Benchmarks trimmed some gains in late afternoon session as investors kept close eye on developments in West Asia. The US President Donald Trump has indicated that the U.S.-Iran war could end within two to three weeks. Despite his comments, investors remained cautious about continued closer of Strait of Hormuz and addition US troop deployment in the region. However, markets continued trade higher amid some value buying following the recent pullback made by the markets. Further, with Brent crude oil prices cooling off to trade below the $100 per barrel mark, market participants have shrugged off the worries about inflation due to high energy prices.  

On the global front, all Asian and European equity markets were trading higher after U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments raised hopes that the Iran war could end soon.

The BSE Sensex is currently trading at 73265.58, up by 1318.03 points or 1.83% after trading in a range of 73056.77 and 73964.58. There were 26 stocks advancing against 4 stocks declining on the index.

The top gaining sectoral indices on the BSE were Industrials up by 3.64%, Capital Goods up by 3.36%, PSU up by 2.97%, Basic Materials up by 2.88%, Consumer Discretionary up by 2.74%, while Healthcare down by 0.28% was the sole losing index on BSE.

The top gainers on the Sensex were Interglobe Aviation up by 6.34%, Adani Ports & SEZ up by 5.82%, Trent up by 5.29%, Bharat Electronics up by 4.76% and SBI up by 4.38%. On the flip side, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries down by 2.10%, Power Grid Corporation down by 1.38%, NTPC down by 1.28% and Bharti Airtel down by 0.19% were the top losers.

Meanwhile, in pursuance of the Union Budget 2026-27 announcement, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has rolled out a series of comprehensive reforms to strengthen and streamline E-Commerce exports as well as broader courier-based imports and exports with effect from April 1, 2026. These reforms include the complete removal of the Rs 10 lakh value cap per consignment on courier exports, the introduction of a streamlined framework for handling returned and rejected parcels and a legally backed Return to Origin (RTO) mechanism for uncleared shipments, aimed at enhancing ease of doing business, reduce logistics inefficiencies and strengthen India’s global export competitiveness, particularly for MSMEs, artisans and start-ups.

As part of these reforms, the existing value limit of Rs 10 lakh for commercial export consignments through courier mode has been removed. This measure is expected to significantly boost exports, especially for e-commerce exporters, by allowing greater flexibility in shipment value and enabling seamless exports through the courier mode, eliminating the need to divert such shipments to conventional air or sea cargo solely due to value restrictions. In order to address congestion and delays in disposal of uncleared or unclaimed imported goods at International Courier Terminals, CBIC has introduced a RTO facility. Under this facility, goods that remain uncleared or unclaimed for more than 15 days and are not prohibited, restricted or under enforcement hold may be returned to the origin following a simplified procedure. This is expected to ease congestion at courier terminals and improve logistics efficiency.

CBIC has also simplified the procedure for re-import of returned or rejected goods, including those relating to e-commerce exports. A risk-based approach has been adopted in place of consignment-wise verification, and necessary amendments have been carried out in the relevant notification. In addition, a dedicated return module has been developed in the Express Cargo Clearance System to facilitate smooth processing of such returns. These reforms are supported by system-based enhancements and process simplifications aimed at improving the overall efficiency of courier-based trade. The measures are expected to reduce dwell time, lower transaction costs and provide significant relief to exporters, logistics operators and other stakeholders involved in international courier trade, especially E-commerce. The introduction of these measures marks another important milestone in the government’s ongoing efforts to promote ease of doing business, strengthen India’s e-commerce export ecosystem and enhance the country’s competitiveness in global trade.

The CNX Nifty is currently trading at 22709.15, up by 377.75 points or 1.69% after trading in a range of 22648.35 and 22941.30. There were 38 stocks advancing against 12 stocks declining on the index.

The top gainers on Nifty were Interglobe Aviation up by 6.35%, Adani Ports & SEZ up by 5.89%, Adani Enterprises up by 5.37%, Trent up by 5.27% and Bharat Electronics up by 4.63%. On the flip side, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories down by 3.50%, HDFC Life Insurance down by 3.18%, Cipla down by 2.34%, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries down by 2.13% and Apollo Hospitals Enterprise down by 1.71% were the top losers.

All Asian equity markets were trading higher; Nikkei 225 surged 2466.28 points or 4.61% to 53,530.00, Taiwan Weighted added 1451.83 points or 4.38% to 33,174.82, Hang Seng advanced 504.86 points or 2% to 25,293.00, KOSPI increased 426.24 points or 7.78% to 5,478.70, Jakarta Composite gained 116.73 points or 1.63% to 7,164.95, Shanghai Composite strengthened 56.69 points or 1.44% to 3,948.55 and Straits Times rose 94.59 points or 1.94% to 4,980.04.

All European equity markets were trading higher; UK’s FTSE 100 increased 176.12 points or 1.73% to 10,352.57, France’s CAC rose 140.36 points or 1.8% to 7,957.30 and Germany’s DAX gained 490.96 points or 2.16% to 23,171.00.