The key equity indices traded with minor gains in mid-afternoon trade amid upbeat domestic CPI data. Investors will monitor ongoing earnings season, FII activity and key macroeconomic releases due later this week. The Nifty hovered above the 24,500 level.

Media shares advanced after declining in the past trading session.

At 14:25 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex advanced 188.02 points or 0.23% to 80,420.40. The Nifty 50 index added 37.50 points or 0.15% to 24,546.80.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index rose 0.65% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index jumped 0.62%.

The market breadth was positive. On the BSE, 2,187 shares rose and 1,825 shares fell. A total of 178 shares were unchanged.

Economy:

India’s retail inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), eased to 1.55% in July, down 55 basis points from 2.10% in June, according to data from the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation. This marks the lowest year-on-year inflation rate since June 2017.

Buzzing Index:

The Nifty Realty index rose 0.88% to 891.70. The index declined 0.73% in the past trading session.

Zee Entertainment Enterprises (up 4.08%), Sun TV Network (up 1.94%), Network 18 Media & Investments (up 1.67%), D B Corp (up 0.66%), Saregama India (up 0.54%) and Hathway Cable & Datacom (up 0.21%) advanced.

Numbers to Track:

The yield on India's 10-year benchmark federal paper fell 0.23% to 6.468 from the previous close of 6.483.

In the foreign exchange market, the rupee edged higher against the dollar. The partially convertible rupee was hovering at 87.4800 compared with its close of 87.7500 during the previous trading session.

MCX Gold futures for 3 October 2025 settlement rose 0.21% to Rs 100,365.

The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the greenback's value against a basket of currencies, was downup 1.28% to 98.52.

The United States 10-year bond yield shed 0.23% to 4.255.

In the commodities market, Brent crude for October 2025 settlement declined 47 cents or 0.71% to $66.65 a barrel.

Stocks in Spotlight:

Pearl Polymers surged 5.24% after the company reported a net profit of Rs 2.89 crore in Q1 FY26, up 124% from Rs 1.29 crore in Q1 FY25, and a reversal from a net loss of Rs 4.43 crore in Q4 FY25. Revenue from operations stood at Rs 4.92 crore, down 7.69% YoY from Rs 5.33 crore, though it slipped 21% from Rs 6.23 crore in Q4 FY25.

NIBE slipped 3.50% after the company’s consolidated net profit dropped 75.97% to Rs 1.90 crore in Q1 FY26, compared to Rs 7.91 crore posted in Q1 FY25. Revenue from operations fell 25.04% to Rs 82.50 crore in Q1 FY26, down from Rs 110.06 crore in the same quarter last year.