The Indian stock market opened lower on Friday, October 17, 2025, but quickly recovered as optimism returned to the trading floor. After an early dip—when the Sensex fell 261.58 points to 83,206.08 and the Nifty slipped 76.7 points to 25,508.60—both benchmark indices reversed course, turning positive by mid-session.
By late morning, the BSE Sensex was trading 151.89 points higher at 83,625.05, while the NSE Nifty edged 31.60 points up at 25,617.30, signaling a steady recovery and renewed investor confidence.
Sectoral Movers: Paints and Automobiles Lead, IT Faces Pressure
Among the Sensex constituents, several blue-chip firms fueled the rally. Asian Paints, Mahindra & Mahindra, Bharat Electronics, Bharti Airtel, and Titan were the top gainers, lending strength to the market rebound.
However, not all sectors shared the same momentum. Eternal Ltd. slipped over 2% following its quarterly earnings release, while IT majors—HCL Tech, Infosys, Tech Mahindra, and **Power Grid—**faced selling pressure as global tech sentiment remained cautious.
Market Drivers: FII Inflows and Optimism on Rate Cuts
The recovery was supported by renewed Foreign Institutional Investor (FII) activity, with data showing net equity purchases worth ₹997.29 crore on Thursday, October 16, 2025. Meanwhile, Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) also contributed strongly, investing ₹4,076.20 crore in equities.
Market experts attribute this positive momentum to multiple global and domestic cues. Prashanth Tapse, Senior Vice President (Research) at Mehta Equities Ltd, noted,
“A turnaround in FII inflows, expectations of Fed rate cuts, the IMF’s upward revision of India’s FY26 GDP growth forecast to 6.6%, and crude prices staying weak near $57.35 a barrel have lifted sentiment.”
The IMF’s revised outlook, coupled with easing oil prices, provided a supportive backdrop for equities, indicating potential for steady growth in the upcoming quarters.
Snapshot of the Global Market
Asian market cues were mixed. South Korea’s Kospi traded in positive territory, reflecting investor resilience in the region, while Japan’s Nikkei 225, Shanghai’s SSE Composite, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng indices slipped amid cautious global trade sentiment.
In contrast, U.S. markets ended lower on Thursday, influenced by continued concerns over inflation data and policy uncertainty. Meanwhile, Brent crude eased slightly by 0.25% to $60.94 per barrel, offering relief to energy-importing nations like India.
Market Performance Recap
On Thursday, October 16, 2025, Indian markets had closed on a strong note, with the Sensex surging 862.23 points (1.04%) to 83,467.66 and the Nifty rising 261.75 points (1.03%) to 25,585.30. The recovery on Friday builds upon that momentum, showing that investor sentiment continues to be buoyed by improving macroeconomic conditions and optimism surrounding central bank policies.
So
As the week concludes, investors are watching for further clarity from the U.S. Federal Reserve, global inflation trends, and domestic earnings reports. The consistent FII inflows, stable crude prices, and strong economic forecasts suggest that the Indian equity markets could maintain their resilience, though short-term volatility may persist amid global uncertainty.
