In volatile trading session, Indian markets extended their gains in early afternoon session following some positive cues from other Asian markets. Traders took note of report that India and New Zealand on Monday will sign a free trade agreement (FTA) to boost two-way commerce in goods and services and promote investments. The pact will come into force on actually decided date agreed by both sides. Meanwhile, the Commerce and Industry Ministry has said that three-day trade talks between Indian and US officials concluded on April 23, 2026 with both sides agreeing to remain engaged to sustain the momentum. Sector wise, agriculture stocks remained in limelight as agriculture ministry -- Sanjeev Chopra stated that India’s wheat output for the 2025-26 crop year is expected to be around 110 to 120 million tonnes, as unseasonal rain and hailstorms have damaged crops in major producing regions. 

On the global front, Asian markets were trading mostly in green amid easing geopolitical tensions, with U.S. President Donald Trump indicating that the Iran war will end soon and the U.S. will be victorious. 

The BSE Sensex is currently trading at 77148.55, up by 484.34 points or 0.63% after trading in a range of 76754.20 and 77341.53. There were 22 stocks advancing against 8 stocks declining on the index.

The top gaining sectoral indices on the BSE were Utilities up by 2.59%, Healthcare up by 2.39%, Power up by 2.25%, IT up by 2.13% and Realty was up by 1.79%, while Bankex down by 0.05% was the only losing index on BSE.

The top gainers on the Sensex were Sun Pharma up by 7.15%, Adani Ports up by 2.44%, TCS up by 2.26%, Tech Mahindra up by 2.09% and Mahindra & Mahindra up by 1.92%. On the flip side, Axis Bank down by 3.45%, Bharat Electronics down by 2.41%, ICICI Bank down by 0.63%, Trent down by 0.25% and Bajaj Finance down by 0.18% were the top losers.

Meanwhile, rejecting claims of shortages, the Department of Fertilizers has said that India's fertiliser security remains ‘strong, stable, and well-managed’, with availability consistently exceeding requirement across all major fertilisers, despite global uncertainties. Further, it aims to strengthen the supply of urea for the upcoming kharif sowing season starting in June by importing an additional 25 lakh tonne of urea. The country imports a large quantity of fertilisers to meet domestic demand. Last fiscal, the country imported more than 100 lakh tonnes of urea. The department highlighted the strong opening position for the upcoming Kharif season. It said that during the first 23 days of this financial year (FY27), the Urea availability stands at 69.33 lakh tonne against a requirement of 18.17 lakh tonne; Di Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) availability is 22.78 lakh tonne compared to 5.90 lakh tonne requirement. 

Further reinforcing preparedness for Kharif 2026, the fertiliser requirement has been assessed at 390.54 lakh tonne, against which around 180 lakh tonne (46%) is already available as opening stock, significantly higher than the usual pre-season level of about 33%. The department noted that this reflects improved planning, advanced stocking, and efficient logistics management by the government. On the import front, the government has taken proactive steps to ensure supplies, while Indian Missions abroad are actively engaged in facilitating alternate sources of supply. Besides, it noted that issues related to natural gas availability for domestic urea production have also been addressed, with a steady supply being maintained to fertiliser plants and additional LNG/RLNG being arranged as required.

In order to shield farmers from global price volatility, the Department of Fertilizers noted that the government continues to supply urea to farmers at a highly subsidised rate of Rs 266.5 per 45 kg bag, while international prices of urea have exceeded Rs 4,000 per bag. It reiterated that India's fertiliser ecosystem remains resilient, adequately stocked, and efficiently managed, and the government will continue to take all necessary steps to ensure uninterrupted availability of fertilisers to farmers across the country. Further, states have been advised to take strict action against diversion, hoarding, black marketing, and panic mongering, ensuring that fertilisers reach farmers in a timely and equitable manner.

The CNX Nifty is currently trading at 24043.75, up by 145.80 points or 0.61% after trading in a range of 23936.20 and 24107.60. There were 39 stocks advancing against 11 stocks declining on the index.

The top gainers on Nifty were Sun Pharma up by 7.12%, Adani Ports &Special up by 2.52%, TCS up by 2.27%, JSW Steel up by 2.25% and Tech Mahindra up by 2.22%. On the flip side, Shriram Finance down by 4.12%, Axis Bank down by 3.48%, Bharat Electronics down by 2.41%, Coal India down by 0.81% and Tata Consumer down by 0.77% were the top losers.

Asian markets were trading mostly in green; Nikkei 225 surged 713.82 points or 1.18% to 60,430.00, Taiwan Weighted added 684.23 points or 1.73% to 39,616.63, KOSPI increased 139.40 points or 2.11% to 6,615.03, Jakarta Composite gained 44.54 points or 0.62% to 7,174.03 and Shanghai Composite was up by 6.44 points or 0.16% to 4,086.34. On the flip side, Straits Times fell 31.71 points or 0.64% to 4,891.15 and Hang Seng was down by 59.07 points or 0.23% to 25,919.00.