BENCHMARK stock indices Sensex and Nifty rallied more than three per cent to close at lifetime highs on Monday (3) following across-the-board buying as exit polls predicted a massive win for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the current general elections.
The 30-share BSE Sensex soared by 2,507.47 points or 3.39 per cent to settle at a new closing peak of 76,468.78, marking its biggest single-day gain in three years.
During the day, the barometer jumped 2,777.58 points or 3.75 per cent to hit a record intra-day peak of 76,738.89. The NSE Nifty climbed 733.20 points or 3.25 per cent to finish at 23,263.90. During the day, it soared 808 points or 3.58 per cent to hit a fresh intra-day all-time high of 23,338.70.
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A sharp rally in blue-chip stocks Reliance Industries, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank and State Bank of India propelled the indices to lifetime high levels. Strong GDP data also added to the buoyancy in equity markets.
Shares of all Adani Group companies continued their sharp rally on Monday, with Adani Power surging nearly 16 per cent, in line with a massive surge in the equity market.
Among sectors, public sector undertakings (PSUs), Power, Utilities, Oil, Energy, Capital Goods, and Realty indices soared up to eight per cent.
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Exit polls on Saturday (1) predicted that incumbent prime minister Narendra Modi will retain power for a third straight term, with the BJP-led NDA expected to win a big majority in the general polls. The counting of votes will take place on Tuesday (4).
"The markets opened at new highs today largely because of Exit polls predicting landslide victory for the BJP-led NDA. This will result in a positive surprise of policy continuity with higher seats for the NDA government," SAMCO Mutual Fund fund manager & head of equity research Paras Matalia said.
Among the 30-Sensex companies, NTPC, State Bank of India and Power Grid jumped over 9 per cent each. Larsen & Toubro, Axis Bank, Reliance Industries, UltraTech Cement, Mahindra & Mahindra, IndusInd Bank, ICICI Bank and Tata Steel were the other big gainers. Sun Pharma, HCL Technologies, Asian Paints, Nestle and Infosys were the laggards.
Vinod Nair, head of research, Geojit Financial Services, "Exit poll has activated the optimism of a memorable win for the ongoing government, PSUs had a humongous rally, in anticipation of continuation of the reform gains, triggering further re-rate."
India's economy grew by 8.2 per cent in the fiscal year that ended in March, cementing the country's position as the fastest-growing major economy in the world.
(PTI)
A 1996 photo of rapper Tupac Shakur (L) and Marion "Suge" Knight is shown on screens during closing arguments in the Duane Davis murder trial, related to the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, at Clark County District Court at the Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on August 31, 2026. Getty Images
A rescuer assists a resident through heavy mud following flash floods on August 27, 2026 in Trishuli, Nepal. A sudden flood swept through the Bhote Koshi River basin in northern Rasuwa on August 26, damaging settlements, roads and energy infrastructure as rescue teams searched for residents and foreign travellers reported out of contact. Hundreds were reported missing, as the death toll started to climb.Getty Images
Rescue personnel provide medical treatment to a child at an army rescue camp in Trishuli Batar, Nepal, on August 27, 2026. A sudden flood swept through the Bhote Koshi River basin in northern Rasuwa on August 26, damaging settlements, roads and energy infrastructure, as rescue teams searched for residents and foreign travellers reported out of contact. Hundreds were reported missing as the death toll began to climb. Getty Ima
Family members of missing flood victims react at the emergency ward of the Maharajgunj Medical Campus, part of the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, on August 28, 2026 in Kathmandu, Nepal. Authorities said the flash floods were triggered after a mass of ice, mud and rock collapsed into a Himalayan river near the Nepal-China border, leaving hundreds dead or missing and causing widespread damage in affected districts. Authorities continued the gruelling search for victims, many buried under metres of mud, as both China and Nepal issued fresh flooding alerts.Getty Images