Sensex Today Trades Higher; Praj Industries Jumps 6%

Asian markets traded higher on Tuesday, following overnight rally on Wall Street, as investors monitor the latest developments in the US-Iran war. Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 0.75%, while the Topix rallied over 1%.

US stock market ended sharply higher on Monday, fuelled by gains in AI-related stocks.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.83% to 46,946.41, while the S&P 500 rallied 1.01% to end the session at 6,699.38, its strongest one-day gain in over a month.

Here's a table showing how US stocks performed on Monday:

Source: Equitymaster

At present, the BSE Sensex is trading 271 points higher, and the NSE Nifty is trading 91 points higher.

Maruti Suzuki, M&M and Tata Steel are among the top gainers today.

Wipro, TCS and HCL Tech, on the other hand, are among the top losers today.

The BSE 150 Midcap index is trading 0.2% higher, and the BSE 250 Smallcap index is trading 0.1% higher

Sectoral Indices are trading mixed today, with stocks in the energy sector and the IT sector witnessing selling pressure. Meanwhile, stocks in the auto sector and telecom sector are witnessing buying spree.

The rupee is trading at Rs 92.43 against the US dollar.

Tata Motors to Hike Commercial Vehicle Prices

Tata Motors on Monday announced an increase in prices of commercial vehicles by up to 1.5 per cent with effect from April 1, in order to offset rising commodity prices and input costs.

The decision comes amid continued cost pressures across the automotive value chain, as raw material prices remain volatile.

Earlier in February, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd had also indicated plans to raise vehicle prices. The company highlighted that it has been experiencing sustained input cost pressures for nearly a year, with the impact now significant enough to necessitate a price revision.

Major automakers, including Audi and Hyundai, have already announced price hikes for their cars, while India's largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki is weighing the possibility of revising prices as input costs rise.

RVNL Bags New Contract

Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) on Monday, March 16, said it has received a letter of acceptance (LoA) from NMDC Ltd for a Rs 952.7 million (m) contract to undertake the refurbishment of permanent railway tracks and related infrastructure in Chhattisgarh.

The contract involves the refurbishment of the permanent way of NMDC sidings and mobile equipment tracks, along with maintenance work at Kirandul and Bacheli. The project is to be executed over a period of 36 months, according to the exchange filing.

The contract has been awarded by a domestic entity, and the company clarified that its promoter or promoter group has no interest in the awarding entity, and the order does not fall under related-party transactions.

The latest contract adds to the company's order inflows from NMDC. Last month, RVNL secured multiple contracts worth Rs 19.8 billion (bn) from NMDC, strengthening its project pipeline.

Sun Pharma Receives USFDA Nod

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration to expand the therapeutic scope of its drug Ilumya for the treatment of adults with active psoriatic arthritis.

The regulatory action date for the application has been set for October 29, 2026.

Commenting on the development, the company's North America CEO noted that joint-related symptoms significantly add to the burden for patients living with psoriatic disease.

The company intends to work closely with the regulator during the review process, with the aim of positioning Ilumya as a differentiated advanced systemic treatment option.

If approved, the application would add a new indication for the therapy. Ilumya was initially approved by the USFDA in 2018 for treating adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis who are eligible for systemic therapy or phototherapy.

The drug has since received additional approvals, including for scalp plaque psoriasis in April 2024 and nail plaque psoriasis in December 2025, further expanding its therapeutic applications.

RailTel Corporation Secures New Order

Telecom infrastructure firm RailTel Corporation of India Ltd on Monday (March 16) said it has received a work order worth Rs 426.3 million, including tax, from National Informatics Centre Services Incorporated (NICSI) for the New Core Link under the National Knowledge Network (NKN) project.

The partnership will focus on evaluating the development of an integrated rare earth value chain in Gujarat, spanning exploration, mining, beneficiation, processing, and downstream applications.

According to the company's exchange filing, the collaboration will primarily assess opportunities linked to GMDC's Ambadungar rare earth deposit, which is being positioned as a strategic initiative to strengthen India's capabilities in the rare earths space.

The management noted that the collaboration brings together complementary institutional strengths and technical expertise, aimed at unlocking opportunities in the rare earth sector.