Indian equity markets opened higher on Thursday, August 27, 2026, despite mixed global cues. Buying was seen across the domestic market in early trade, with the Sensex rising more than 166 points and the Nifty moving close to the 24,300 level. Both benchmarks opened higher, while gains were recorded across several major sectors, including banking, IT, energy and pharmaceuticals.
The BSE Sensex rose 166.84 points, or about 0.22%, to 77,639.78 in early trade. The NSE Nifty gained 78.40 points, or about 0.32%, to trade at 24,286.15. Market breadth was positive, with around 1,448 shares advancing, while 783 declined and 155 remained unchanged.
Bajaj Finance was among the best-performing Nifty 50 stocks in early trade, rising about 1.54%. Adani Enterprises gained 1.22%, while Kotak Mahindra Bank advanced 0.89%.
Other major gainers included Nestle India, up about 0.72%, ICICI Bank, up 0.70%, ONGC, up 0.66%, and Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, up 0.57%. Adani Ports, Eternal, Bajaj Finserv, Cipla, Sun Pharma and Infosys were also trading higher in early trade.
Buying was also seen in Tech Mahindra. However, the available figures showed different numbers for its performance, while the early market trend indicated strength in the IT stock.
The gains were spread across several sectors. Nifty IT rose about 0.38%, while Nifty Energy gained 0.30%, Pharma advanced 0.25% and the MNC index rose 0.25%.
Infrastructure gained 0.16%, Realty rose 0.14%, FMCG advanced 0.14%, Private Bank increased 0.13% and PSU Bank gained 0.12%.
Despite the broader gains, some major stocks traded lower. HDFC Bank fell about 1.11% and was the major Nifty laggard. Shriram Finance declined 0.52%, Hindalco fell 0.46%, Power Grid dropped 0.32% and IndiGo declined 0.29%. Grasim, HCLTech, NTPC, Axis Bank, SBI and Maruti also faced pressure in the early session.
The Nifty's movement close to 24,300 was described as significant from a technical perspective. The level could play a role in determining the market's direction ahead. If buying continues and the Nifty maintains strength above 24,300, investor sentiment could improve further. Conversely, increased selling around this level could lead to volatility in the market.
