Sensex, Nifty poised for a weak start; Vodafone Idea, Paytm, Protean, Sai Life Sciences shares in focus

Indian benchmark indices, BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty, are set to open lower on Tuesday, in line with Asian peers, after overnight losses on Wall Street as the tussle between U.S. President Donald Trump and the Federal Reserve escalated. Caution is likely to prevail after Washington announced a 25% additional tariff on imports from India, effective August 27.

At 8:20 a.m., GIFT Nifty futures were trading 75 points lower at 24,917.50, indicating a gap-down opening for the Sensex and Nifty.

In the overnight trade, U.S. stocks ended lower as optimism over potential Fed rate cuts faded amid signs of a cooling jobs market. Tracking weak cues from Wall Street, equities across Asia-Pacific including Japan, Hong Kong, China, South Korea, and Singapore slipped into the red, amid waning hopes of a September rate cut.

On Monday, Indian markets bucked the global trend, closing higher on gains in select IT and banking heavyweights such as Infosys, TCS, HCL Tech, and HDFC Bank. The Sensex rose 329 points to 81,635.91, while the Nifty 50 added 98 points to settle at 24,967.75. However, broader markets lagged, with the BSE Midcap index inching up 0.1% and the Smallcap index dipping 0.02%.

Top stocks to watch today

IPO listing: The mainboard IPOs of Vikram Solar, Gem Aromatics Ltd, Shreeji Shipping Global Ltd, and Patel Retail Ltd. will make debut on the BSE and NSE today.

Vodafone Idea : The telecom ministry has no plans to provide any relief to Vodafone Idea on its adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues, as per Minister of State for Communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani.

Sai Life Sciences: Private equity firm TPG Asia is set to sell up to a 14.72% stake (3.07 crore shares) in Sai Life Sciences via a block deal, according to reports.

Paytm : The board of the fintech company has cleared fresh investments of ₹300 crore in Paytm Money and ₹155 crore in Paytm Services through a rights issue.

Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA):  The railway PSU has signed a performance-linked MoU with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, setting a revenue target of ₹8,200 crore for FY26.

Protean eGov Technologies:  The company has received a six year order of ₹1,160 crore from the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL):  The state-owned OMC is exploring plans to set up a greenfield oil refinery and petrochemicals complex near Ramayapatnam Port in Andhra Pradesh.

Tata Motors : The Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has approved Tata Motors’ composite scheme of arrangement, paving the way for restructuring within the auto major.

IndusInd Bank: Veteran banker Rajiv Anand has taken over as Managing Director and CEO from August 25, 2025, for a three-year term.

Muthoot Finance:  The NBFC has infused ₹200 crore into its housing finance arm, Muthoot Homefin.

LIC of India : The market regulator Sebi has approved the reclassification of LIC as a public shareholder in IDBI Bank, advancing the government’s strategic divestment programme.

RailTel Corp : The telecom infrastructure provider expects stable growth in its telecom services segment, while its projects business is projected to expand at a faster pace.

Great Eastern Shipping: The shipping company has contracted to buy a 2010-built Suezmax crude carrier of 164,715 dwt.

PSU banks: Shares of UCO Bank, Central Bank of India, Punjab & Sind Bank, and Indian Overseas Bank shares will be in focus as the Government of India has appointed Goldman Sachs as the sole banker for stake sales in these four PSU banks.

Aditya Birla Capital: The Reserve Bank of India has cleared the appointment of Vishakha Mulye as Managing Director & CEO of Aditya Birla Capital for a five-year term. Additionally, Rakesh Singh has been approved as Executive Director and CEO (NBFC) until July 22, 2027.

Suraj Estate Developers: The realty company has acquired a 644 sq. m. land parcel in Lower Parel, Mumbai, for ₹6.44 crore.

Lemon Tree Hotels: The company has signed a license agreement for a new property - Keys Select by Lemon Tree Hotels - in Mhasrul, Nashik. The property will be operated by its subsidiary, Carnation Hotels.

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