Indian markets continued to trade higher in early afternoon session following some positive cues from other Asian markets. Traders took a note of the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) latest report stating that India's forex reserves jumped $3.825 billion to $700.946 billion during the week ended April 10. This marks a continued recovery in the country's forex kitty, which had already risen by $9.063 billion to $697.121 billion in the previous week ended April 3. Besides, India and Norway have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral economic ties. The third Session of the India-Norway Dialogue on Trade and Investment (DTI) was held in New Delhi on April 16, 2026. The discussions assumed significance as they marked the first such engagement after the implementation of the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) in October 2025.

On the global front, Asian markets were trading mostly in green as investors closely monitoring rising tensions between Iran and the U.S. in the Middle East. 

The BSE Sensex is currently trading at 78848.23, up by 354.69 points or 0.45% after trading in a range of 78203.30 and 78942.45. There were 22 stocks advancing against 8 stocks declining on the index.

The top gaining sectoral indices on the BSE were Power up by 1.79%, Utilities up by 1.32%, Capital Goods up by 1.20%, PSU up by 1.02% and Bankex was up by 0.70%, while IT down by 0.30%, Realty down by 0.29%, Telecom down by 0.24% and TECK was down by 0.06% were the top losing indices on BSE.

The top gainers on the Sensex were Trent up by 4.19%, SBI up by 3.05%, Asian Paints up by 2.09%, Eternal up by 1.70% and Adani Ports up by 1.17%. On the flip side, Larsen & Toubro down by 0.88%, Titan Company down by 0.71%, Kotak Mahindra Bank down by 0.65%, Bharat Electronics down by 0.43% and HCL Tech down by 0.36% were the top losers.

Meanwhile, boosting bilateral ties, India and Austria have set up a bilateral fast-track mechanism (FTM) to facilitate investments between the two countries. The FTM provides a dedicated platform for Austrian companies and investors in India, as well as Indian companies and investors in Austria, to facilitate investments, address issues and ensure their timely resolution. It was signed and made operational during the India-Austria Business Forum meet. 

Moreover, both sides explored opportunities for cooperation in different sectors during the India-Austria Joint Economic Commission (IAJEC) meeting. They explored corporation in sectors such as infrastructure (automotive, railways and road transport), scientific research, dual vocational training, startups, tourism, semiconductors, critical minerals, digitalisation and artificial intelligence, and film funding.

In Calendar Year 2024/2025, the bilateral trade between India and Austria stood at around $3.06 billion. During the period, the India exported merchandise and services worth around $1.59 billion to Austria, while it imported merchandise and services worth around $1.48 billion from Austria. Further, around 160 Austrian firms are operating in India.

The CNX Nifty is currently trading at 24445.70, up by 92.15 points or 0.38% after trading in a range of 24241.25 and 24473.25. There were 33 stocks advancing against 17 stocks declining on the index.

The top gainers on Nifty were Trent up by 4.00%, SBI up by 3.08%, JSW Steel up by 2.52%, Asian Paints up by 1.97% and Eternal up by 1.71%. On the flip side, JIO Financial down by 1.94%, Hindalco down by 1.71%, HDFC Life Insurance down by 1.09%, Larsen & Toubro down by 0.77% and Wipro down by 0.63% were the top losers.

Asian markets were trading mostly in green; Nikkei 225 surged 386.1 points or 0.66% to 58,862.00, Hang Seng advanced 266.67 points or 1.01% to 26,427.00, Taiwan Weighted added 154.46 points or 0.42% to 36,958.80, Shanghai Composite strengthened 30.7 points or 0.75% to 4,082.13, KOSPI increased 27.17 points or 0.44% to 6,219.09 and Straits Times was up by 3.24 points or 0.06% to 5,001.17. On the flip side, Jakarta Composite was down by 20.32 points or 0.27% to 7,613.68.