Indices edge higher in early trade; Nifty jumps above 24,900 level

The domestic equity indices traded with major gains in early trade after the government announced significant GST rate cuts aimed at boosting festive season consumption and offsetting the impact of steep U.S. tariffs.

The Nifty traded above the 24,900 level. Auto, FMCG and financial services shares advanced while metal, IT and pharma shares declined.

At 09:30 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, rallied 649.96 points or 0.81% to 81,231.79. The Nifty 50 index added 196.45 points or 0.81% to 24,914.45.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index rose 0.35% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index added 0.32%.

The market breadth was strong. On the BSE, 2,088 shares rose and 924 shares fell. A total of 198 shares were unchanged.

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth Rs 1,666.46 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers to the tune of Rs 2,495.33 crore in the Indian equity market on 3 September 2025, provisional data showed.

GST Reforms:

The GST Council approved the significant rate cuts on several essential items. Effective from September 22nd, the new rates aim to boost consumption by shifting to a two-slab structure of 5% and 18%, abolishing the 12% and 28% rates. A special 40% GST slab has been introduced for super luxury and sin goods.

In a major relief to the automobile and two-wheeler sector, GST on small cars and motorcycles with engine capacity up to 350cc has been reduced from 28% to 18%, a move aimed at boosting demand in the mass mobility segment. Additionally, parts and accessories of motorcycles up to 350cc will now attract 18% GST instead of 28%.

On the other hand, the levy on premium motorcycles exceeding 350cc has been sharply raised from 28% to 40%, making high-end bikes costlier.

The GST Council exempted individual life and health insurance policies from the 18% Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Several fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) currently taxed at 12% or 18% will now fall under the 5% bracket. Further, GST on tractors (except road tractors for semi-trailers above 1800cc) has been redcued to 5% from 12%. For road tractors with engines above 1800cc, the tax was lowered to 18% from 28%. Additionally, GST on tractor tyres and parts was slashed from 18% to 5%.

In education segment, the council reduced GST on pencils, crayons, pastels, drawing charcoal, chalk sticks, and tailor?s chalk from 12% to nil. Exercise books, graph books, laboratory notebooks, and notebooks too have been exempted from GST, compared with 12% earlier. Additionally, boxes, pouches, wallets, and writing compendiums of paper or paperboard containing assorted stationery will now attract 5% GST instead of 12%.

Stocks in Spotlight:

SPML Infra shed 0.33%. The company has appointed Abhinandan Sethi as managing director (MD) for a term of five consecutive years, effective 3 September 2025.

Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) rose 0.13%. The company has received a letter of intent (LoI) worth Rs 2,600 crore from MB Power (Madhya Pradesh) for the supply of key equipment for its upcoming power project.

Numbers to Track:

The yield on India's 10-year benchmark federal paper shed 0.18% to 6.557 from the previous close of 6.569.

In the foreign exchange market, the rupee edged higher against the dollar. The partially convertible rupee was hovering at 88.0000 compared with its close of 88.0200 during the previous trading session.

MCX Gold futures for 3 October 2025 settlement fell 1.23% to Rs 105,876.

The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the greenback's value against a basket of currencies, was up 0.07% to 98.23.

The United States 10-year bond yield rose 0.14% to 4.217.

In the commodities market, Brent crude for November 2025 settlement fell 34 cents or 0.50% to $67.26 a barrel.

Global Markets:

Asian market traded mixed on Thursday as investors awaiting Australia?s household spending data for July later in the day

Global bond markets will continue to be in focus with long-dated borrowing costs around the world under pressure. The U.S. 30-year Treasury yield nudged above 5% on Wednesday morning for the first time since July after a court ruled that most of the Trump administration?s tariffs are illegal, raising questions over the future of tariff revenues.

Overnight on Wall Street, U.S equities closed mixed. The S&P 500 rose Wednesday, boosted by tech shares after a federal court decision in an Alphabet antitrust case fueled optimism that the tech giants would be able to weather regulatory threats.

Nasdaq Composite gained 1.03%, while the S&P 500 climbed 0.51%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 0.05%.

Traders awaited for Nonfarm payrolls data due on Friday.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News