up by 1.00% and Healthcare up by 0.96%, while Metal down by 0.87%, Basic Materials down by 0.24%, IT down by 0.08%, Oil & Gas down by 0.08% and TECK down by 0.03% were the top losing indices on BSE.

The top gainers on the Sensex were SBI up by 2.08%, Maruti Suzuki up by 1.81%, Trent up by 1.36%, Adani Ports & SEZ up by 1.31% and Axis Bank up by 1.27%. On the flip side, Tata Steel down by 1.70%, TCS down by 1.38%, Tech Mahindra down by 0.95%, Bajaj Finserv down by 0.43% and Titan Company down by 0.40% were the top losers.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that India will not compromise on its national interest amid a volatile geopolitical situation where trade and tariffs have become weapons, and asserted that the country must further strengthen food security without relying on global markets. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it clear that while India believes in being ‘global brother’ and is concerned about the world, the country's interest remains the top priority.

The minister said ‘amid volatile geopolitical situation where nations are fighting with each other, where trade and tariffs are treated as weapons, where nations are ruling the world at their whims.... In such a situation, India has to choose its path. We will not come under pressure of anyone. Protecting our country's interest is our duty and it is necessary for global peace. A responsible country like India should rise.’ He highlighted that 46 per cent of India's population is directly dependent on agriculture for their livelihood, making it crucial to strengthen the sector despite ongoing efforts to reduce this dependency. He said ‘in the current situation, one cannot rely on the global market for food. Therefore, we have to become self-reliant’.

Recalling India's past dependence on American food aid under the PL480 programme, Chouhan said the country has come a long way. He said there were times when a prime minister in the past had to tell people to keep fast once a week. But now, 80 crore people are given free ration and godowns are currently full with rice and wheat. However, he stressed the need to further strengthen agriculture not only for food security but also to ensure farmers' income. The government is working in six key areas, with a focus on raising productivity. He said ‘in rice and wheat, we are at the global average, but in pulses and oilseeds we lag. We should become self-reliant in pulses and edible oils.’

The CNX Nifty is currently trading at 25305.40, up by 123.60 points or 0.49% after trading in a range of 25156.85 and 25330.75. There were 38 stocks advancing against 12 stocks declining on the index.

The top gainers on Nifty were Cipla up by 3.02%, SBI up by 2.12%, Maruti Suzuki up by 1.77%, Adani Ports & SEZ up by 1.37% and Trent up by 1.36%. On the flip side, Tata Steel down by 1.54%, TCS down by 1.41%, HDFC Life Insurance down by 0.99%, Tech Mahindra down by 0.94% and JSW Steel down by 0.68% were the top losers.

Asian equity markets were trading mostly in red; Nikkei 225 slipped 422.44 points or 0.88% to 48,158.00, Hang Seng declined 463.59 points or 1.76% to 26,289.00, Straits Times fell 9.49 points or 0.21% to 4,431.01, Shanghai Composite weakened 36.94 points or 0.95% to 3,897.03 and Jakarta Composite plunged 2.73 points or 0.03% to 8,248.21. On the other hand, KOSPI increased 61.39 points or 1.7% to 3,610.60.

European equity markets were trading mostly in green; France’s CAC rose 4.14 points or 0.05% to 8,045.50 and Germany’s DAX gained 3.75 points or 0.02% to 24,615.00, while UK’s FTSE 100 decreased 14.8 points or 0.16% to 9,494.60.