Key gauges continue to trade higher in morning deals

Indian equity benchmarks continued to trade higher in morning deals, led by gains in Realty, PSU and Power stocks. Sentiments remained positive as rating agency CRISIL stated that India will see a five-fold growth in green investments to Rs 31 lakh crore between 2025 and 2030. It said this is a crucial part of an estimated $10-trillion investments needed through 2070 to achieve the country's net-zero goals as per the Updated First Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement. Some support also came as commerce ministry data showed India's electronics exports rose 35.11 per cent to $3.58 billion in December 2024, marking the highest level of shipments in the last 24 months. The robust performance reflects the growing momentum in the country's electronics manufacturing sector, driven by favourable government policies, increased global demand, and expanding domestic production capacities. Sector-wise, stocks related to gems and jewellery industry remained in watch as India Ratings report said India's organised jewellery industry is expected to witness revenue growth of 17 per cent in 2025-26 on wedding season and investment demand. On the global front, Asian markets are trading higher as investor sentiment got a boost from cooler-than-expected US inflation data for December, which raised hopes of further rate easing by the Federal Reserve. 

The BSE Sensex is currently trading at 76980.40, up by 256.32 points or 0.33% after trading in a range of 76932.02 and 77319.50. There were 21 stocks advancing against 9 stocks declining on the index.

The broader indices were trading in green; the BSE Mid cap index rose 1.42%, while Small cap index was up by 1.67%.

The top gaining sectoral indices on the BSE were Realty up by 2.65%, PSU up by 2.12%, Power up by 1.79%, Utilities up by 1.67% and Industrials up by 1.60%, while FMCG down by 0.75% and Consumer Durables down by 0.33% were the few losing indices on BSE.

The top gainers on the Sensex were Adani Ports &SEZ up by 3.79%, SBI up by 2.73%, Indusind Bank up by 2.71%, Tata Motors up by 1.77% and Zomato up by 1.72%. On the flip side, Hindustan Unilever down by 1.60%, Nestle down by 1.38%, ITC down by 1.08%, Titan Company down by 0.96% and HCL Technologies down by 0.85% were the top losers.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has said that department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) recognised startups have created over 16.6 lakh direct jobs across various sectors from 2016 to October 31, 2024, significantly contributing to employment generation in the country. 

According to data released by the ministry on the completion of Nine Years of Startup India, the IT Services industry leads with 2.04 lakh jobs, followed by Healthcare and Lifesciences with 1.47 lakh jobs, and Professional and Commercial Services with around 94,000 jobs. It stated that the number of DPIIT-recognised startups has grown from around 500 in 2016 to 1,59,157 as of January 15, 2025. India has firmly established itself as the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world. This vibrant ecosystem, driven by over 100 unicorns, continues to redefine innovation and entrepreneurship on the global stage.

Major hubs like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi-NCR have led this transformation, while smaller cities have increasingly contributed to the nation’s entrepreneurial momentum. Moreover, it said  startups in fintech, edtech, health-tech, and e-commerce have tackled local challenges and gained global recognition. As of October 31, 2024, a total of 73,151 recognised startups include at least one woman director, showcasing the rise of women entrepreneurs in India. On January 16, 2025, India marks nine years of Startup India, a transformative journey that began in 2016.

The CNX Nifty is currently trading at 23308.05, up by 94.85 points or 0.41% after trading in a range of 23290.70 and 23391.65. There were 32 stocks advancing against 18 stocks declining on the index.

The top gainers on Nifty were HDFC Life Insurance up by 11.07%, SBI Life Insurance up by 4.36%, Adani Ports &SEZ up by 3.45%, Bharat Electronics up by 3.08% and Shriram Finance up by 2.77%. On the flip side, Tata Consumer Product down by 2.73%, Hindustan Unilever down by 1.75%, Britannia Industries down by 1.61%, Nestle down by 1.52% and Trent down by 1.27% were the top losers. 

All Asian markets are trading higher; Nikkei 225 surged 87.88 points or 0.23% to 38,532.46, Taiwan Weighted added 544.36 points or 2.42% to 23,058.93, Hang Seng advanced 159.61 points or 0.82% to 19,445.68, KOSPI increased 28.57 points or 1.14% to 2,525.38, Straits Times rose 25.11 points or 0.67% to 3,797.69, Jakarta Composite gained 62.74 points or 0.89% to 7,142.30 and Shanghai Composite strengthened 6.8 points or 0.21% to 3,233.92.