Over nearly three decades, the Nifty index has evolved into a key barometer of the Indian equity market, growing from a base value of 1,000 to over 26,000.

On Tuesday, the Nifty marked its 29th anniversary, continuing to serve as a reflection of India’s economic growth, investor confidence, and market sentiment.

Launched by the National Stock Exchange (NSE) on April 22, 1996, the Nifty was introduced just two years after the exchange began operations.

The index was created with a base date of November 3, 1995, and a base value of 1,000. Today, it tracks the performance of 50 of the most traded and largest companies in India across 15 sectors and represents about 55.48 per cent of the NSE’s total free-float market capitalisation as of March 28, 2025.

Gold prices reached a historic milestone on Tuesday as the rate of 24-carat gold touched Rs 1,00,000 per 10 grams for the first time ever.

According to the India Bullion and Jewellers Association (IBJA), the price of 24-carat gold rose sharply from Rs 96,670 to Rs 1,00,000 per 10 grams -- a jump of Rs 3,300 within 24 hours.

Along with 24-carat gold, other categories also saw a steep rise. The price of 22-carat gold climbed to Rs 97,600 per 10 grams, 20-carat gold reached Rs 89,000 per 10 grams, and 18-carat gold touched Rs 81,000 per 10 grams.

On the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), October futures briefly went above the Rs 1 lakh mark and touched an all-time high of Rs 1,00,484 per 10 grams -- gaining nearly Rs 2,000 or 2 per cent in a single day.

Experts say the sudden spike in gold prices is due to increased global demand for gold as a safe-haven investment.

The Indian stock market continued its upward journey for the sixth straight trading session on Tuesday, supported by gains in fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and private banking stocks.

The Sensex began the day with a strong start, opening 320 points higher at 79,728. However, it soon slipped into the red, touching a low of 79,253, as investor sentiment was affected by steep losses in the US markets overnight.

Despite the early fall, the Sensex recovered quickly and remained in positive territory for the rest of the trading day. It even touched an intra-day high of 79,824 before finally closing 187 points or 0.24 per cent higher at 79,596.

With Tuesday’s gains, the Sensex has now climbed 5,749 points, or 7.8 per cent, over the last six trading sessions, showing strong momentum in the domestic markets.

The Nifty also followed a similar trend. It slipped to a low of 24,072 during early trade but bounced back sharply to hit a high of 24,243. The Nifty finally ended the intra-day trading session with a gain of 42 points or 0.2 per cent at 24,167.

Global brokerage firm Jefferies on Tuesday downgraded Hero MotoCorp and Bajaj Auto, citing a weak outlook for the two-wheeler industry in the coming years.

While Hero MotoCorp has been downgraded to "underperform", Bajaj Auto has been rated as "hold". Jefferies has also slashed the price targets of Hero and Bajaj Auto by a large margin.

The price target for Hero MotoCorp has been cut by 37 per cent to Rs 3,200 from the earlier Rs 5,075. For Bajaj Auto, the target has been reduced by 28 per cent to Rs 7,500 from Rs 10,550.

Jefferies believes the overall volume growth in the two-wheeler industry for FY26 and FY27 will be slower than expected, reducing its growth estimates by six and two percentage points, respectively.

Still, it expects a 10 per cent annual growth rate for the sector between FY25 and FY28, as it highlighted that the competitive dynamics in the two-wheeler industry have shifted.

The real estate sector in India dominated alternate investment funds’ (AIFs) net investments, with Rs 73,903 crore in the nine months of FY25, a report showed on Monday.

AIFs are privately pooled funds that invest in non-traditional assets like private equity, hedge funds, and real estate, offering niche, high-risk, high-reward opportunities suited for experienced investors.

According to Anarock Research, the real estate sector accounted for the largest share (15 per cent) of cumulative net AIF investments, with Rs 73,903 crore invested in real estate out of an all-sectors total of Rs 5,06,196 crore in the April-December period of FY25.

Other sectors benefiting from AIF investments include IT/ITeS, Financial Services, NBFCs, Banks, Pharma, FMCG, Retail, Renewable Energy, and others.

India’s gems and jewellery industry is expected to surge from $83 billion in 2024 to $128 billion by 2029, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.5 per cent, a report showed on Monday.

Gold continues to dominate the market with an 86 per cent share, but lab-grown diamonds (LGDs) are emerging as a powerful growth catalyst, said the report by 1Lattice.

The LGD segment, currently valued at $345 million (2024), is projected to grow at a CAGR of 15 per cent to reach $1.2 billion by 2033.

India now contributes 15 per cent of global LGD production, with exports growing 8 times over the past four years, reaching $1.3 billion in FY24.

“India's gems and jewellery market is evolving rapidly at the intersection of heritage and innovation. The rise of lab-grown diamonds, powered by digital commerce, affordability and sustainability consciousness, is reshaping the future of jewellery retail,” said Ashish Dhir, Senior Director–Consumer and Retail, 1Lattice.

POSCO Group, South Korea's leading steelmaker, said on Monday that it will invest in Hyundai Steel Co.'s steel mill project in the United States, as part of its strategy to navigate U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs on steel imports.

According to a press release, POSCO Group has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Hyundai Motor Group for its participation in Hyundai Steel's U.S. plant and to strengthen collaboration in the steel and rechargeable battery sectors.

Last month, Hyundai Steel revealed plans to invest US$5.8 billion to build an integrated electric arc furnace-based steel mill in Louisiana by 2029, with production slated to begin the same year, reports news agency.

The 2.7 million-ton-a-year facility is expected to supply steel not only to Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp., but also to other automakers in the U.S., the world's most important automobile market.

Active equity mutual fund (MF) schemes closed the financial year 2024–25 (FY25) with record-breaking inflows -- more than twice the amount seen in the previous year -- as fund houses capitalised on strong market sentiment, particularly in the first half of the year.

Despite market volatility, investor confidence remained strong, pushing overall assets under management (AUM) up by a remarkable 23 per cent for the year.

While existing equity schemes continued to see robust investor interest during the market rally, new fund launches added significant momentum.

Fresh offerings alone brought in Rs 85,000 crore to the overall equity MF kitty for FY25, according to the reports.

Over 10,000 driver partners of BluSmart have been left confused and without income after the electric ride-hailing company abruptly suspended its services.

The unexpected shutdown has not only affected daily commuters but has also sparked outrage among the platform’s drivers, who say they were not informed in advance.

The Gig Workers Association (GigWA) raised strong concerns about the sudden suspension and said that drivers have been left without clarity on their employment status.

The association claimed that many drivers are still awaiting their pending payments and weekly incentives of Rs 8,000 that were promised by the company.

“This unexpected halt has left thousands of drivers without income or clarity about their employment status,” GigWA said in a statement.

The gold prices in India could soon touch Rs 1 lakh per 10 grams, as global uncertainties continue to push investors towards safe-haven assets, experts said on Saturday.

The sharp rise in gold prices is being driven by fears of a slowdown in the US economy, fuelled by President Donald Trump’s renewed tariff policies.

According to estimates by global brokerage Goldman Sachs, gold prices could reach $3,700 per ounce in the near term, and possibly touch $4,500 per ounce if trade tensions escalate further.

If this happens, domestic gold prices on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) could climb to Rs 1 lakh or even Rs 1.25 lakh per 10 grams, market experts said.

Gold has already delivered strong returns to investors. In the last five years, gold prices have jumped more than 110 per cent -- from Rs 44,906 per 10 grams on April 17, 2020, to Rs 95,239 per 10 grams on April 17.

In the year-to-date (YTD) period alone, prices have risen by nearly 25 per cent.