Indian equity markets began 2026 on a positive note as benchmark indices opened in the green on 1 January. The Sensex registered an early rise of around 170 points from its opening level, while the Nifty also traded higher, reflecting broad investor appetite as the new year began.
Indian stock market opens strong on New Year
The BSE Sensex started the session at 85,255.55 and recorded an intraday high of 85,444.14 and a low of 85,253.60 by 09:45. On the National Stock Exchange, the Nifty opened at 26,173.30 and touched an intraday high of 26,195.35 with a low of 26,149.25 by 09:50.
Market breadth was mixed in the early trade. On the Sensex, 15 constituents were trading higher while 15 were in decline. On the Nifty 50, 26 stocks were up and 24 were down. Among the early gainers were Reliance Industries, Tata Steel, HDFC Bank, Power Grid and Maruti, which supported the indices. Major laggards included Asian Paints, Kotak Mahindra Bank, TCS, Titan, Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Finserv, Sun Pharma and ITC.
ITC emerged as one of the session’s notable underperformers, slipping about 4.63% in early trade. Sector performance on the NSE showed strength in media, auto and metal names, while FMCG, pharmaceutical and banking stocks opened weaker.
Domestic investor activity remained a key theme. On 31 December, domestic investors were net buyers to the tune of Rs 6,759.64 crore, while foreign investors were net sellers of Rs 3,597.38 crore for the day. Cumulatively through 31 December, foreign investors had sold Rs 34,350.50 crore worth of equities, whereas domestic investors had purchased Rs 79,619.91 crore. November had been a particularly strong month for home investors, who bought Rs 77,008.78 crore while foreign participants were net sellers of about Rs 17,500.31 crore.
Market participants said continued domestic flows have helped sustain the rally through year-end and into the first trading day of January. Analysts note that while foreign selling has been a headwind, strong local participation can keep markets buoyant, particularly in selective sectors and stocks with favourable earnings prospects.
Looking back to the session on 31 December, the Sensex closed up 546 points at 85,221 and the Nifty ended 191 points higher at 26,130. Midcap and smallcap indices also finished the year on a strong footing: the BSE Midcap index rose 468 points to 46,954 and the BSE Smallcap index added 604 points to close at 51,525.
All intraday figures and index levels are taken from the official Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange websites. Traders will watch how global cues and domestic inflows shape the market trajectory in the opening weeks of 2026, with particular attention on earnings updates and macroeconomic data that could influence sector rotations.
Source: BSE (bseindia.com) and NSE official data.
Key Takeaways:
- Indian stock market opened strongly on 1 January 2026, with Sensex up roughly 170 points and Nifty also trading in the green.
- Sector breadth mixed: media, auto and metal led gains while FMCG, pharma and banking lagged.
- Domestic investors continued to drive flows, net buyers in December and on 31 December; foreign investors recorded net selling.
- Key contributors included Reliance, Tata Steel and HDFC Bank; ITC fell sharply, down about 4.6%.
