Closing Bell: Sensex ends 555 pts higher, Nifty at 24,625; Bajaj Auto top gainer, Sun Pharma leads fall

Indian benchmark indices ended the first day of the week on a positive note, with the Sensex closing at 80,364.49, rising by 554.84 points or 0.70%, while the Nifty closed at 24,625.05, up 0.81%. Leading the bourses were auto companies like Bajaj Auto, Mahindra & Mahindra, and Eicher Motors. Bajaj Auto’s share price rose after the two-wheeler manufacturer declared positive monthly sales numbers in an exchange filing.

Trent and Eternal also saw an uptick of more than 2%, with the Tata retail subsidiary recording a 2.77% gain.

The major laggard for the day was Sun Pharmaceuticals, dipping nearly 2% to ₹1,564. Trailing behind were ITC and Hindustan Unilever, which both saw a downtick of around 1%.

Among sectoral indices, all except Nifty Media and Nifty Pharma traded in the green. Nifty Auto led the charge with an uptick of 2.75%, while Nifty Consumer Durables closed above 2%. Nifty Metal and Nifty IT rose by 1.6% each.

The broader markets also reflected the positive trend seen in the benchmark indices, with Nifty Midcap and Smallcap rising nearly 2%. India’s volatility index, or VIX, eased 4% to 11.28.

Amongst individual stocks, RPP Infra saw a steep surge by 20%, as it secured a ₹1,126 crore order from BHEL for fabrication and supply of structures across India. Ola Electric continued to see an uptick of a staggering 15%, after the company declared that it received a Production Linked Incentive (PLI) certification for its Gen 3 scooters, which could help improve margins and profitability. Another electric two-wheeler that saw a rise was Ather Energy, with its share price up by 8.70% to ₹ 489.30, due to positive outcome of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, hoping an ease in access of earth metals.

Positive market sentiment was driven by India’s strong Q1 FY2026 GDP growth, which bolstered investor confidence, while expectations around the upcoming GST rationalisation added to the optimism. Auto stocks gained as sentiment was buoyed by India-China talks on fair trade agreements and rare metals, coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day trip to Tianjin.