Mumbai, Aug 20: The Indian equity indices settled in positive territory on Wednesday amid strong buying in the IT and FMCG sectors.

The market sustained its positive momentum, supported by strong domestic inflows. Sensex ended the session at 81,857.84, up 213.45 points or 0.26 per cent.

The 30-share index opened with a marginal gain at 81,671.47 against last session's closing of 81,644.39.

The index remained rangebound amid buying in the IT and FMCG sectors and selling pressure in banking and financial service stocks. The Nifty closed 25,050.55, 69.90 or 0.28 per cent.

"Sentiment was buoyed after China, India’s largest trading partner, kept its key interest rate unchanged — a move that signals policy stability and carries potential implications for India’s trade outlook," Ashika Institutional Equities said in its note.

Infosys, TCS, Hindustan Unilever, NTPC, Tech Mahindra, Tata Steel, HCL Tech, Eternal, Bharti Airtel, Mahindra and Mahindra and Titan were the top gainers from the Sensex pack.

While BEL, Bajaj Finance, Tata Motors, Trent, Bajaj FinServ, and ITC settled in negative territory.

"The Indian market sustained its positive momentum, supported by strong domestic inflows and favourable macro tailwinds. However, rich valuations and external risks, particularly the U.S. tariffs and sanctions on the purchase of Russian crude, continue to pose challenges," said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited.

The sectoral indices experienced a mixed reaction from investors. Nifty FMCG rallied 777 points or 1.39 per cent, Nifty IT surged 933 points or 2.69 per cent, and Nifty Auto ended the session with a minor gain. Bank Nifty, Nifty Fin Services closed in negative territory.

However, the broader indices continued the bullish trend for the third consecutive day this week. Nifty Next 50 jumped 256 points or 0.38 per cent, Nifty 100 escalated 76 points or 0.30 per cent, Nifty Midcap 100 soared 265.85 points or 0.46 per cent, and Nifty Small Cap 100 settled the session 54 points or 0.46 per cent.

Rupee traded flat near 87.02 as the dollar index hovered steady at 98.25, with participants awaiting Powell’s speech on Friday.

"Recent tariff developments kept volatility elevated, though sentiment found some stability after PM Modi’s Independence Day announcement on GST reduction before Diwali," said Jateen Trivedi of LKP Securities.

Technically, the rupee continues to face strong resistance near 86.80 levels, while immediate support lies in the 87.60–87.80 zone, suggesting a range-bound bias until fresh triggers emerge, Trivedi added. (IANS)

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