India’s BSE Sensex closed about 1.6% higher at 78,111 on Wednesday, its strongest finish in more than a month, as geopolitical tensions eased. Sentiment improved after President Trump suggested a second round of US–Iran talks could occur within two days and emphasized that both sides were eager to strike a deal. This helped pull back oil prices, even as the US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz remained in place.
Gains were broad-based across sectors. Oil-sensitive counters were among the top performers, with IndiGo up 4.6%, Asian Paints advancing 3%, and Reliance Industries rising 2.3%. Infrastructure heavyweight Larsen & Toubro, which has significant exposure to the Middle East, climbed 3.1%.
Banking shares attracted buying interest, with HDFC Bank, Kotak Bank and Bajaj Finserv each gaining around 2%. IT stocks also moved higher, led by Tech Mahindra and TCS, both up 3.3%. On the downside, Bharti Airtel slipped 0.6% and ICICI Bank edged 0.2% lower, logging modest declines.
