The BSE Sensex breached the historic 80,000 mark on Thursday for the first time ever, closing at 80,247 points as foreign institutional investors poured a record ₹65,000 crore into Indian equities in the April settlement cycle alone.
The milestone capped a stunning 18% rally since January, driven by strong corporate earnings, easing inflation, dovish signals from the RBI, and India’s growing appeal as a geopolitically neutral investment destination amid continuing US-China tensions.
The Nifty 50 also hit new all-time highs, closing at 24,322—up 1.8% on the day. Broader markets outperformed, with the Nifty Midcap 100 and Smallcap 100 indices gaining 2.4% and 3.1% respectively, signalling risk appetite across the board.
Pharma, financials, and IT led sectoral gains. Infosys surged 4.2% after upgrading its revenue guidance for FY26, while HDFC Bank hit a fresh 52-week high after strong loan book data. Sun Pharma gained 3.7% on strong US generics business performance.
Global factors also contributed. The US Federal Reserve’s March minutes confirmed expectations of two rate cuts in 2026, weakening the dollar and making emerging market assets more attractive. India’s inclusion in the JPMorgan EM bond index has also driven sustained passive inflows.
Market veterans cautioned that valuations are stretched, with the Nifty trading at 22x one-year forward earnings—well above the 10-year average of 18x. ‘The market is pricing in near-perfection. Any earnings disappointment could trigger a sharp correction,’ said Nilesh Shah, MD of Kotak AMC.
