Indian latest finance news today is driven by a weak start to the new month as Indian equities opened lower amid continued foreign fund outflows, elevated US Treasury yields and ongoing geopolitical uncertainty. The Nifty 50 fell 0.34% to 22,543.70, while the Sensex declined 0.40% to 72,192.89 at 9:15 a.m. on Thursday. Brent crude, however, eased to around $98 a barrel after reports of developments around a possible US-Iran ceasefire proposal. The rupee is expected to remain under pressure near Rs 96 against the US dollar, while investors are also tracking RBI intervention, institutional flows, IPO listings and fresh corporate developments. On the company front, NCC, Tech Mahindra, Infosys and Blue Dart Express are among the key stocks in focus, while Lemon Tree Hotels, Bata India, IRFC and other companies have also announced significant developments.
Infrastructure company NCC Secures Rs 500.22-Crore Orders
Infrastructure company NCC has received two additional orders worth a combined Rs 500.22 crore during September. The contracts comprise a Rs 224.74-crore order for the company’s Buildings Division and a Rs 275.48-crore order for its Transportation Division.
The latest wins take NCC’s disclosed order inflows for September to more than Rs 1,576 crore, excluding GST. The fresh contracts strengthen the company’s order pipeline across construction and transportation infrastructure at a time when government-led infrastructure spending remains an important driver for the sector.
Tech Mahindra to Consider Bonus Issue and Interim Dividend
Tech Mahindra is in focus after announcing that its board will meet on October 15 to consider a proposal for an interim dividend for FY27 and a potential issue of bonus shares.
The board will also consider the company’s audited standalone and consolidated financial results for the second quarter and first half of the financial year ended September 2026. A bonus issue would mark an important corporate action for investors, while the upcoming quarterly results will provide the latest indication of demand conditions across the IT services business.
Infosys Expands AI Collaboration With ABN AMRO
Infosys has extended its strategic collaboration with Netherlands-based ABN AMRO Bank to accelerate the bank’s AI-driven transformation.
Under the expanded engagement, Infosys will provide application development, testing and support services aimed at simplifying and modernising ABN AMRO’s IT landscape. The partnership will also use Infosys Topaz, the company’s AI-first suite built around generative and agentic AI technologies.
Carsten Bittner, Chief Innovation and Technology Officer at ABN AMRO Bank, said the renewed collaboration would help simplify and modernise the bank’s IT landscape while accelerating the responsible adoption of AI. He added that the engagement is expected to improve operational efficiency, customer value and scalability while reducing complexity and operating costs.
Blue Dart Announces Price Increase From January
Blue Dart has announced a general price increase that will take effect from January 1, 2027. Prices across its domestic portfolio will rise between 9% and 12%, depending on the product and customer shipping profile.
The company’s pricing update comes as logistics and express-delivery businesses continue to manage fuel, labour, network and infrastructure costs. The revision will therefore be closely watched for its potential impact on customer pricing and revenue realisation.
Sensex and Nifty Open Lower
Indian benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty started Thursday’s session under pressure. At 9:15 a.m., the Nifty 50 was down 0.34% at 22,543.70, while the Sensex declined 0.40% to 72,192.89.
The decline follows two consecutive sessions of weakness and puts both benchmarks on course for an eighth consecutive weekly fall, which would be their longest such losing streak in 25 years. The Nifty and Sensex were down around 2.6% and 2.3%, respectively, during the week so far.
Foreign Selling Remains a Major Pressure Point
Foreign portfolio outflows continue to weigh on Indian equities. Provisional data showed that foreign investors sold Rs 10,148 crore worth of Indian shares on Wednesday.
Foreign investors have sold approximately $3.6 billion from Indian equities over the previous five trading sessions, taking their year-to-date selling to around $27.8 billion. Persistent foreign selling remains an important counterweight to domestic institutional buying and has contributed to the recent weakness in benchmark indices.
Crude Oil Eases Towards $98
Brent crude prices eased to around $98 a barrel on Thursday after reports that Iran had received a US response to a ceasefire proposal.
The decline provides some relief for India because lower oil prices can reduce pressure on the country’s import bill, inflation and current-account balance. However, crude remains highly sensitive to developments in West Asia, making energy prices an important market trigger for Indian equities and the rupee.
Rupee Remains Near Rs 96
The Indian rupee is expected to weaken slightly on Thursday, with traders expecting an opening around Rs 95.96–Rs 95.98 against the US dollar compared with Wednesday’s close of Rs 95.83.
The currency has recently moved close to the Rs 96 level, with likely RBI intervention helping limit the decline. Anil Bhansali, Head of Advisory at Finrex Treasury Advisors, said the Rs 96 level remained an important psychological and technical area and that RBI intervention had helped the rupee show resilience around that level.
Bhansali also said pressure on the currency could persist because of elevated oil prices and rising US Treasury yields, leaving RBI intervention primarily focused on containing the pace of the move rather than reversing the broader depreciation pressure.
RBI’s Foreign-Exchange Position Remains in Focus
The Reserve Bank of India’s foreign-exchange operations are also attracting attention after its net forward dollar liabilities reached a record $200 billion in August.
The forward position increased by $63 billion from July, following a surge in policy-induced dollar inflows. The RBI has subsequently begun using dollar-rupee sell/buy swaps aimed at managing the maturity profile of its forward positions and draining surplus rupee liquidity.
India’s foreign-exchange reserves had risen to a record $785.7 billion, although the growing forward liabilities are being closely monitored by market participants.
Fiscal Deficit Reaches Rs 7.1 Lakh Crore
India’s fiscal deficit reached Rs 7.10 lakh crore during April-August 2026, according to government data reported Thursday. The figure represents around 41.9% of the full-year target.
Higher capital expenditure and increased subsidy spending have contributed to the widening fiscal gap during the first five months of FY27. Capital expenditure rose significantly during the period, reflecting continued government focus on infrastructure and public investment.
IPO Activity Remains Active
A-One Steels India is scheduled to list on the NSE and BSE today. The Rs 405-crore IPO was subscribed 11.61 times, with non-institutional investors subscribing 24.51 times their reserved portion, retail investors 8.64 times and qualified institutional buyers 7.30 times.
The issue had a price band of Rs 385–Rs 405 per share. Ahead of the listing, grey-market indications suggested an estimated price of around Rs 452, although such indications are unofficial and should not be treated as an assured listing price.
Moneyview is also among the mainboard listings being tracked today, while Roopa Screen and Peshwa Wheat are scheduled for SME-market debuts. Meanwhile, IPO allotments for issues including SRIT India and Shah Investor’s Home are expected to be finalised, keeping primary-market activity in focus alongside the weak secondary market.
Also Read: India's IPO Pipeline Reaches Rs 3.86 L Cr, Outpaces 2026 Fundraising
Market Outlook
Indian financial markets remain under pressure as October begins, with foreign selling, elevated global bond yields and geopolitical uncertainty weighing on sentiment. The easing in Brent crude towards $98 provides some relief, but the rupee remains close to the Rs 96 level and foreign investors continue to withdraw capital from Indian equities.
At the corporate level, NCC, Tech Mahindra, Infosys and Blue Dart are among the key stocks in focus following fresh infrastructure orders, potential bonus and dividend proposals, an expanded AI partnership and pricing changes. Lemon Tree Hotels, Bata India, IRFC, Jio Financial Services and other companies are also on investors’ watchlists.
With Indian markets closed on Friday for a local holiday, Thursday’s trading session will provide the final domestic market cues before the weekend. Investors will continue to track crude oil, the rupee, FII-DII flows, RBI liquidity and foreign-exchange operations, global bond yields and developments in the Middle East.
