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Indices face sluggishness in early noon deals
Aug-05-2026

Indian equity benchmarks were facing sluggishness in early afternoon deals, with both Sensex and Nifty now trading in red terrain, on the back of selling at Oil & Gas and Energy counters. Investors were cautious as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) warned that volatile global crude oil prices remain a key risk to inflation, saying geopolitical tensions have clouded the near-term outlook even as broader price pressures remain contained. Besides, India’s services sector remained in expansionary territory in the month of July but the growth lost substantial momentum, as new business inflows increased only moderately amid softer demand, competitive pressures and fewer enquiries. According to the survey report, the seasonally adjusted HSBC India Services PMI Business Activity Index fell to 53.3 in July from 57.4 in June.

On the global front, Asian markets were trading mostly in green, as crude oil prices slumped and global bond yields eased amid hopes for progress on opening the Strait of Hormuz.

The BSE Sensex is currently trading at 78411.16, down by 17.79 points or 0.02% after trading in a range of 78409.45 and 79055.38. There were 19 stocks advancing against 11 stocks declining on the index.

The top gaining sectoral indices on the BSE were Auto up by 1.57%, Realty up by 1.51%, Consumer Disc up by 0.97%, Metal up by 0.78% and Basic Materials up by 0.69%, while Oil & Gas down by 0.29%, Energy down by 0.28%, Utilities down by 0.20%, Capital Goods down by 0.16% and Bankex down by 0.12% were the top losing indices on BSE.

The top gainers on the Sensex were Ultratech Cement up by 1.80%, Mahindra & Mahindra up by 1.70%, State Bank of India up by 1.67%, Tech Mahindra up by 1.40% and Trent up by 1.22%. On the flip side, Bharat Electronics down by 1.35%, Sun Pharma down by 0.95%, TCS down by 0.85%, HDFC Bank down by 0.49% and Axis Bank down by 0.41% were the top losers.

Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada has stated that India's exports from Special Economic Zones (SEZs) grew 11.8 per cent year-on-year to Rs 16,36,192 crore ($185.28 billion) in 2025-26, up from Rs 14,63,669 crore ($173.07 billion) in the previous fiscal. The minister said the government has been undertaking measures to improve SEZ utilisation, attract fresh investments and integrate these export hubs more closely with domestic supply chains to enhance their operational efficiency. 

The minister said SEZ exports have registered consistent growth over the past five years, increasing from Rs 9,90,747 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 12.63 lakh crore in 2022-23, Rs 13.55 lakh crore in 2023-24, Rs 14.64 lakh crore in 2024-25, and Rs 16.36 lakh crore in 2025-26. Among states, Gujarat emerged as the top exporter from SEZs in FY26 with exports worth Rs 4,05,595 crore, followed by Karnataka (Rs 2,69,004 crore), Maharashtra (Rs 2,43,422.5 crore) and Tamil Nadu (Rs 2,12,288 crore). 

He stated that India's pharmaceutical exports increased from $15.43 billion in 2014-15 to $31.12 billion in 2025-26, a compound annual growth rate of about 6.6 per cent. Pharmaceutical exports stood at $30.27 billion in 2024-25. Maharashtra, one of India's leading pharmaceutical exporting states, accounted for about 19% of the country's pharma exports. The exports from the state rose from $4.48 billion in 2021-22 to $5.94 billion in 2025-26, with Pune, Mumbai, Thane, Nashik, Palghar, Raigad and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) among the key exporting districts.

Talking about free trade agreements (FTAs), he said such pacts can help India gain preferential market access, reduce tariff barriers and enhance export competitiveness as countries and businesses seek reliable and diversified trade partners. He noted that India has finalised trade agreements with the UAE, Australia, the United Kingdom, Oman, New Zealand, and the EFTA bloc.  

The CNX Nifty is currently trading at 24531.85, down by 83.05 points or 0.34% after trading in a range of 24525.35 and 24677.60. There were 17 stocks advancing against 33 stocks declining on the index.

The top gainers on Nifty were Grasim Industries up by 1.98%, Larsen & Toubro up by 1.49%, HDFC Life Insurance up by 1.31%, Shriram Finance up by 1.31% and State Bank of India up by 1.00%. On the flip side, HCL Technologies down by 1.58%, Bharat Electronics down by 1.46%, Apollo Hospital Ent. down by 1.41%, TCS down by 1.40% and ITC down by 1.33% were the top losers.

Asian markets were trading mostly in green; Jakarta Composite gained 32.55 points or 0.52% to 6,352.16, KOSPI increased 239.31 points or 3.63% to 6,598.26, Taiwan Weighted added 1250.94 points or 2.8% to 44,611.60, Hang Seng advanced 111.08 points or 0.43% to 25,964.00, Nikkei 225 surged 2300.47 points or 3.47% to 66,258.00 and Shanghai Composite strengthened 56.15 points or 1.45% to 3,878.43, while Straits Times fell 33.76 points or 0.6% to 5,578.49.
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