Nifty 50 and Sensex Ended Flat; The HSBC India Manufacturing PMI fell to 53.9 in March & More
- Share.Market
- 11 min read
- 02 Apr 2026
Here’s a quick wrap-up where we break down the performance of key indices, top corporate movers, and the major economic headlines of the day.
Ending a holiday-shortened week, Indian benchmark indices Nifty 50 and Sensex closed flat in today’s trading session. Sentiment was broadly mixed on the sectoral front, with Nifty IT emerging as the top sectoral leader, while Nifty Consumer Durables finished as the top loser. Rupee traded around ₹93 against the USD. The stock market will remain closed tomorrow, Friday, April 3, 2026, on account of Good Friday.
Key Indices – Share Market
Today’s Top News from the Indian Share Market
OLAELECOla Electric announced a ₹60,000 price cut on its flagship Roadster X+ 9.1 kWh, now priced at ₹1,29,999. Driven by scaled-up domestic battery production and a massive 5X demand surge, the company will now sell the bike through limited purchase windows.
COFORGECoforge announced a strategic partnership with Solstice Innovations to accelerate core technology modernisation for P&C insurers. By combining Coforge’s Forge-X AI platform with Solstice’s Equinox, the collaboration establishes a dedicated Center of Excellence to drive intelligent, faster client onboarding.
HCLTECHHCLTech introduced AI Force 2.0, the latest evolution of its proprietary enterprise platform. By integrating agentic intelligence with generative AI, the platform enables autonomous AI agents to analyse data and accelerate workflows across software engineering and IT operations at scale.
ACMESOLARACME Solar Holdings’s wholly-owned subsidiary commissioned the fourth phase of its Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project in Rajasthan. This 33.33 MW addition brings the company’s total commissioned capacity for the project to 133.33 MW.
RATEGAINRateGain has partnered with Razorpay to integrate enhanced payment gateway capabilities into its RG Pay platform. This collaboration allows global travel and hospitality brands to offer localised payment options like UPI and EMI, aiming to reduce friction and boost checkout conversions.
MARUTIMaruti Suzuki reported total sales of 2,422,713 units for FY 2025-26, its highest ever. The automaker also achieved its highest-ever annual domestic sales and exports, surpassing the 2 million total annual sales mark for the third consecutive year.
Broader Market Performance Today
INDIA VIXTop Performing Sectors Today
Top Gainers
| Company | Today’s Chg | LTP |
|---|---|---|
 Nifty ITNIFTY IT | +2.60%+772.40 | 30441.45 |
 Nifty RealtyNIFTY REALTY | +1.07%+7.10 | 672.10 |
 Nifty MetalNIFTY METAL | +0.39%+44.55 | 11456.60 |
*Prices shown may have delay up-to 15 minutes
Today’s Top Gainers and Losers
*Prices shown may have delay up-to 15 minutes
FII DII Activity (₹ Cr)
| Date | FII (Net Value) | DII (Net Value) |
| 01 April 2026 | -8,331.15 | 7,171.80 |
| Month-to-Date | -8,331.15 | 7,171.80 |
What’s Happening Beyond Markets?
- The HSBC India Manufacturing PMI fell to 53.9 in March from February’s 56.9, a nearly four-year low. Geopolitical tensions and rising input costs, including fuel and chemicals, heavily curbed overall production and new order momentum.
- GIFT City’s insurance premium volumes have surged over 11-fold, growing from USD 102 million in 2020 to over USD 1.2 billion by 2025. This rapid expansion is driven by non-life insurance growth and increased participation from global insurers.
- According to the Commerce Ministry, India’s exports to Australia have more than doubled to USD 8.5 billion in FY 2024-25 since the India-Australia ECTA was signed four years ago. The trade agreement has significantly reduced barriers and strengthened supply chain resilience.
- As per Department of Financial Services and NPCI data, UPI recorded 22.64 billion transactions in March 2026. Totalling ₹29.53 lakh crore in value, this marks a strong 24% year-on-year growth, reflecting India’s continued rapid adoption of digital payments.
- The Meghalaya government has signed an MoU with Starlink India to provide high-speed satellite internet to remote regions. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma highlighted that this initiative will bridge connectivity gaps, vastly improving healthcare, education, and rural livelihoods.
- The IEA, IMF, and World Bank have established a coordination group to mitigate the energy and economic impacts of the Middle East war. The conflict has severely disrupted global supply chains and driven up oil, gas, and fertiliser prices worldwide.
Back to Basics
Terms that put you one step ahead – every day
What is an Index Fund?
An index fund is a mutual fund or exchange-traded fund (ETF) constructed to match the financial performance of a specific market index, such as the Nifty 50 or S&P 500.
Much like buying a diverse sampler platter rather than choosing individual dishes, an index fund allows you to own a fractional stake in dozens or hundreds of top companies with a single investment. Instead of relying on managers to actively pick winning stocks, these funds passively track the broader market. Because they require less human intervention, they typically charge significantly lower fees.
For investors, this built-in diversification mitigates the risk of any single company’s decline. This low-cost, passive approach makes index funds a favoured, reliable strategy for steadily building long-term wealth without the stress of constantly monitoring individual stock performances.
Before You Go…
Markets aren’t just charts and tickers; they’re daily tales of ambition and the quiet courage to stay invested.
We’ll be back to cut through the noise, so you can focus on investing intelligently.
