After opening the day on a positive note, Indian benchmark indices maintained their upward momentum throughout the session, ultimately closing at a high point today.

Benchmark Indian equity indices Benchmark Indian equity indices settled on a higher note on Thursday.

At the closing bell, the BSE Sensex  closed Higher by 317 points (up 0.4%)

Meanwhile, the NSE Nifty closed points 105 Higher (up 0.5%)

Adani Ports, Axis Bank, Bajaj Finance are among the top gainers today

Tata Motors, Sun Pharma, Kotak Mahindra, on the hand, were among the top losers today.

The GIFT Nifty was trading at  23,77 higher by 241 points at the time of writing.

The BSE MidCap index ended 0.5% higher, and the BSE SmallCap index ended 0.9% higher.

Barring the telecommunication sector and auto sector, all other sectoral indices were trading positive, with stocks in the energy, oil & gas sector and metal sector witnessing most buying.

The rupee is trading at Rs 85.7 against the US$.

Gold prices for the latest contract on MCX are trading 0.7% higher at Rs 88,314 per 10 grams.

Meanwhile, silver prices were trading 0.8% higher at Rs 100,321 per 1 kg.
 

Bharat Forge gains on defence contract

In the news from defence sector, Bharat Forge share price has surged over 6 % on Thursday after the company landed a massive Rs 690 billion (bn) contract with the defence ministry.

Bharat Forge's stock has dropped 9.3% this year, while the company's total market value currently is Rs 565.2 bn.

Along with Bharat Forge, the defence ministry signed a deal with Tata Advanced Systems on Wednesday for the purchase of 155mm/52 calibre advanced towed artillery gun systems and high-mobility vehicle 6x6 gun towing vehicles.

In the financial year 2024-2025, the defence ministry has signed total contracts of Rs 1400 bn for capital acquisition.

Bharat forge specializes in producing and supplying forged and machined parts, as well as aluminium castings, for the automotive and industrial sectors. The company has manufacturing plants in Mundhwa, Baramati, Chakan, Satara, and Nellore.

Bharat Forge posted a 16.38 per cent fall in consolidated net profit at Rs 2.1 bn in the third quarter ended 31 December 2024, due to decreased revenue.

The third quarter last year had seen a profit of Rs 2.5 bn Revenue from operations during the quarter under consideration was Rs 3,475.5 crore compared with Rs 38.7 bn of the same period last fiscal.

Trump's Tariff Hits Indian Auto Stocks

Moving on to the news from auto sector, Auto and auto parts share price took a hit on 27 March 2025, with some shares dropping as much as 7.5% during the day's trading on the NSE.

The decline is sharing price was followed after the US President Donald Trump's announcement on Wednesday to impose a 25% tariff on all cars imported into the United States that are not manufactured domestically.

The newly imposed tariffs, which will take effect starting 2 April with collection being made starting 3 April have raised concerns regarding the possible fallout for global car makers.

Shares of Indian auto fall 7% on Thursday, with Tata Motors taking the decline by more than 6 %, mainly because it is depended upon Jaguar Land Rover exports to the US. This might slow down demand in the US market since higher duties on imported parts might increase manufacturing costs and car prices.

Several auto stocks took a hit, with Motherson Sumi Wiring declining 7.29% to Rs125.1 and Ashok Leyland down 4.56% to Rs 205.2.

Balkrishna Industries, Bharat Forge, Eicher Motors, and Bosch were some of the other big losers with declines between 1.7% and 4.5%.
 

Pharma Stocks Plunge on Trump Tariffs

Moving on to the news from healthcare sector, pharma shares were down, following US President Trump's announcement of tariffs on automobiles and auto parts, weakening in healthcare sector stocks. Trump had earlier announced on March 24 that he would impose tariffs on automobiles, pharmaceuticals, and aluminium in the near future.

Meanwhile, shares of Ajanta Pharma fell more than 3% to close at Rs 2,639.7 each. Lupin and Granules shares also fell nearly 3% each, while Zydus Lifesciences dropped over 2%. Other pharma stocks, including Sun Pharma, Divi's Laboratories, and Dr Reddy's Laboratories, traded over 1% lower.

However, the shares of Mankind Pharma and Glenmark Pharmaceuticals defied the trend and saw gains of more than 1%.

In a significant development, Eli Lilly's CEO David Ricks revealed that the pharmaceutical giant is considering manufacturing its popular weight-loss drug, Mounjat, in India as part of its global expansion plan.

In general, the industry's response shows concerns for the possible effects of tariffs on the pharmaceutical sector such as higher expenses, possible interruptions to international supply chains.

As the situation evolves, investors will be closely watching the developments and assessing the implications for the pharma sector.

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