At the close, both Nifty and Sensex were up 0.65 per cent.

Indian refiners have been settling payments for limited shipments of Iranian crude oil in Chinese yuan, with transactions routed through Mumbai-based ICICI Bank, Reuters reported, citing sources familiar with the development.

As of 3:00 PM, the Nifty50 was trading 0.58 per cent or 140 points higher at 24,336.75, and the Sensex was trading 0.59 per cent or 456.76 points higher at 78,445.44.

Bajaj Finance has raised Rs 2,004 crore via bonds on a private placement basis.

HDFC Bank approves investment of up to Rs 1,000 cr in HDFC Life, subject to RBI approval. Bank to announce Q4 results tomorrow, also consider fund raising and dividend. Shares traded flat on the NSE at Rs 799.80.

UPI users may need time to adjust, but industry leaders believe that the time gap in payment will feel safer and more reliable in the long run. Read full report here

As of 2:00 pm, the Nifty50 was trading 0.45 per cent or 108.95 points higher at 24,306.45, and the Sensex was trading 0.43 per cent or 334.23 points higher at 78,322.91.

Shares of gold retail and jewellery makers have rallied up to 37 per cent thus far in April in anticipation of higher demand owing to Akshaya Tritiya festival, which falls on April 19, 2026.

Indian rupee has erased some of the intraday gains but still trading higher at 92.82 per dollar versus previous close of 93.19.

As of 1:00 PM, the Nifty50 was trading 0.27 per cent or 65.15 points higher at 24,261, and the Sensex was trading 0.27 per cent or 212.48 points higher at 78,201.16.

While Adani Group's businesses include infra, energy & logistics. The Reliance Industries -- led by Ambani -- is strong in energy, telecom and retail. Read full report here

As of 11:00 AM, the Nifty50 was trading 0.23 per cent or 51.50 points higher at 24,250, and the Sensex was trading 218.34 points or 0.28 per cent higher at 78,207.02. 

India is still growing fast. The slip does not reflect a collapse. It shows how exchange rates and data methods affect world rankings. Read full report here

The Thesis

Today's book leans into a crude-spike regime. With Brent jumping nearly $7 to $102 and Gift Nifty pointing weak, InvestorAi's conviction clusters around energy beneficiaries, defensive IT, and domestic capex - a book built to perform while global risk reprices and the rupee wobbles.

Where We're Concentrated

Three themes dominate. Energy & power (ONGC, NHPC) monetizes the crude move and the shift toward harder energy economics. IT leadership (Infosys) plays rupee weakness and earnings defensiveness into Q4 season. Domestic capex (KEI, APL Apollo, 3M India) sits insulated from oil sensitivity, aligned with grid and infra build-out. The thesis weakens if crude reverses sharply and the rupee strengthens at the same time - both tailwinds would fade together.

Conviction Picks

InfosysHIGHEST CONVICTION

Defensive IT plus rupee weakness on the crude shock; Q4 earnings season is a natural tailwind.

ONGC

Direct leverage to the Brent spike; every $5 on crude flows meaningfully to the P&L.

NHPC

Hydro capacity bid into a rising-energy regime; a macro hedge against thermal cost inflation.

APL Apollo Tubes

Steel tubes insulated from crude, aligned with the domestic infra capex continuation.

KEI Industries

Cables riding grid modernization and real-estate build - a clean domestic story.

One Thing to Watch

Brent closing above $105. That level confirms the crude regime shift and accelerates rotation into the energy book; a reversal below $98 pulls the rug on the thesis.

As of 10:00 AM, the Nifty50 was trading 0.11 per cent or 35.50 points higher at 24,224.20, and the Sensex was trading 0.20 per cent or 159.56 points higher at 78,148.24.

Nifty dips on profit booking amid IT sector pressure, while Sensex gains as defence and metals stocks perform well.

Noida's growth has been steady. This created trust. And trust attracted capital. Today, Noida is no longer just a supporting player in the NCR story. Read full report here

Indian government bonds may decline in early deals on Friday, with Brent crude hovering near $100 a barrel, while traders brace ‌for a fresh supply of debt through the weekly auction.

India's benchmark 6.48 per cent 2035 bond ⁠yield is expected to move in a 6.87-6.91 per cent range till the debt sale, a private-bank trader said. It settled at 6.8884 per cent ‌on Thursday. Bond yields move inversely to prices.

New Delhi will raise Rs 32 crore ($3.44 ‌billion) through the sale of 5-year and 40-year ‌bonds ⁠later in the day, with demand likely to ⁠drive the price action.

Donald Trump said he could visit Pakistan if a deal to end the war with Iran is finalised in Islamabad.

He said talks were close to conclusion and Iran had accepted most proposals under discussion.

According to the IMF, Asia consumes about 38 per cent of the world's oil and 24 per cent of its natural gas.

The US dollar was headed for a second consecutive weekly decline on Friday in tentative trade, as a ceasefire between ‌Israel and Lebanon and prospects for fresh Iran talks prompted investors to unwind safe-haven positions.

At the close on Thursday, the total market cap of all BSE Sensex companies stood at Rs 4,60,80,205.