Indian stock markets kicked off the trading week on a positive note on Monday, March 17, 2025, following a long weekend due to Holi celebrations. Buoyed by encouraging global trends, the benchmark indices registered early gains, with the BSE Sensex opening at 73,830.03 and the NSE Nifty 50 starting at 22,353.15.
In early trade, the Sensex surged by 363.67 points, reaching 74,192.58, while the Nifty 50 climbed 115.3 points, surpassing the crucial 22,512.50 mark. The previous trading session on Wednesday saw the Sensex closing at 73,828.91 and the Nifty at 22,397.20. This early uptrend reflects the positive investor sentiment driven by global market cues and domestic economic indicators.
Among the top gainers in the Sensex pack were IndusInd Bank, Bajaj Finserv, Adani Ports, and Mahindra & Mahindra. IndusInd Bank led the rally, climbing 4.27% during the initial hours of trading. Conversely, Nestle India, Tech Mahindra, HCL Tech, and the State Bank of India faced early losses, with Nestle India declining by 1.28%.
The broader market scenario saw 1,547 stocks trading in the green on the Nifty pack, while 994 stocks were in the red. Additionally, 78 stocks remained unchanged.
Market experts attributed the positive trend to multiple factors, including reduced foreign institutional investor (FII) outflows and India’s outperformance compared to the US markets in the previous week. Dr. VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services, noted that the market’s near-term trend appears stable with a positive bias. He highlighted key economic indicators supporting the optimism, such as the rise in India’s Q3 FY25 GDP growth to 6.2%, an increase in January’s Index of Industrial Production (IIP) to 5%, and a decline in February’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation to 3.61%. However, he cautioned that while these factors provide short-term support, they may not sustain a prolonged market rally.
Meanwhile, Gift Nifty, an early indicator of equity market performance, pointed towards a positive opening for Nifty 50. It opened higher at 22,605, compared to the previous close of 22,666 on Wednesday.
Asian markets also showed strength, with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index gaining 316.66 points (1.30%), Japan’s Nikkei 225 rising by 473.46 points (0.85%), and South Korea’s Kospi advancing by 39.89 points (1.55%). The Shanghai Composite in China also traded in the green, mirroring global optimism.
Sector-wise, most Nifty indices were in the green, with Nifty Metal climbing 1.20%, Nifty Auto rising 1.16%, and Nifty Bank gaining 0.67%. However, the Nifty IT index dipped by 0.39% in early trade.
Overall, the Indian markets started the week on a strong footing, backed by global recovery trends and positive macroeconomic signals. Investors will now closely watch market movements and sectoral performances to gauge the sustainability of this uptrend.
