Indian Stock Markets Open Higher as Lower Crude Oil Prices and IT Buying Lift Sentiment

Indian equity benchmarks opened higher on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, as a decline in international crude-oil prices eased concerns about inflation, corporate costs and India’s import bill, while renewed buying in information-technology shares provided additional support. The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 152.7 points in early trading to reach 76,988.48, while the NSE Nifty 50 gained 44.95 points to trade at 24,040.90. Tech Mahindra, Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys and HCL Technologies were among the leading gainers, alongside Hindustan Unilever and Eternal, indicating that technology and selected consumer shares were driving the initial positive movement. Bharat Electronics, NTPC, Power Grid and State Bank of India were among the notable laggards. Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, fell approximately 1.44% to $87.09 per barrel as investors grew more optimistic about renewed diplomatic discussions involving the United States and Iran, reducing immediate fears of supply disruption in West Asia. Lower crude prices are generally supportive for India because the country imports most of the oil it consumes, meaning a sustained decline can reduce pressure on inflation, the rupee, government finances and the operating costs of fuel-intensive businesses such as airlines, paint manufacturers, logistics companies and consumer-goods producers. The rupee also strengthened as softer oil prices reduced demand for dollars from Indian importers. Nevertheless, investor sentiment remained cautious because foreign institutional investors had sold Indian equities worth ₹1,688.23 crore during the previous session, while major Asian markets were trading lower. South Korea’s KOSPI recorded a particularly sharp decline, and Japan’s Nikkei, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng and China’s Shanghai Composite were also under pressure amid weakness in technology and other risk-sensitive shares. United States markets had ended the previous session on a mixed note, while investors were awaiting the Federal Reserve’s policy decision and guidance on inflation and interest rates. The positive opening followed a strong rebound on Monday, when the Sensex rose 776.01 points to close at 76,835.78 and the Nifty gained 228.50 points to finish at 23,995.95, ending a five-session losing streak. However, the early advance on Tuesday was not sustained across the wider market, with the benchmarks later moving close to the previous closing levels as losses in several sectors offset the rise in IT shares. The session demonstrated that falling crude prices can provide meaningful relief to Indian assets, but the market’s near-term direction will also depend on corporate earnings, foreign investor flows, developments in West Asia, movements in the rupee and signals from the US Federal Reserve.