Share markets in India are presently trading marginally higher. Barring telecom sector and realty sector, all sectoral indices are trading in green with stocks in the metal sector and power sector witnessing maximum buying interest.

The BSE Sensex is trading up by 157 points (up 0.4%), while the NSE Nifty is trading up by 51 points (up 0.5%). The BSE Mid Cap index is trading up by 1% while the BSE Small Cap index is trading up by 1.6%.

The rupee is trading at Rs 70.97 against the US$.

Speaking of Indian stock markets, the recent volatility seen in markets has given opportunity to load up on quality stocks.

The volatility started with the long-term capital gains tax.

Then corporate governance issues at various companies followed.

Then we had the IL&FS impact.

All this has ensured a rough ride for Indian investors.

Now with Indo-Pak tensions escalating, volatility can rise even further.

With the elections fast approaching, what can investors look forward to now?

Here's what Tanushree Banerjee, Editor, The 5 Minute WrapUp, has to say about this...

• History of the past few elections paints a rosy picture.
  
  Despite governments changing hands in 2004 and 2014, the Sensex gave returns of 44% and 13% in a year respectively.
  
  Even in 2009, when the same government retained power, Sensex was up by 18% in a year.

Good Times Ahead for Indian Stock Markets?

As per Tanushree, the recent volatility throws an opportunity to load up on quality stocks. These stocks will piggyback on India's long-term growth story.

She believes these stocks will rise fast when the tide of the market turns up.

In the news from the telecom sector, Bharti Airtel share price is witnessing selling pressure today after the company announced that its board approved plans to raise as much as 320 billion through equity and bond sales.

As per an article in The Economic Times, Rs 250 billion will be raised by way of a rights issue and another Rs 70 billion will be mobilized through foreign currency perpetual bonds.

Here's an excerpt from the article:

• The raised fund will help company pare its debt but is not enough for its capex and opex plans. Also, the deep discount given for the right issue will hit the company's investors view for further fund-raising and increase worry on EPS estimate.

The rights issue price of Rs 220 was at 31% discount to yesterday's closing price of Rs 318 for the stock. The company will issue 1.1 billion shares, increasing its equity base by over 22% to 5.1 billion equity shares.

The record fundraising plan, unveiled after the board meeting yesterday, comes as India's second largest phone company seeks to reduce debt and financing costs, bolster cash flows and meet capital expenditure to fight the price war unleashed by Reliance Jio Infocomm.

The company is expected to file the draft red herring prospectus with the markets regulator in the next two weeks and fund mobilization will be completed by first quarter of 2019-20.

Markets reacted negatively to the fund-raising plan and shares of the company fell as much as 5% on back of the above news.

Over the last year, the company has been raising funds by progressively reducing its stake in its arm, Bharti Infratel share price. The company has already raised over Rs 120 billion through multiple stake dilutions.

Bharti Airtel share price is presently trading down by 3%.

To know more about the company, you can read Bharti Airtel's Q3FY19 result analysis on our website.

Moving on, shares of sugar companies rose as much as 10% in early trade today, extending their previous day's gains, after the government approved Rs 105.4 billion soft loans to help sugar mills clear cane arrears.

Uttam sugar mills share price, Triveni Engineering share price, and Dwarikesh sugar share price were up in the range of 5-10%.

According to reports, the decision to provide soft loans comes a fortnight after the Centre raised the benchmark selling price of sugar at factory gate by Rs 2 to Rs 31 per kg.

Here's an excerpt from the article:

• Surplus production is also estimated in the current sugar season 2018-19 which has affected the liquidity position of sugar mills resulting in building up of cane price arrears of farmers which has reached to the level of Rs 20,159 crore as on February 22, 2019.
  
  In order to incentivize the mills to clear their dues, CCEA has also decided that the approved soft loans will be provided to those units which have already cleared at least 25% of their outstanding dues in the sugar season 2018-19.

In the last one-and-a-half year, the central government has taken a number of measures to bail out sugar mills as well as cane farmers. The steps include doubling of the import duty on sugar to 100% and scrapping of the export duty.

The hike in a minimum selling price of sugar by 7% to Rs 31 per kg from Rs 29 per kg, approved by the union cabinet recently, is expected to address the profitability and liquidity issues of sugar mills, and ease their cash crunch, thereby enabling payment of accumulated arrears to sugarcane farmers.

We will keep you updated on all the developments from this space. Stay tuned.